CHAPTER 51: TEACH HIM A LESSON

LT Studios.

Sophia had barely reached the front door when a security guard stepped in her way.

"Miss, do you have a pass?" he asked.

She wore a mask and a baseball cap; the six kids were waiting in the car. Not wanting to be recognized, she flashed her pass. The guard hesitated, then stepped aside.

Holding her pass like she belonged, Sophia rode the executive elevator up. There were plenty of people in the offices—many stealing glances, trying to place her—but she walked straight into the general manager’s suite.

"You just barged in without knocking—aren’t you a little rude?" a middle-aged man said from behind a desk. He had a mature face, a low voice, and hair slicked back—every inch the successful businessman.

Sophia smiled. "Uncle Hanson, you’re really coming into your own."

Howard Hanson looked up; affection softened his features. "You finally came back to visit? I told you if you didn’t show up soon, I’d start plotting to take your spot."

He rose—easily six feet tall—and they embraced. Sophia seemed like a little girl in his arms.

"You timed this perfectly. I heard JL Studios is making moves."

"JL?" Sophia said. "I’ve been watching the industry—rising stars, faded big names—JL’s contracts are about to expire for a lot of people."

Sophia, always busy, sat at the desk and picked up the files in front of her. "They signing newcomers?"

"Yeah. JL’s been snapping up a bunch of pretty young girls. We can’t just stand by—we have to act."

She flipped through a few pages. "I want girls who haven’t had work done. Uncle Hanson, did you forget my rule?"

"They’re all naturally beautiful," he protested.

Sophia frowned at several faces that looked suspiciously similar. "Uncle Hanson, maybe you should get your eyes checked—are you starting to go blind?"

He laughed: "Don’t you trust my taste? I’ve been running LT for you a long time. When have I ever let you down?"

LT Studios and JL Studios were the country’s two major players in the entertainment industry—neck and neck.

"So JL is signing a bunch of actresses," Sophia mused, turning it over in her head. A plan began to form. "If they’re scooping up women, why don’t we do the opposite?"

Howard blinked. "You mean—?"

"We recruit men." Sophia opened another file. "Are these the male actors whose contracts are about to expire?"

"Right. Some are veteran actors, others are washed-up stars—but they still have brand value."

"Bring every single one of them here," she decided.

"All of them? But—"

"Uncle Hanson, you know what I mean. Think it through. I’ll be going to City Y in a week to meet with the Wright Family. LT needs to ramp up. Once I feel we’ve got the right roster, we’ll launch our star-making plan."

She pulled her mask back on, fully geared up.

"You’re worried about being recognized?" Howard asked.

"Of course. I’m still officially listed as the future Mrs. Hilton—so I have to be careful. For your sake, mine, and everyone’s."

Howard stopped her on the way out. "Wait." He opened a cabinet and produced a small box. Inside was a crystal.

"They brought this back from overseas. I never used it—take it. It’d make a nice accessory, or just something pretty to fiddle with."

Sophia eyed the crystal suspiciously. "It’s not fake, is it?"

"Would I lie to you?" Howard shot back.

She examined it—its quality was impeccable. A face flickered in her mind. "I don’t need it. You hang onto it. When you’re meeting with those veteran actors, bring it yourself. If you run into a collector, this might come in handy."

Sophia smirked, waved him off, and left without looking back. Howard chuckled under his breath. "That girl..."

...

Outside LT Studios, the six kids sat in the car, bored out of their minds.

Suddenly, someone approached the vehicle.

"Billy! Someone’s coming!"

Ethan was just passing by. He recognized the car immediately—Sophia’s stretched Rolls-Royce. From the outside, no one could see in.

Charles dug into his bag. "Faye, here." He handed her his water gun—except this one was filled with paint. Then he pulled out another bottle. "Wait, let’s add some glue for good measure."

Meanwhile, Ethan leaned closer to the passenger window, trying to peer inside. He didn’t notice that the back window had quietly rolled down just enough.

Faye took aim with the water gun and fired—splat!—right at the seat of his off-white pants. Just then, Billy spotted their mom returning and quickly yanked her back, rolling the window up as if nothing had happened.

Because it was just one shot and the paint was thick, it didn’t soak through right away. It simply clung to the fabric—bright red, right across Ethan’s backside. From a distance, it looked like... well, like he’d had a very embarrassing medical incident.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?"

Sophia’s cold voice cut through the air. She’d spotted him lurking the second she stepped outside.

Ethan straightened reflexively and gave her a smile. "Sophia, I saw your car and thought you might be around. And here you are."

"Olivia is practically dying over you, and yet you still have the nerve to show up in front of me? Not worried the Morgans will come after you?"

"Sophia, I know you’re married to Lucas. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop pursuing you."

She crossed her arms, pretending not to hear. "What was that? Didn’t quite catch it."

"You heard me. I mean it. I want to be with you. I want to make up for the mistakes I made."

"Are you out of your mind, Ethan?" she scoffed. "You think the world is just yours for the taking? That you can grab what you want and toss what you don’t?"

Her lips curved slyly. "Where exactly do you get all this courage and confidence? From that—" she tipped her chin toward his rear "—leaking hemorrhoid of yours?"

Ethan’s brows shot together. "What? Hemorrhoid? Leaking?"

Sophia arched a brow, patted his shoulder lightly, and teased, "Little brother, your butt’s bleeding."

Ethan’s hand shot back—and came away covered in red. He froze, glancing over his shoulder. People had started to gather, whispering, pointing—staring at the unmistakable red stain.

Why did it look like he was bleeding out of his pants?!

"Goodbye. When you’re... cleaned up, maybe we’ll meet again."

Sliding on her sunglasses, Sophia slipped into her car and shut the door with a flourish.

"Sophia!" Ethan lunged, but the crowd was closing in, phones out, snapping photos.

Teeth clenched, he glared after her departing car before scrambling back to his own vehicle. Only when he sat down did he realize something was wrong.

The seat felt wet. His eyes narrowed as he shifted—only to discover, to his horror, that his pants were actually stuck to the leather seat.