Holden pulled a black card out of his wallet and handed it to her.
Sarah had seen black credit cards before-just special ones with higher limits and a few extra perks. But this one was different. The card had a unique texture, gold lettering, and odd markings. At first, she didn’t even realize it was a credit card.
“Use it however you want,” Holden said casually.
Sarah knew that coming from Holden, “use it however you want” really meant however you want-the limit must be sky-high. But she also knew that the best things in life could sometimes turn out to be the worst. This card could buy her anything she wanted…or it could become her divorce settlement someday.
She followed him like a little shadow. “There’s a catch, isn’t there? Are you-” Are you trying to get rid of me?
Holden opened the bathroom door. “I’m going to take a shower. Why are you following me?”
Sarah spread her hands over her eyes. “I’m not peeking.”
Through her fingers, Holden could see her lashes fluttering, so he gently pried her hands away and gave her cheek a squeeze. He thought, her cheeks were soft to the touch.
Feeling a bit flustered, Sarah slipped off to change into her sleepwear-the special set from Crystal. She was really tired after staying up this late, but she held out until Holden came back.
A little while later, he turned off all but the bedside lamp and climbed into bed.
Sarah scooted closer. “Why didn’t you get your own room if you’re on a business trip?”
He took hold of her shoulder. “Saving money.”
She wore a thin, light-colored strap over her shoulder, barely veiled in sheer fabric that hinted at her silhouette, her fair skin almost glowing in the soft light. Holden’s hand barely applied pressure, but even that left faint marks on her skin.
His gaze darkened. “What exactly are you wearing?”
Sarah dropped her eyes, feeling a little guilty. “A cute nightgown.”
The Oscar was set for tomorrow, and Sarah was definitely going to wear a gown to attend. Holden didn’t want her looking all messy.
To him, Sarah was a delicate girl-someone who’d break if you so much as touched her. Even in bed, he was always careful not to go too rough.
Holden was in a black hotel robe, and he wrapped his freshly removed gray shirt around Sarah’s shoulders. Her frame was so much smaller than his that his shirt practically became a dress on her. It had been perfectly ironed with the faint scent of cedarwood and cologne from his closet, but now, with her arms swallowed up by the sleeves, it wrinkled immediately as he rolled up the cuffs to free her hands.
Holden didn’t like seeing Sarah trying to seduce him for some other guy’s sake. The more she tried, the more he wanted to make Ronald suffer.
Sarah, meanwhile, was completely puzzled. According to Crystal’s script, Holden should be making love with her by now, but he was totally off-script!
She thought she’d been forward enough-any guy with half an ego would’ve thought she was crazy about him.
She turned to look at Holden, trying to figure out where she went wrong.
Holden placed his hand over her eyes and switched off the bedside lamp. “Sleep.”
Though Sarah was still confused about Holden’s intentions, she slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, a phone call woke her up-the brand had delivered the dress she was to wear for tonight’s event.
Sarah hung up and tried to get out of bed, but Holden’s hand slid around her waist, pulling her back into his embrace. She looked up at him.
Holden wasn’t ready to get up yet. His eyes were closed, his long lashes casting shadows over his sharp features. His nose was straight, his jawline strong, and up close, there was a faint hint of mixed heritage in his face, but he was even more striking than most mixed-race people.
Sarah had to admit, Holden was ridiculously handsome; waking up to that face was definitely a treat.
******
Meanwhile, Ronald wasn’t doing as well. The police had shown up at his door the night before and taken him in for questioning.
The Martin family connections could help out in situations like this, so Ronald had messaged his parents right away, but they hadn’t managed to pull him out in time.
Ronald actually felt a little guilty about Mimi’s death-after all, she’d disappeared from his house.
During the autopsy, Mimi’s body was found to contain not only the bodily fluids of the passerby who killed her, but also Ronald’s, which was enough to prove that he was closely related to the case.
The real culprit had been caught and sentenced quickly, and back then, the Martin family used their influence to keep Ronald out of the media spotlight.
Elisa had spread the story that Mimi was a homewrecker, and soon enough, people stopped talking about it.
Now, though, the police were suspicious that Ronald was somehow involved with the criminal, wondering how it was that Mimi had just walked out of his house only to be killed moments later. It was a bit too convenient.
