Secret Billionaire: The Actress

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I just left the investor's bed.

My phone screen lit up. A text from Ruth.

The lead rolethe one Id bled forwas gone.

I stared at the screen, then at the half-naked man beside me. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. I slowly typed a single question mark. Xavier. This is a joke, right? Ruth says you replaced me.

He rolled over, pulled me back against his chest. "Yeah. Youre taking the second lead this time. Ill find you something else later."

I shoved his arm away. Xavier finally opened his eyes. "You really want to start a fight with me, Vivienne? One role, or your entire career on ice. I thought you were smarter than this."

Chapter 01

The blood drained from my face. My hands went ice cold. I scrambled to pick up my clothes from the floor, pulling them on in a frenzy. My fingers wouldn't work. I missed the buttons twice.

Xavier chuckled. He yanked me back into his arms. He propped himself up, resting his chin on the crown of my head. The sheet slipped down his waist. Hard abs. Defined V-line. His chest rose and fell against my back. Burning hot. Suffocating.

His voice was rough, rasping against my ear. A warning. "Vivienne. Don't be difficult. Be a good girl."

I pressed my palms against his bare chest. Pushed. Created a sliver of space between us. My eyes snagged on the scratches and hickeys on his neck. Marks Id left. I looked down, fumbled with my buttons again. One last try. "The role of Beatrice. It means everything to me."

Xaviers patience snapped.

His fingers locked onto my jaw. Forced my head up. "Vivienne. I thought you knew what you were. You think you have the right to bargain with me?"

My hand froze on the button. Silence stretched. My voice came out hollow. "Im not bargaining. Who did you give the lead to?"

I swallowed. "Another newbie you met at an industry party?"

Xavier smoothed my hair. He guided my hands down to his waist. A silent command to buckle his belt. His eyes drifted. A smile tugged at his lips. "Kelsey."

He paused. Savored the name. "Youve met her. Benedicts daughter."

"Shes entering the industry. Naturally, she gets the best resources."

My hands stopped moving on his belt.

Kelsey.

I remembered the little princess. The first time we met, she threw a cup of scalding coffee in my face. Said it was a joke. How had Xavier introduced her back then?

The willful little princess.

I pressed my lips together. Kept my mouth shut.

Xavier was in a talkative mood. "Shell be at the launch livestream tonight. Watch what you say. Im getting engaged to her soon. I dont want any ugly rumors."

It felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. Drenched.

"Youre getting engaged?"

My voice trembled. Violent shivers raked through me. The heater was blasting, but my bones felt like ice.

Xavier pushed past me. Walked to the mirror. Fixed his hair. "What else? You didn't think Id be with you like this forever, did you?"

"I thought we understood the arrangement. I provide the money" He paused. Turned. His eyes raked over me. Cheap. "And you provide the body."

"Im still satisfied with you. You dont have to worry about your opportunities drying up after I get married. Ill still give you what you need. Just know your place. Dont cause scenes in front of Kelsey."

I knew what was coming next. It would only get uglier. I grabbed my coat, wrapped it haphazardly around me. "Im going to see Marty. To get the script for the second lead."

I fled.

Chapter 02

Xavier was my patron. The money behind the curtain. But I deluded myself into thinking we were more than just a transaction.

He didn't just throw resources at me. He showed up at my trailer with armfuls of roses. It wasn't just sex. He walked the streets of Manhattan with me at 2 A.M., his hand warm in mine. He stayed on the phone for thirty minutes when my anxiety spiked, talking me down from the ledge. The night I won Best Actress, we ran along the pier, laughing, breathless, like teenagers in love.

We were Hollywood's worst-kept secret. I thought we were endgame.

Then he told me to know my place.

I sat in the back of the black SUV for a long time. Silence pressed against my eardrums. The door slid open. Ruth climbed in. "Vivienne, did you fight with Xavier?"

She slammed the door shut, cutting off the blinding flash of paparazzi cameras lurking outside.

I blinked. The spell broke. I wiped my face. My hand came away wet. I hadn't even realized I was crying.

Ruth took one look at me and barked orders at the makeup artist hovering in the front seat. "Fix her face. She needs a complete redo for the livestream tonight. Change the hair, too. No one can know she just walked out of that hotel looking like this."

She slid into the seat next to me. Her hand gripped mine. Tight. Anchoring. "Is this about you quitting the industry? Did Xavier refuse to let you go?"

I shook my head. My throat felt like it was filled with broken glass. "He's getting engaged."

Ruth sucked in a sharp breath. "From your tone it's not to you."

I was amused by Ruths reaction. I wiped my nose. "Kelsey. And she's taking the lead role."

Ruth rubbed my back. Her hesitation was heavy. "Is she is she coming to the livestream tonight?"

I closed my eyes. The cold bristles of a makeup brush swept across my eyelids. I forced my heart rate to slow. "She'll be there. And so will I."

"Xavier wants me to take the second lead. You know why I entered this industry, Ruth. I only wanted to play Beatrice. I'm going to drop out. If there's a breach of contract fee, I'll pay it myself."

Ruths arm wrapped around my shoulders. She pulled me into a hug. "The money is nothing. But are you sure? You're not going to fight for it? This is it's Beatrice."

I shook my head. The exhaustion went bone deep. "Maybe this is just fate. We were destined to miss each other. If she were alive she wouldn't want me playing her anyway."

Ruth didn't argue. She just sighed. A soft, sad sound. "Can you handle the livestream?"

I knew why she was asking. Ruth had witnessed every sweet, significant moment I shared with Xavier. She had also seen the obsession. She saw me claw my way into this industry the moment I heard the book based on Beatrice was being adapted into a movie.

