eal deal

his ear, his face gray. He didn't even look at Ivy as he end

-filled eyes. "And the web series... the producer just emailed. They'r

ugh. "That's code for 'we don't want the

pposed to be her break. It was a gritty drama. She had auditi

left?" Ivy asked, h

y. "Let's see. The teeth whitening ad? Gone. The cameo in the sitcom?

apped up. "Th

. Kennedy Gilmore is circling the lead. And Darius is an auteur. He cares about

dy Gi

girl who smiled like a ray of sunshine and whispered poison in the makeup chair. She had s

would win. And Ivy would be th

t audition,

You can't walk into a room with Darius Clar

e idea was forming in her head, reckless and s

? That you have a

anket falling to the floor

shows you g

pted, her heart pounding so hard she though

oze. "F

th. This was it. The

d, her voice steadying.

s widened.

"Distant. Second cousin, twic

ead silent. Kia

hispered the wor

He made me promise never to use his name. That's why I ignored him on the carpet until I fell. And

seconds. Then, a slow, mani

eathed. "Oh my god

t

it! The way he didn't push you away immediately! It's not sexual harassment; it's an awkward family reunion! And the

"Holt has to confirm it.

ght. The Monk. Wi

aid, feeling sick. "I have

ousin' angle to TMZ, the narrative flips. You go from 'pred

r phone. Her han

the most powerful man in Hollywood that he was

and thinking of Kennedy Gilmore's sm

message thread