inct flared – her body twisted, a sharp kick lashing out towards the nearest guard's knee. He dodged with practiced ease, his grip tightening like a vise. Trappe

smile stretching her lips. "Throw this trash out

s of the casting hall rattled violently in their frames. Outside, on the studio's manicured lawn, a sleek black AgustaWestland

AS

with the lethal precision of elite military operatives, not studio rent-a-cops. Ignoring the stunned room, they strode straight towards the guards holdi

oom with detached assessment. He radiated an aura of ancient, untouchable wealth and

inches away. He placed his right hand over his heart and offered a slight, impeccably aristocratic

ive years of hiding under that borrowed, discarded name... how? But

ered, his voice cracking with outrage and fear. "You

A lawyer in a sharp grey suit materialized, slapping a thick, expensi

tium. We are injecting fifteen million dollars into the production budget of Awakening." He paused, letting the st

en. The Sykes family couldn't liquidate that

his voice dropping to a chilling timbre, "under two non-negotiable conditions. First: the role of the female lead's rival goes to Grace Wa

lapsed against the desk, his mouth working

er composure obliterated. "You can't do this! She's a nobo

er," he hissed, the words carrying lethal weight. "And we have been searching for her. Speak again," he whispered, the quietness more te

stumbling backward, her face a mask of pure terror. Silenc

otection. After years of isolation, struggle, and Sykes

violently she nearly dropped it into the sink. She had pressed her palms flat against her still-flat stomach, her breath catching in her throat. A baby. Jake's baby. The secret had set

y. The studio producer burst into the room, sweat soaking through his shirt, followed closely by Bryce's stone-

is here!" the producer y

moment later, Bryce Delaney filled the doorway. His dark suit seemed to absorb the ver

ideways. He saw Leo Vance standing protectively close to her, positioned like a shield. Possession and fury ignited in Bryce's dark eyes. The muscles in his jaw