Sarah was shocked, “How did you know?”
Holden’s eyes darkened. Yeah, how did he know? He had just said it randomly, not expecting it to be true.
It was already pretty late, and Sarah just wanted to take a shower and get her beauty sleep. As a movie star, staying up too late wasn’t an option for her. Plus, after a few days of rest, she’d have to start filming again for The Mysterious Family.
Thanks to the huge success of Heart Throb, Sarah had already gotten some offers for endorsement deals, but she turned most of them down. She was careful about maintaining her brand and didn’t want to cash in too quickly and burn out.
Holden often brought up Ronald around her, so Sarah wasn’t fazed by it anymore. She knew in the original story, that Holden admired Ronald more than her. And as Holden mentored Ronald, he would help Ronald become his cash cow.
Sarah was well aware that in Holden’s mind, she didn’t hold as much value as Ronald. After all, men were driven by business and care more about their business pieces. Even if Ronald entered the entertainment industry, he’d rake in the profits-there was no doubting his male protagonist’s luck.
Sometimes, you just had to admit-luck played a huge role in life. If fate was on your side, life could be pretty sweet, especially in a world where it was clear who the main characters were and who were just the extras.
Holden pinched Sarah’s cheek. “Go sleep in my room.”
Sarah felt utterly hopeless.
Great, she had officially gone from the villainous and unforgettable crush of the male lead to some big shot’s bed servant.
Sarah took a shower, changed into her pajamas, dried her hair, and put on a gold sheet mask as she lay in bed reading a novel. When Holden came in, the first thing he saw was her face covered in the bright, mask-like sheet.
Sarah took her skincare very seriously and would never let anyone mess with her masks. After all, a custom-made sheet mask costing $8, 000 a pop was more valuable than her life.
Holden ignored her and went into the study to handle some work. After going through a few contracts, he glanced at the clock-it was already 11:30. Normally, Holden would never go to bed this early. But with Sarah as his personal sleeping aid, it was a different story.
By this time, Sarah had already removed her mask and fallen asleep. She was sleeping soundly, her features delicate and vibrant. She looked like a small, precious beauty carved from Jane, her cheeks so soft and dewy they seemed like you could squeeze water from them.
At that moment, she looked eerily similar to the stunning princess she played in the movie, lying quietly on the pillow, breathtaking in her beauty.
Holden raised his hand, placing it on Sarah’s fragile shoulder.
Sometimes, he couldn’t control his possessiveness. Yet, he often confused this desire to possess with a need to destroy. It was as if only by breaking something could it truly belong to him-as though death was the ultimate form of ownership.
The darkness within him made him want to ruin everything around him. But his sharp mind and upbringing told him otherwise. He knew he shouldn’t act on those impulses.
His gaze on Sarah deepened. Slowly, he withdrew his hand.
He wasn’t sure if he was having one of his episodes again. Maybe. But he was still aware of everything he was doing.
Sarah stirred in her sleep, feeling restless. She turned over and noticed Holden sitting on the edge of the bed.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Mr. Holden, why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
Holden glanced at the bed.
Sarah suddenly realized she’d somehow ended up right in the middle of the bed.
Uh oh.
She was hogging the boss’s spot.
She quickly scooted over to make room for him.
Holden chuckled. “You know I’m not exactly emotionally stable, right?”
Sarah nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
“Aren’t you afraid I might accidentally kill you one day?”
Sarah thought for a moment.
Honestly, whether she stayed with the male and female leads or by Holden, the end was still death. This cursed world didn’t give her many options.
But if she had to choose, she’d rather stick with Holden. At least with him, she wouldn’t get disfigured or be publicly disgraced.
Sarah was kind of vain-if she was going to die, she wanted to go out looking good.
After a brief pause, she asked, “Since you’re so rich, can you at least get me a solid gold coffin? Maybe that way, I’ll reincarnate as a rich lady.”
Holden let out a small laugh, clearly amused. “Do you really love money that much?”
Sarah, totally unapologetic, replied, “Of course I do!”
Back when she was filming, she had to jump into freezing water in two or three-degree weather, and kept having to reshoot the scene over and over. She was in that icy water for over an hour.
Afterward, she ended up with a high fever and pneumonia, but as soon as she recovered, she was back on set, just to earn a little more money to pay for her father’s medical bills.
Later, after her father passed away, those tough days became fewer and she slowly saved up a decent amount. But she never forgot how cold it had been during that time.
Holden gave a slight smile. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t let you die. Just stay here and be good.”
Sarah was getting sleepy and let out another yawn.
She was wearing a linen nightgown that went all the way down to her ankles, styled like something from an old royal court, with long, intricate lace on the sleeves and neckline. Even though there was nothing revealing or seductive about it, her face and figure naturally had a bit of an alluring quality.
Holden’s mind wandered back to some of her scenes from the film today.
The princess walked barefoot down a long, dark hallway, holding a palace lantern in her hand. She was wearing only a thin dress, with her golden hair cascading down her back-there was a hint of desolation about her that made her incredibly endearing.
“I watched your movie,” Holden said, his Adam’s apple moving slightly, though his handsome face stayed mostly expressionless. “It was pretty good. The costumes were nice.”
Sarah’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really? You watched it? The costumes were all handmade, super detailed.”
The director had put a lot of effort and money into the film’s wardrobe, and the most expensive outfits were the ones for the princess and the emperor.
Holden said, “I’ll buy all those costumes and jewelry for you tomorrow, as a keepsake.”
Sarah thought for a moment. “The costumes would be great, but you can skip the jewelry. It’s way too expensive. The director pulled some strings to borrow it from private museums-they’re all ancient artifacts.”
Holden chuckled. “How expensive?”
Sarah replied, “They’re worth over sixty million.”
Every time she finished filming, she’d immediately take them off and lock them in the safe, terrified she might damage them and have to pay for it.
Holden tapped her forehead lightly. “Only your useless ex-boyfriend would think that’s expensive.”
Sarah, “…”
Why couldn’t he just talk normally? Why go for personal attacks?
Holden’s tone carried a hint of malice. “Oh, right, I forgot. You never officially dated him, so he doesn’t even count as your ex-boyfriend.”
Now Sarah was genuinely mad.
It was one thing to insult Ronald, but why was she getting dragged into this? What had she done wrong? Plenty of women had failed to win over guys.
Seeing her cheeks puff up in anger, Holden raised an eyebrow. “What? Am I wrong?”
In this world, the boss’s word was law.
Considering the costumes and jewelry she’d soon be getting, Sarah decided to just accept Holden as the boss, and let him say whatever he wanted. After all, this wasn’t about a few thousand dollars-it was tens of millions. From now on, Holden was her “dad.”
Sarah tugged on Holden’s sleeve. “The boss is always right. Boss, do you want to sleep? I could sing you a lullaby.”
Holden looked at her. “Was that dance in the movie really you?”
Sarah nodded. “Not a single shot was done by a stunt double. I’m great at dancing. Once I get the costumes, I’ll dance for you.”
Holden seemed satisfied.
In the movie, the fallen princess didn’t actually die. He had hidden her away, erasing all the past hatred and grudges. From then on, she would only dance for him.
Anything she once had, he could provide. Over time, everything could be forgotten, including the man who had hurt her.
Holden took a shower and changed into his pajamas before coming back out. Sarah eagerly started singing him a lullaby.
Less than a minute in, Holden covered her mouth.
“Stop singing. It’s awful, and you’re off-key.”
Sarah, “…”