The drive back from the engagement dinner had been quiet. Emma had confronted Evelyn, spoken to her father, and watched Juliette's mask slip. But something else was simmering beneath her skin… something that had been building since the moment she signed that contract.
She didn't want to be just Nicholas White's wife.
The next morning, she found him in the library. He was on a call, his voice low and sharp, but when he saw her in the doorway, he ended the conversation with a curt "Later" and hung up.
"You're up early," he said.
"I couldn't sleep." She walked to the window, looking out at the gray sea. "I've been thinking."
Nicholas leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "Dangerous habit."
"I want to work."
He raised an eyebrow. "You want to work."
"I want to act." She turned to face him. She lifted her chin. "I want a chance to be something, pleaseeee." She acted coquettishly
Nicholas was quiet for a long moment. Then he walked to her, stopping inches away.
"You know what people will say. That you're only getting roles because of me. That you're trading on my name."
"Let them say it." Emma met his gaze. "I've spent sixteen years being invisible. Being quiet. Being the girl no one noticed. I'm done."
"You want to prove yourself."
"I want to be seen." Her voice cracked. "Not as your fiancée. Not as Juliette's stepdaughter. As me. As Emma. As whoever I decide to become."
Nicholas reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch was gentle, but his eyes were intense.
"I can give you access to any studio, any director, any script in this city. I can make you a star overnight." He paused. "But you don't want that, do you?"
"I want to earn it."
"Then earn it." He stepped back. "I'll set up meetings with casting directors. You'll audition like everyone else. You'll get the roles you deserve, not the ones I buy for you."
Emma's heart swelled. "You mean it?"
"I mean it." His mouth curved into a small smile. "But you should know… once you're in the spotlight, there's no going back. Your face will be on every screen. Your name will be in every headline. Juliette and Evelyn will see you. Marcus will see you. Viktor will see you."
"I know."
"They'll try to tear you down."
"Let them try."
Nicholas studied her for a long moment. Then he pulled her against him, his arms wrapped around her, his face buried in her hair.
"You're going to be extraordinary," he murmured.
Emma closed her eyes and let herself believe it.