Chapter 2

Hayes raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Still got that wild streak, huh? Don't think for a second that hooking up with Julian Vance makes you royalty. At the end of the day, you're nothing but a knockoff stand-in!"

"Once the real deal flies back, you'll be tossed out on the curb like trash. Why not secure your next safety net right now?"

With that, he roughly clamped his fingers around my jaw.

"Galaxy Entertainment is still an empire you can't afford to cross. How much is Vance paying you anyway? I'll double it. How's that sound?"

Disgusted, I shoved him off with all my strength and bolted for the door. But in an instant, a fist full of my hair was yanked back hard!

"Fucking bitch! Who do you think you are?! Acting all high and mighty for a damn body double! Trust me, with one word from me, Julian Vance would hand you over on a silver platter!"

A sharp throb tore through my scalp. "Let go of me, Hayes! Aren't you afraid of what Julian will do to you?! Even if I'm just a stand-in, I'm his person right now!"

"You think he'd cross me over a toy like you?!"

He dragged me toward an empty private room. I screamed at the top of my lungs, only to be met with two vicious backhands across my face, leaving my cheeks burning with sharp pain.

Just as his reeking mouth leaned in, a massive force tore him off me, and Hayes went flying backward through the air!

The next second, I was pulled into a broad chest. A heavy wool coat draped over me, enveloping me in the crisp, calming scent of cedarwood. My racing heart instantly settled.

It was Julian.

Hayes scrambled up from the floor, spitting mad. "Vance! You laid hands on me over a worthless little bitch like her?!"

"There are security cameras in this hallway," Julian said, his voice ice-cold. "If you don't want this getting messy, get the fuck out of my sight right now."

Livid, Hayes dusted off his suit jacket. "Fine. Just fine. You just wait and see!"

Julian watched him storm off with a dark scowl, then turned his gaze down to me.

I clung tightly to his sleeve, tears brimming in my eyes from the shock.

"Let's go. Back to the car."

I trailed close behind him. Only when we were inside the private vehicle did he glance over at me, his voice flat: "Claire would never cause a chaotic scene like this. You don't hold a candle to her."

I had been busy leaning into the fragile victim mood, but hearing that threw me completely off balance. A wave of bitter sarcasm slipped out before I could stop it: "Right, of course. Miss Claire would never get into an altercation. Unlike me, who refused to play along with the industry's sleazy casting couch games and got blacklisted for it."

My sharp comeback clearly struck a nerve. Julian's eyes hardened. "Get out."

I was furious too. I shoved the door open, stepped out into the chilly air, and slammed it shut. He floored the gas pedal, leaving me coughing in a cloud of exhaust.

A second later, my phone buzzed with a text notification: *[Insubordination toward your superior. Deducting $50,000.]*

"You absolute bastard, Julian Vance! I quit!"

I stomped my heel, screaming at the red taillights fading into the distance.

Yet, within seconds, the sleek black luxury sedan that had vanished down the street slowly reversed, gliding smoothly back to a halt right beside me.

The tinted window rolled down. Julian glared out at me with a thunderous face. "You quit?"

My heart jumped into my throat!

"No! No, definitely not quitting! You misheard me! I meant, next time something like this happens, I definitely won't handle it that way!"

Cursing out my billionaire boss on day one and getting caught red-handed—talk about terrible luck.

Not to mention I had just been docked tens of thousands!

"Mr. Vance... does this count as a workplace injury?"

"Showing up to the art gallery exhibition looking like this probably isn't appropriate. Would it be alright if you went on your own?"

I asked tentatively, playing timid. Julian gave me a sideways glance, then stepped on the gas and sped off again.

I grumbled under my breath, only for my phone to buzz again with another message: *[Approved.]*

Well, cheapskate Julian wasn't entirely heartless—aside from his obsession with docking my pay.

Over the following weeks, Galaxy Entertainment took a beating. Negative scandals broke out back-to-back regarding Hayes's top signed talent, sending their stock price into a tailspin.

Paparazzi snapped photos of Hayes looking haggard and furious, hurrying out of his luxury car looking like he hadn't slept in weeks.

Industry insiders estimated that his company's market cap had plummeted by at least a hundred million dollars!