Ronald couldn’t defend himself, so he spent the whole night at the station giving statements. By morning, just as he thought he was free, a middle-aged couple showed up-Mimi’s aunt and uncle, apparently-and they grabbed him and started throwing punches, shouting that he’d killed their niece.
He got punched and bruised, looking totally beaten up. Just when he was about to fight back, the aunt dropped to the ground, saying he’d given her a heart attack and demanding he get her medical help.
Ronald knew the Oscar ceremony was that night, and he’d wanted to see Sarah. Recently, he’d been thinking about her a lot. But with Mimi’s relatives holding him up, he couldn’t break away at all.
Elisa wasn’t with Ronald. She had Mr. Karl get her a ticket to the Oscar, and she went all out with her look today. Since no high-end brand was willing to loan her a dress, she ended up using Ronald’s card to buy herself a custom designer gown, planning to outshine everyone on the red carpet.
When it was time to go in, Elisa saw Sarah arriving.
Elisa had her agent and assistant at her side, holding up the long train of her dress. She felt like a queen with her “attendants” by her side.
Meanwhile, Sarah came alone, without even an assistant, just wearing a simple black dress that reached her calves.
Elisa gave Sarah a once-over. “Sarah, long time no see.”
Sarah, as usual, couldn’t be bothered with Elisa and kept walking.
Elisa and her assistant stepped in front of Sarah, determined to enter before her.
The event staff’s face remained neutral. “Please show your invitation.”
Elisa handed her invitation over. The staff member insisted on opening it to double-check the name.
Annoyed, Elisa snapped, “I have an invitation. Just let me in!”
The staff opened the invitation and checked the name inside. “Miss Elisa, this invitation isn’t for you, so you can’t come in.”
Elisa’s face fell. “You-!”
She didn’t remember who the staff member was, but the woman remembered her. She’d once worked as a manager at a hotel, but Elisa hadn’t liked her and had Ronald get her fired, ruining her reputation in the industry and forcing her to change careers.
Other people with invitations were allowed to enter, but Elisa was an exception.
The staff turned to Sarah with a friendly smile. “Miss Sarah, please come in.”
Sarah walked right in.
Frustrated, Elisa looked down at her dress and called Mr. Karl, trying to get him to find a way for her to get inside.
The organizers had placed Sarah in a prime seat, right next to Crystal, both in the front three rows.
When Director Beck spotted Sarah, he greeted her like they were old friends.
Even A-listers usually had to go out of their way to get Director Beck’s attention, so seeing him approach Sarah made a few people envious.
Getting cast in a Director Beck production was such a boost to one’s career that actors would even pay to be a part of it.
Director Beck smiled. “I heard Mr. Holden invested at least a hundred million in Director Colby’s film. Did he only invest to make sure you got the lead role?”
Sarah laughed. “You’re overthinking it. Mr. Holden didn’t invest because of me; he saw the film’s commercial value. Great script, great director-that’s what he’s interested in. I just happened to land the role because, well, I’m good at what I do.”
Director Beck pulled Director Colby, who was passing by, into the conversation. “So that disaster you’re filming-how’d you land such a big investment?”
Director Colby glanced at Sarah. “Disaster? Look who’s talking! To make a real film, you first convince Sarah to play the lead. With her onboard, investment and box office are in the bag. Sarah, how many poems have you memorized recently?”
Sarah sighed. “… Next time you two ask me to act, I’m charging double.”
This year’s nominations included both Heart Throb and The Mysterious Family. In the end, Heart Throb took Best Picture and Best Costume Design, while The Mysterious Family won Best Score.
Sarah swept up both the Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress awards.
After accepting her award, Sarah headed to the parking lot. She kept her hat pulled low and walked forward until she spotted a black Rolls-Royce flashing its lights.
She opened the door and got into the passenger seat. “Got held up a bit.”
Holden asked, “What do you feel like eating?”
Sarah hadn’t really thought about it yet, so she tilted her head. “Hot pot?”
Her makeup was a bit heavier today, especially around her eyes, which were feeling irritated by her mascara. She grabbed her makeup bag and went to the restroom to wash it off.
When she came back, she saw Elisa standing at the table, talking to Holden. Sarah couldn’t believe it-Elisa showed up everywhere!
Elisa and Mr. Karl had seen Sarah and Holden get out of their car in the parking garage, so she’d followed them up. Elisa had been thinking of a good way to start a conversation, but Sarah’s restroom break gave her an easy chance. There wasn’t a man in the world she couldn’t charm.