If every woman dreamed of getting into bed with Brian, then Sammy Johnson was the woman every man fantasized about.
Raven-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, its blonde-tipped ends gleaming like molten gold in the light an intentional contrast that drew attention to her every movement. Her emerald eyes carried the danger of an ancient seductress, the kind who could steal an emperor's heart and plunge an entire palace into chaos.
Sammy was beautiful and confident. Her perfectly shaped eyes and rosy lips framed a face that made photographers fight for the best angle. Her figure slender yet richly curved was the kind of perfection that defied logic. Every step she took was a subtle proclamation that she knew exactly the kind of power she held over the world and the hearts of many men.
Her porcelain skin glowed naturally, needing no filter or retouch. She was tall enough to command a room, heels or not. Today, she wore a short pink skirt that hugged her hips and revealed her long, toned legs. The white, semi-transparent blouse she paired it with hinted at a soft pink bra beneath, a deliberate tease more than an accident.
She was afterall, just like Emma, here to secure her role as the female lead.
And therein lay the problem.
If Brian was the man every woman wanted on-screen, Sammy was the woman every director demanded beside him. For years, they'd been the golden pair, his smoldering charisma and her irresistible allure a formula for guaranteed success.
She has a lot of fans, both male and female. With her white lotus personality in public eyes, she embodied beauty and innocence.
It was precisely why many rising actresses didn't dare compete. Why bother seducing Brian, when Sammy would inevitably be chosen as the lead?
She always pairs with him in top hit movies like the one being planned.
Charlotte, however, was not like them. She believed Emma's beauty could rival Sammy's and with Brian's growing indifference toward his usual co-star, she saw an opening. Her plan had been simple: send Emma to test Brian's resistance.
And it worked like a charm. Emma has that effect on men. She has been shielding her from the claw of the industry, otherwise Emma would have been tainted by many directors and sponsors.
She'd calculated the odds correctly. Brian, who had once sworn never to let impulse rule him, had finally caved, not to Sammy, but to the quiet girl no one saw coming.
Charlotte knew it would be worth it.
What would shock everyone now was the fact that Emma will take the leading female role.
If others hadn't backed out due to Sammy, perhaps the competition would have been fierce.
But here was Emma, securing the role for herself.
Brian's manager found it odd. On the norm, word from Brian's father and Briam would've ensured Sammy's place beside him again. Yet, here they were, arriving just in time to see something they hadn't expected.
Emma is obviously one of the enlisted actresses and judging by the love bite visible on her skin, she had influenced a change in Brian's decision.
Emma stood there, her eyes swollen with tears, face flushed, and faint marks visible along her neckline.
The air remained frozen.
Sammy's seductive smile faltered as realization struck. The marks… the trembling… It was unmistakable.
Even the manager still looked stunned. He knew Brian's reputation, he never slept around. Not even Sammy, for all her fame and beauty, had succeeded. Yet this girl… this trembling nobody… had done it.
A storm brewed in Sammy's chest. She wanted to demand how Emma managed it, how she'd broken through the wall no one else could. But fury burned too hot for questions.
Emma, sensing the weight of their stares, bolted past them, her hurried footsteps echoing through the hall until they faded.
Sammy's nails dug into her palm. Was he that rough with her? she wondered briefly, her mind spiraling to dangerous places. The thought made her blush, not from shame, but intrigue. She liked men who could match her fire, unrestrained and raw.
And Brian? He was everything she ever wanted, perfect, untouchable, but now… tainted by someone else.
Her lips curled into a smirk, though her eyes gleamed cold.
Emma might have had him once, but that didn't make her the winner.
Because Sammy Johnson always got what she wanted.
And she never forgave a thief. She'd rather Brian remained cold with everyone than pick a favourite that is not her.