"I'm here for Jesse Swanson."
"You're welcome to stop me. As long as you can handle what comes next."
The doorman's arrogance evaporated in an instant, replaced by a fawning grin. "Best Actress Sullivan! Forgive me, I didn't recognize you. Please, right this way."
I gave a slight nod, took Nora by the arm, and walked inside.
Watching me navigate the corridors without a second's hesitation, Nora blinked. "Addie, you've been here before?"
Been here before.
This was where Jesse and I first met.
Back then, I was a nobody. A fresh-faced actress who'd just broken into the industry, too naive to know how ugly the world behind the curtain could be.
A dinner party. An investor's greasy hand landing on my thigh. The director glancing over and looking away like it was the most natural thing in the world. Panic and fury tangled together in my chest.
I struggled, but his grip held. So I made a decision. If I was going down, I was taking him with me. I drove my heel straight into his crotch and bolted for the door.
His men were close behind, their shouts gaining on me. I ran blind, no direction, no plan, until I crashed headfirst into someone's chest.
Jesse Swanson.