And now Ross—arrogant, smug, insufferably calm Ross—was walking in at the eleventh hour to steal the spotlight.
But there was no way around it. Corey glanced around the room, reading the faces.
They were already shifting toward Ross, already moving.
Defeated, he swallowed his pride.
"…Fine," he said quietly. "Okay."
Ross gave a single, satisfied nod. He didn't gloat. He didn't need to.
"Good," he said, stepping forward. "If we had more time, I would've gone with horror. Psychological, surreal, maybe a twist ending. Something that grabs the audience by the throat. But with only a little time left, romance is our best bet. Simple, emotional, intimate."
He let that hang in the air before continuing, his voice smooth and deliberate.
"We're changing the cast. I'll take the male lead. The female lead will be Cara."
That was the spark that lit the fuse.
Corey sat upright, staring at him. "Wait—what?"
Ross turned toward him, unbothered. "You heard me."
