Chapter 3

3.

I went home, took a long bath, and scrolled through the news while sipping coffee.

The studio was hyping the kickoff ceremony, but they hadn't tagged any actors. I used to think it was to prevent fan wars.

Now I realized it was just to make it easier to swap me out without a public outcry.

I had spent two months dieting for this role. I paid for my own horse-riding and stunt training. I even hired a tutor to learn the classical instruments required for the period piece.

Now, none of that mattered. I might as well go to a spa tomorrow.

I grabbed my phone and messaged my best friend, Ian Yeats, the hottest pop star in the country. We were going to spend the day in the mountains.

The next morning, while Ian and I were wrapped in towels lounging by a heated spring, Zack called.

"Xavier! Where the hell are you? The ceremony is starting. Why aren't you here?"

"Oh? You're the lead, aren't you?" I asked lazily. "Since when does the guy playing the father need to be at the front of the stage?"

"I didn't want to drag you here either," Zack hissed, his voice full of rage.

"But the rep from Vanguard found out I was the lead and immediately downgraded the project from Triple-A to a B-movie! They cut fifty million dollars from the budget!"

Ian leaned in, listening to the phone, and started snickering.

"A fifty million cut? Well, you still have twenty million left. That's plenty for a B-movie. Make it work. It's not my problem anymore."

"Just show up for a minute!" Zack shouted. "I'll talk to the writer. We'll give you more scenes. You don't have to play my dad. How about my older brother?"

I let out a condescending snort. "Wow, you even have the writers in your pocket now? Impressive.

But sorry, Zack. I've already flown out of state. I'm not coming back.

Besides, I have zero interest in being related to you, even on screen. Have fun with your little play."

"Xavier Quinn! You think this company stops turning without you? I'm being nice, so don't push your luck!" Zack was screaming now.

My tone turned ice-cold. "I should say the same to you. Don't think for a second that sleeping your way into Lucia's bed makes you a star. You're still a nobody, Zack."

"I don't need you to make this a hit! Just watch! I'm going to be the biggest thing in Hollywood after this drops!"

He slammed the phone down before I could respond.

Ian stared at my phone, eyes wide. "Is he actually brain-dead? Where does he get the nerve to be that arrogant?"

I shrugged. I didn't get it either.

Our company was decent-sized, but I was the only one who could actually carry a show and pull in ratings.

Every time I did a project, Lucia would beg me to take a bunch of rookies under my wing to boost the company's stock.

I never complained. I figured if the company did well, I did well.

But it seemed everyone else thought I was just an obstacle. They thought if they shoved me out, they'd get my spot.

Fine. Let them try. Let's see how they handle the heat without me.