Chapter 15
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The second Hugo mentioned “sister,” the room buzzed like a beehive, and even Nolan’s face flickered with surprise.
All eyes lasered in on Winona, making her skin crawl, Winona’s cheeks drained of color, and her grip tightened.
She thought, ‘Quiana is here to wreck my big day. Hugo and my frue identity are about to splatter my perfect life, and 1 would never own up to it!‘
Winona pasted on a fake grin at Hugo. “I don’t know you, so don’t go calling me that out of the blue.”
Hugo’s eyes welled up, looking totally gutted. “Even if we haven’t met, I’m really your brother!”
Winona’s face went ghost white, and she shot back, “Don’t say that. I am a Larson, and I’ve never had a brother!” She glanced at Quiana.
Quiana stood there, eyes on her phone like she was in a different world.
Suddenly, Winona shuddered like she’d been zapped, stepped back, and her eyes got all teary, “Quiana, we’re kin. If you want me to pull some strings, you don’t have to trash my rep, right?”
As soon as she said that, the crowd’s faces changed like a flipped switch.
“What garbage are you talking about!” Cassie’s fuse blew, and she let loose on Winona. “Did Quiana say she was coming to see you today? You just barged in, didn’t you?” She’d always thought Winona was a fake, and today just proved it.
Cassie’s blunt words made even Nolan wince a bit.
Quiana gave Cassie a side–eye, “You’re an actress now.”
Cassie was still in a show with Winona, playing the third lead. Sticking up for Quiana could mean trouble with Winona. Cassie might even get the boot.
Cassie paused, and then casually rolled up her sleeves. “Well, I can always quit acting!”
In Cassie’s eyes, Quiana had been gone for twenty years, and now that she was back, she was playing twin with Winona and even marrying some guy on her behalf who was in a wheelchair. Quiana was in a rough spot.
Cassie couldn’t just stand by while her best friend
got
dissed.
Cassie’s loyalty made Hugo pause, and he smirked as he whispered, covering his mouth with his hand, “Cassie, remember that contract you signed. Break it, and you owe ten times the pay.”
Cassie was speechless. She was just a newbie, a former extra, and in this show, she was just the third lead, barely in the spotlight, with a salary in the low five figures. But she couldn’t afford a tenfold fine.
But that wouldn’t stop Cassie from backing Quiana. Cassie started, “You-”
“What are you all doing just standing around?” Suddenly, the show’s director barked at them from nearby.
And just like that, everyone scattered.
Nolan wasn’t fazed. He looked at Winona, then at Hugo, and clicked his tongue. “I gotta say, you two do look alike.” Even though the Larson family was a big shot family in Janivielle, they couldn’t afford to tick off the Hawley family. Winona’s face went pale as she forced a smile. “Mr. Hawley, you must be pulling my leg.”
Because of Winona’s engagement to Julius, the Larsons‘ messy business was something Julius hadn’t dug into publicly, but
11:26 Wed, 16 Apr
Chapter 15
Shane had snooped around. Nolan knew a bit about it too. He didn’t want Winona as a part of his family.
Seeing Winona looking so pathetic, Nolan sneered, “Ms. Larson, you know the truth than anyone better, right?”
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Winona fumed in her heart, thinking, ‘How could Quiana know Nolan? And get him to back her up? It is clear she came today just to mess with me. There’s no way I’d cop to it.
Winona’s nails dug into her palm as she whispered, “I don’t have a clue what you are talking about.”
There were still a few stragglers hanging around.
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Winona looked at Quiana with teary eyes, her voice a bit shaky. “Quiana, even though the Larsons are powerful, acting is all about talent. I’ve never used that clout.
“If you really want to be in the cast, I can ask the director to do a favor-”
“Quiana!” Winona’s words were cut off as Evelyn ran over, thrilled and excited. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I thought you weren’t going to make it!”
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11:26 Wed, 16 Apr 1 #S
