Chapter 2

Simon had always rushed me not to read too carefully, saying Tidebound was his own project and he'd never screw me over.

I believed him. Now that tiny line of print felt like a slap across the face.

Leo glanced at me. "Pity yourself if you need to, but do not waste it on a scumbag.

"You have half an hour to gather everything proving you did not quit voluntarily.

"""In half an hour, Simon and Mia will be at a brand gala.

""Do you want to go?"""

I looked up. "I got replaced. Why would I go?"

Leo started the car, his voice flat. "Go tell everyone you did not step aside.

"One more thing.

"Starting today, stop letting people gang up on you when you are alone.

"You are my wife now."

He didn't look at me when he said it, but my ears still burned.

By six that evening, we were at the Radiance Jewelry Gala.

The moment Leo and I entered through the side door, Simon spotted me. He clearly had not expected me to arrive with Leo.

He recovered fast. "Summer," he said, "what are you doing here?"

I looked at him. "Why? Am I not allowed to?"

He lowered his voice and stepped closer. "I already told PR to frame this as your voluntary withdrawal.

"If you show up now, you will only make things uglier."

I smiled a little. "Uglier than replacing your female lead this morning and showing up tonight with her on your arm?"

Simon's expression shifted. "Do not throw a fit here.

"This industry is small, so leave yourself a way out.

"Mia is younger, and the investors prefer her. This is reality, not right or wrong.

"You are nearly thirty. Face facts."

Face facts. He'd handed my role to the woman on his arm, torn up our three-year engagement, and now he was telling me to face reality.

I had just opened my mouth when Leo stepped half a pace forward, placing me behind his shoulder without touching me. "Director Quinn," he said coolly, "my wife's future isn't your concern."

Simon froze. "Wife?"

Leo offered no explanation. He simply handed the invitation to the staff and said, "Leo Carter, Summer Hughes. We're together."

The staff stared, stunned, before hurriedly letting us through, while Simon's face darkened by the second.

Once we were inside, I lowered my voice. "Are you out of your mind? Once that gets out, tonight's going to explode."

Leo turned to me. "That is the point. If it does not erupt, who will believe you were not dumped and refusing to let go?"

I was still caught off guard when the host called Simon and Mia onto the stage. Cameras flashed nonstop.

With a bright smile, the host asked, "Director Quinn, we heard there was a last-minute change to Tidebound's female lead. Was that because Ms. Hughes was busy planning a wedding?"

"Simon took the mic and smiled smoothly. ""Summer stepped down by choice.

""She wanted to focus on her personal life, and I respect that."""

I stood below the stage, nails biting into my palm, but I didn't rush up to tear into him. Instead, I took out my phone and forwarded that morning's voice message to Tanya Reed.

She was my best friend, the only manager I truly trusted, and she'd already been waiting backstage for an hour with every piece of evidence I had. It was finally her turn.

The next second, the giant screen flickered. The looping brand video froze, then changed to a screenshot of a timeline.

At the top was March 7, 1:14 a.m., and a message from Simon: [Summer, the investors have already settled on Mia. Put out a statement saying you stepped down yourself. Don't make this harder for me.]

The venue went silent as Simon's smile froze.

The screen then showed my costume approval email from three months earlier, naming me as the female lead.

The next slide showed last night's table-read notice, again naming me as the female lead, followed by Simon's message: [Take the hit for now. I will make it up to you when the movie comes out.]

The whole venue erupted. And the host froze on the spot, microphone still clutched in hand. Reporters down below went wild, snapping photos nonstop.

Someone even asked directly: "Director Quinn, so Ms. Hughes did not step down on her own? Were you lying just now?"

Mia turned pale and forced out a strained smile. "Maybe there was some misunderstanding..."

That was when I walked onto the stage. My heels struck the steps in steady, even beats as I took the mic from the host and faced the sea of cameras.

I said, "There was no misunderstanding.

"I did not quit or give up the role because of a wedding.

"I learned from the trending page this morning that I had been replaced."

"Another uproar broke out. Simon's face darkened. ""Summer, that is enough.

""This is a brand gala, not a place for you to lose your mind."" I looked straight at him."

I shot back, "When you used me as a shield, why was this not the wrong place?

"Simon, give the role to whomever you want.

"But do not use my name to pave the way for you and Mia."

I set down the mic and turned to leave. I didn't need to say anything more. What had to get out tonight was already out.

I had just reached backstage when someone gently caught my wrist. I turned and saw Leo. He said nothing about doing well and nothing about not being afraid.

He pressed a mint candy into my palm. "Keep this in your mouth. You bite your tongue when you are nervous."

I froze. Even Tanya had only seen that habit once, back when I filmed my first project. How did Leo know? But he had already let go, as if it meant nothing.

Leo said, "The car is at the back exit.

"We still have another fight waiting for us."

He was right. By the time the gala ended, the hashtags had flipped from [Simon Quinn Announces New Film] to [Summer Hughes Replaced as Female Lead].

Beneath that sat an even bigger one: [Leo Carter's Wife]. The whole internet was guessing whether he meant me.