I hugged Ruth back. "It's the last war. I have to handle it. After the livestream, I'll tie up the loose ends. Then you can help me delete my accounts and post the retirement statement."

Chapter 03

The studio lights felt like an interrogation. Kelsey hadn't arrived yet.

I sat next to Xavier. My skin crawled. Five hours ago, our limbs were tangled together in a hotel bed. Now, making eye contact felt like touching a live wire. The air between us was toxic.

Marty was a veteran shark. The chaos of swapping the lead actress ten hours before the launch didn't even put a dent in his mood. He delivered his opening speech with a plastic smile, completely unfazed.

The livestream view count was low. The chat messages trickled in slowly. I glanced at the monitor. Nobody cared about the plot. It was all about me and Xavier.

[Help, Xavienne is back! I heard Xavier is the investor. My ship is finally sailing!]

[Vivienne is just acting in a show he invested in. You guys are delusional.]

[Everyone knows Xavier spoils his wifey! The lead role is reserved for his true love, Vivienne!]

I shifted in my seat. Subtly sliding my hips away from him. Creating a demilitarized zone between our chairs.

I turned to look at Xavier. He reclined in his swivel chair, long legs spread in an arrogant V. One hand in his pocket. The other typing furiously on his phone. His brow was a thundercloud.

Was he explaining himself to Kelsey? The late arrival? I wondered if this was how he handled the paparazzi photos of us entering the hotel earlier. Frantic texts to his "Baby Kelsey" to explain away the evidence.

Marty laughed, trying to smooth over the dead air. "Hold on, everyone. Our leading lady hasn't arrived yet. The makeup and styling for the heroine are quite complex. We're using this livestream to officially reveal her look."

Marty's words were a grenade. The chat room exploded.

Viewers flooded in. The comments scrolled so fast they became a blur of motion.

[Did Xavier dump Vivienne?]

[Why is Vivienne even sitting there? Didn't she say she wouldn't play anything but the lead?]

[Who is the lead? Vivienne is perfect for it! That declassified photo of Beatrice looks exactly like Vivienne!]

The screen was a wall of text. Vivienne. Vivienne. Vivienne. The letters lost their meaning. I barely recognized my own name. The comments turned ugly. Nasty.

Marty struggled to answer a few plot-related questions, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at the wall of "Vivienne" spam, then turned helplessly to Xavier and me.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. He stared at the screen for a beat. Then he let out a scoff. Sharp. Cruel.

He turned to me. "Why is everyone dragging me into things with Superstar Vivienne?"

His hand gripped the back of my chair. Hard. He spun me around. Forced me to face the massive screen. "Do we have a relationship?"

For years, rumors about us had spread like wildfire. He had allowed them. He had silently encouraged the shippers to boost the ratings. Today, he stripped me naked in front of thousands. No mercy.

My hand slowly clenched the hem of my dress. I forced my fingers to open. The silk was crushed. Ruined. A permanent mark.

"No relationship," I said. My voice was steady. Dead. "People just love the drama."

Chapter 04

Kelsey finally made her entrance.

The suffocating tension in the room broke. Xavier stood up to greet her. I exhaled, the air rushing out of my lungs in a shaky relief.

She walked in wearing a vintage trench coat. Her hair was permed into wild, heavy curls straight out of 1985. She looked like a powerhouse CEO, but her face was painted with an expression of wide-eyed innocence.

It was a carbon copy.

She was dressed exactly like the photos of Beatrice.

Acid churned in my stomach. The bitterness coated my tongue. I had hallucinated this moment a thousand times. I had stared into the mirror, imagining myself in that coat. Imagining myself telling that woman's story.

Xavier took Kelseys hand. He treated her like she was made of glass. He guided her to the center of the studio. He seated her in the main chair. His chair. Then he leaned against the back of it, his body shielding hers. An undeniable claim.

Kelsey settled into Xaviers spot. She tilted her head, her gaze landing on me. "Vivienne? I didn't realize you were here."

I stood up immediately. I ceded my space to Xavier, putting as much distance between myself and the happy couple as the small stage allowed. "Marty asked me to come for support," I said, my voice flat. "The leading lady doesn't need to worry about me."

Kelsey wasn't ready to let it go. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Why would Marty invite you for no reason, Vivienne? Do you have a role in the film?"

She didn't wait for an answer. She pivoted in her chair, craning her neck to look up at Xavier. Her voice dropped to a sugary, dangerous purr. "Xavier, baby tell me you didn't give my role to Vivienne just because you got distracted by a pretty face. Didn't Vivienne swear she would never play anything but the lead?"

Two sentences. That was all it took.

The chat room, which had been lulling, detonated. Marty panicked. He scrambled to update the moderation filters. Suddenly, the wall of [Vivienne] spam turned into rows of asterisks: (***).

My past arrogance had come back to bite me. But I wasn't the one who said those words.

Years ago, a sleazy director handed me a script. A total "eye candy" role. Third female lead. Heavy nudity. Xavier had intercepted it. He told Ruth to burn the script. He was the one who roared, "Vivienne only plays leads. Don't bring this trash to her again."

Now, Kelsey used his protection as a weapon to gut me.

Xavier didn't defend me. He looked down at Kelsey, his eyes dripping with affection. He pulled his chair close to hers. "I wouldn't dare. You're the only star in the room. How could I see anyone else? Besides, with you here, there is no other leading lady."

He gestured vaguely in my direction. "Vivienne is an artist under my company. She's just here as a foil. To make you shine brighter."

The interaction broke the internet