Director Quinn chuckled, letting his wife complain. Just then, his phone rang.
He answered without even looking at the number. "Hello, who is this?"
A woman's voice came through the receiver. "Director Quinn, I hear your show is about to start filming. Are you still looking for investors?"
Director Quinn was delighted. "Looking? Of course we are." He'd had a bit too much to drink and was slow to react, but it was a conditioned response. The moment anyone mentioned investment, he would instinctively say yes.
"Our company can invest twenty million, but we want Shannon Sutton's role."
Director Quinn's drunkenness vanished in an instant, and he sat up on the sofa. "May I ask your name?"
"The name's Chenning."
Director Quinn chuckled. "But, Ms. Chenning, that role has already been contracted. Terminating the agreement would mean paying a penalty."
"Then just pay her. Of course, it would be even better if you could get the other party to breach the contract. That way, not only would you not have to spend a dime, you'd even receive a compensation payment. What's not to like?"
...
Riley Perry made herself dinner. Afterward, she sat in the living room watching a show, studying how the award-winning actors and actresses performed. At ten o'clock, she turned off the TV and went to her room to shower.
The warm water cascaded over her body, leaving countless glistening droplets on her fair, smooth skin. The droplets traced the curves of her body before merging and disappearing from sight. Suddenly, a CLICK came from the front door.
Footsteps followed, echoing through the living room and heading straight for the bedroom. Then, the bathroom door swung open. In a panic, Riley Perry only had time to retreat to a corner, turning her back and wrapping her arms around herself. Like a frightened rabbit, she glanced over her shoulder at the doorway, her eyes filled with terror.
But the intruder only let out a soft chuckle. "What are you afraid of?"
"Y-You... how did you get in? You scared me to death!" As she spoke, Riley Perry's eyes reddened, and tears instantly welled up.
Cole Sinclair's eyes reddened as well. Without another word, he took off his jacket, tossed it aside, and stepped into the shower.
"What are you doing..."
Cole Sinclair leaned down and sealed her lips with a kiss.
The hot water poured down relentlessly. The swirling steam in the bathroom seemed to blush, and even the tightly shut door couldn't contain the sounds from within.
An hour later, Riley Perry was carried out of the bathroom. Her skin was flushed a faint pink, like a delectable piece of cotton candy that made one want to take a lick.
However, there were two unsightly bruises on her slender waist. Cole Sinclair pressed his lips together. He had truly been trying to be careful, but her skin was so tender and delicate that it seemed even the slightest force would leave a mark.
He lay down on the bed, his large hand caressing her bruises. "Does it hurt?"
'Strange. I wouldn't even frown if I broke a bone, yet my heart aches just seeing a bruise on her.'
The woman on the bed huffed, kicking his calf with her small foot. "How dare you ask? It was all you, being so rough! Do you think I'm some tough guy like you? It was like you were trying to kill me."
Cole Sinclair was speechless. 'What kind of lover is like this, kicking people at the drop of a hat!'
'And she's so high-maintenance! Last night, she kicked me out of bed. This morning, she sent me to work with a lipstick mark on my collar for the whole company to laugh at. And this afternoon, she deliberately ignored my contact request.'
'Now she's blaming me for being too rough. And how am I a "tough guy"? Well, compared to her, I suppose I am a little rough.'
When the man didn't respond after a long moment, Riley Perry grew annoyed again. She reached out and turned his face towards her. "You dare ignore me? Tell me, were you just thinking about some other little vixen? I knew it. Men are all pigs. You don't cherish what you have once you've got it."
Cole Sinclair laughed in exasperation. She really had some nerve. 'If I had another little vixen,' he thought, 'what would I even be doing with her?'
'She's really asking for it!'
'She can forget about sleeping tonight!'
They had only been apart for a day, but the little vixen seemed even more beautiful. Her skin felt even better, too, like the finest silk—delicate, smooth, and warm. He truly couldn't keep his hands off her.
...
Henry Hayes glanced at the time on his phone, then at the tightly closed door, a look of utter despair on his face. He'd been told to deliver clothes at six. He knew his CEO's routine—an unwavering six a.m. wake-up call—so he had even arrived ten minutes early, afraid of keeping the man waiting.
But it was now six forty-five, and there wasn't the slightest sound from inside.
'A moment of pleasure is one thing,' he thought, 'but you can't just lose all self-control!'
At 7:01, Henry Hayes's phone rang. He answered it quickly. "Mr. Sinclair, I'm right outside. The clothes are ready."
Half a minute later, the door opened, and a large hand reached out. Henry Hayes quickly handed over the bag. It was snatched away, and the door was slammed shut with a merciless BANG.
Cole Sinclair unwrapped the pink bath towel from around his waist, took the toiletries out of the bag, and went into the bathroom. When he emerged, he was fully dressed.
'Riley Perry is poison,' he thought. 'And so is her bed. I actually woke up late today.'
In the room, Riley Perry emerged in her nightgown. A pink slip hung from her shoulders, revealing a large expanse of her creamy white skin. Cole Sinclair glanced at her for only a moment before looking away. No one noticed his Adam's apple bobbing quickly.
Riley Perry's voice had lost its crispness from the day before, replaced by an alluring hoarseness. "Mr. Sinclair, you still haven't told me, where did you get a key to my place?"
Whether it was due to the beautiful sight before him or the searing heat of her husky, sexy voice, Cole Sinclair's ears grew slightly hot.
He didn't answer her question, however. "This apartment is far too small. You're sleeping at the villa tonight."
"My agent has me taking acting classes, and this place is close to the company," Riley Perry said. "Besides, I don't think it's small at all." 'Although it was just a one-bedroom apartment, it was more than enough for her and easy to keep tidy.'
Leaning against the doorframe with her head tilted, Riley Perry brazenly sized up the man before her. A slate-blue shirt hugged his upper body, faintly revealing the outline of his abs. His narrow waist was hidden by the fabric, but only she knew just how powerful it was.
Cole Sinclair's mind was anything but calm. 'Yesterday, I fully intended to go straight home,' he thought, 'but halfway there, I changed my mind and told the driver to come here instead.'
'And the moment I opened the bathroom door, I lost control.'
'I think I'm becoming far too obsessed with this woman. This won't do.'
He took a deep breath and said, "Then do as you please. I'll call you if I need something."
'So that means I shouldn't contact you unless you need something, is that it?'
Riley Perry understood the hidden meaning in his words, but she pretended not to. She walked over and pressed herself against his chest, cooing sweetly, "Mr. Sinclair, I'll be a good girl."
'A good girl who does what you ask. A gilded canary who feels nothing.'