Julian could only sit in a heavy, stifling silence as Laura, his manager, unleashed her vitriol. The office felt as though the walls were closing in. He knew she was right, a decade of meticulous reputation-building could be reduced to ash overnight, fueled by nothing but his own ego and a reckless streak of jealousy.
"Listen to me, Julian," Laura lowered her voice, though her tone grew infinitely more predatory. "Your grandmother has already stepped in to scrub that drunken photo of yours, spinning it as 'post-production exhaustion.' But if you cause one more scene with Sean, or so much as breathe near Scarlett's set without permission, I cannot guarantee your career will survive the fallout."
Julian's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. "I understand, Laura."
"Good. Now, go meet Selena. She's waiting in the lobby. The public needs to see you with your actual lover to drown out these incestuous rumors about your cousin," Laura commanded icily.
