One

"It all started with an audition."

Leila Delacroix was a beautiful 22-year-old who had been sent away from home because of her choice of career. This didn't faze her because she went on with pursuing her dream. Although she encountered many setbacks along the way, she was determined to make her dreams come true. However, she was beginning to feel like she was running out of options, and she was on the verge of giving up. That was when she met him.

Ashton Kingston was the quintessential playboy. He seemed to care about nothing and no one, least of all himself. He lived a life of leisure, without responsibilities or worries. His father had left him a great fortune, which afforded him a life of comfort and ease.

But there was one catch: to claim his inheritance, he would have to get married. It was the last thing he wanted to do. But he had no other choice. He devised a plan to get his money yet remain unmarried after.

So, he puts out a fake casting call which undoubtedly attracts Leila.

Of course, she wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to step into the light an fulfill her dream.

So she gathered her courage and responded to the call. But to her shock, instead of a role, she was given a proposal, with so many opportunities attached.A part of her was tempted to accept it, anyone in her situation would be. Eventually, she accepted Ashton's offer.

Excitedly, Ashton goes back to claim his inheritance with his 'wife'. He believed he'll just pay her, depart for life and he'll go back to squandering, however , something unexpected happened and they found ound themselves stuck together.

  Would they be able to put aside their differences and find a way forward together? Or would they be torn apart by the stress of the situation? But most importantly, would their relationship blossom into something beautiful, or would it crumble under the pressure?

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Chapter one

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"Oh shit, I'm almost late!" Leila cursed under her breath as she slipped on her shoes and bolted out the door.

   She knew that the drive to GLORYA INDUSTRIES would normally take 45 minutes, but with traffic it could take much longer. And she only had 30 minutes to get there before the shoot started.

  Oh no! She couldn't afford to miss this. It's an opportunity other starlets like her have been clamouring for.

     When she entered the GLORYA Industries reception, she was met by the receptionist of course, who raised a brow at her.

  "You're late, Miss Delacroix." He said.

Still trying catch her breath due to the rushing up of the stairs, she said, "I know. I know. Can i sign in now? Hope I'm not too late."

  The receptionist stared skeptically, "Uh..."

  Just then, the manager of GLORYA INDUSTRIES, Mr Iran , came walking into the office. Immediately he saw her, his face hardened in displeasure.

   "You're late," he said, his voice stern.

"Please. I'm sorry. I was late up rehearsing my lines, so I woke up pretty late. And the traffic was hectic! I'm so sorry. "She apologised, bowing along.

Mr Iran smirked a bit, "I'm afraid I have to inform you that we've given the role to someone else. I'm very disappointed in your lack of professionalism. GLORYA INDUSTRIES won't tolerate any lack of indiscipline. You are dismissed."

Her eyes widened and she immediately said, "Please! Please sir. I'm so sorry. I promise, it'll never repeat itself. Please, Mr Iran."

The middle aged man only scrunched up his nose, "It's already gone. The role has been given to somebody else."

Leila thought her head was about to explode, "I was only five minutes late! And you promised me the role was mine. Please, Mr. Iran."

"Well," Mr. Iran replied, his voice cool and detached, "I can't retract my promise to someone else. And besides, she's doing just as well as you were, so there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry, but you're out of luck."

Leila looked down at her feet, her thoughts racing. This couldn't be happening. Something about Mr. Iran's demeanor seemed off, and Leila couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story. She felt a nagging sense of betrayal here.

" Don't worry. I'll find something else for you to... " Mr Iran tried to say but she cut him off.

Her black eyes fell in him, annoyance evident in them," Don't worry. You can keep your ' something else '. " And with that, she turned and walked out of the office.

She had a feeling. It's either whoever got that role, bribed Mr Iran... But then, who would bribe for a very irrelevant role?

Oh... Maybe someone who doesn't want her to do this.

  Leila sighed and kicked her car to a start.

...

"You're right," Taylor said, "This whole situation seems off. And Mr. Iran's behavior isn't exactly reassuring. I know it's hard to see the big picture when you're in the middle of it, but I think we need to look at this with fresh eyes."

Leila shook her head, feeling like she was going to explode with frustration. "You don't get it! I've worked so hard for this opportunity. And now it's just being yanked away from me!"

"I get, baby," Taylor said , her tone filled with certainty. "There is something more to this situation than meets the eye. I mean, I saw Mr. Delacroix at GLORYA INDUSTRIES a few days ago, and then Mr. Iran saw him out. Maybe... "

Leila groaned, a mixture of frustration and annoyance filling her voice, "He's deliberately interfering with my career because he doesn't want me to do it.

  "Calm down, baby..."

"No!" Leila exclaimed, her voice tinged with desperation. "I am NOT calming down! Just because he doesn't want me to act doesn't mean he should go about sabotaging every role I get. Remember what happened with Glam films? He did this same thing and it's not fair!" Leila could feel her temper rising as she spoke.

"Just relax,honey. " Taylor said soothingly. "Everything will be fine. I've seen some available spots online. I'll send the links to you. They may not be as big as GLORYA INDUSTRIES, but they're still worth applying for."

Leila sighed, "I guess so." She still felt dejected and frustrated.

"Don't worry. Okay?Come on, love. Smile." Taylor grinned.

Leila rolled her eyes, plastering a fake smile on her face.

Taylor chuckled, "I'll take what I can get."

Leila let out a small chuckle, "You're not getting much then."

Taylor grinned, "Harsh, but fair."

Leila shook her head in amusement and there, the video chat ended.

She flung her phone onto the bed, where it bounced once before landing on the mattress. She sighed and began to undress, feeling too tired to think.

Her father's actions had taken a toll on her. All she wanted to do was to act. It was her dream, her passion. But he had made sure to squash that dream. He hated the idea of his daughter becoming an actress, so he sent her to a private college where he made sure she studied law.

    Leila detested her father's plans for her life. She felt suffocated by his efforts to control every aspect of her future. And the thought of him sending her to another country to continue her studies was the last straw. Leila knew she had to do something. She couldn't let him keep controlling her life like this. It was time to rebel.

Few months ago

"You are doing it, and that's that!" Mr. Delacroix said in a tone that brooked no argument.

     "No, Dad!" Leila protested, her voice tight with emotion. "You can't just order my life like it's a coffee order! I'm not some product you can mold to your specifications!"

    Mr. Delacroix's face hardened, the harsh lines in his handsome face growing more pronounced. " Acting is forbidden under my roof. It's either you get out of my house with your stupid dreams or you agree to..."

" Well, I'd rather leave anyways. "Leila had said, stunning him.

" If you go, I'll never accept you as a Delacroix again, just so you know. "

" I don't care! I won't be a Delacroix forever anyways. "And with that, she stormed up to her room.

   Her father is a very wealthy lawyer and he wants his children to follow his footsteps. Leila was against it. She hated it and she won't force it anymore.

She'll go out and achieve her dreams.

Presently

As Leila's defiant words still rang in her ears, she found herself torn between pride and doubt. On the one hand, she was determined to prove her father wrong and follow her own path. But on the other hand, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that maybe he was right. Maybe her dreams were just childish fantasies, and she would never achieve them. What if she was just setting herself up for disappointment?

These conflicting thoughts swirled around in her head, and she found herself at a loss for what to do.

She recalled her bank account balance, a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. The meager few thousand dollars she had seemed so insignificant in the face of her goals and ambitions. And her refrigerator, as empty as it was, served as a stark reminder of her financial situation.

      Desperate for a distraction, she opened her laptop and began to browse the internet. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she hoped to find something that would give her a sense of hope or reassurance.

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