Los Angeles, Beverly Hills.
Scarlett Rhodes was a small-town girl from Arizona trying to make it as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Her problem was her beloved younger brother, who needed immediate, life-saving surgery that wasn’t covered by their insurance—a bill of $1.5 million. Scarlett was selling everything she owned, including the rights to her best script.
Darius Thorne was Hollywood’s “Golden Boy,” a legendary director and the CEO of Thorne Studios. At 35, he was an aesthetic genius, known for his stoicism and his refusal to mix business with pleasure. He needed a wife because his late father’s will stipulated that Darius must be married and present a stable family image to inherit the controlling share of Thorne Studios, beating out his ambitious, sleazy half-brother.
Darius’s lawyer presented the contract: $2 million, immediate medical debt payment, in exchange for a one-year public marriage.
“You need money for family. I need a family for money,” Darius summarized, his dark eyes analyzing her. “You seem genuine, Ms. Rhodes. That’s a valuable trait in this city.”
Scarlett hated the premise, but the money meant her brother lived. “Fine. But I maintain my career. I won’t be a trophy.”
“The contract permits it,” Darius assured her. “But you must adhere to the public image. We are madly in love.”
The contract wedding was a massive media event designed to shut down the rumors. The primary conflict was Victoria Sterling, Darius’s narcissistic, vindictive ex-girlfriend, a fading actress who believed she was entitled to the Mrs. Thorne title.
Victoria’s weapon of choice was public sabotage at high-profile events. The setting: the premiere of a major Thorne Studios blockbuster at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
As Scarlett was giving an interview on the red carpet, Victoria sashayed up, interrupting the cameras.
“Oh, look! It’s the director’s little accessory,” Victoria purred, loud enough for the boom mic to catch. “You know, Darius and I used to come to these premieres. Such fond memories. Tell me, dear, when Darius calls your name during passion, does he mistakenly call mine?”
The reporters gasped, their pens flying. Scarlett’s face burned. She knew Victoria was trying to push Darius’s buttons, knowing he hated drama.
Victoria then moved in closer and whispered conspiratorially, “Everyone knows the truth, darling. You’re just here until the inheritance clears. Then it’s back to the Midwest for you, debt-free and discarded.”
Darius, who had been posing for solo shots nearby, didn’t need words. He saw the shift in Scarlett’s demeanor, the shame in her eyes.
He walked straight toward the two women, his expression unreadable, his famous stoicism now radiating an intimidating, coiled tension.
He didn’t address Victoria. He simply put his hand on the small of Scarlett’s back, anchoring her to him, and pulled her close, his lips near her ear.
“You are my muse, Scarlett,” he murmured, his voice caught perfectly by the sound guy. “Ignore the distraction.”
He then looked at the cameras, his gaze lethal. “This is a premiere for my film. Any attempt to disrespect or interfere with my wife is an attack on Thorne Studios. And I guarantee, if you publish any gossip fueled by Ms. Sterling, you will never receive an exclusive from my studio again.”
Darius then turned to Victoria, his eyes holding hers with silent command. “Victoria, the door is that way. I suggest you use it, or I will ensure you never get a single audition in this town again. Do you understand, or do I need to explain the term ‘unemployable’ to your agent?”
The threat was absolute. Victoria, knowing Darius’s power, visibly trembled and backed away, humiliated.
Darius then took Scarlett’s hand, holding it high for the cameras. He didn’t cover the stain or sweep her away. He faced the reporters, pulling Scarlett onto the main stage.
“My wife, Scarlett Thorne, is a brilliant screenwriter. Her script is the next major franchise for this studio. Tonight is about her talent and our future.”
He then did the ultimate cinematic move: He leaned down, in front of hundreds of flashing cameras, and kissed her—a long, deep, possessive kiss that was definitely not in the contract.
Inside the darkened theater, as the opening credits rolled, Scarlett was still reeling from the unexpected, passionate kiss.
“That wasn’t in the terms, Mr. Thorne,” she whispered, her heart racing.
Darius looked at the screen, but his hand was holding hers, his thumb rubbing small, soothing circles on her skin. “I was running a character analysis, Scarlett. The public needs to believe the love is real. And I found that… it was easier to portray if the action was genuine.”
He turned to her, the darkness hiding a sudden vulnerability. “I’m tired of the artifice of this city. Your honesty is a relief. The fact is, I didn’t want my brother to get the studio, but I also didn’t want the silence anymore.”
Scarlett confessed her own change of heart. “I came for the money to save my brother. But I stayed because you protected me. You didn’t treat me like a prop; you treated me like a partner.”
Darius closed his eyes. “The contract is an insult to what is happening between us. It is a lie.”
He took out the signed contract—a valuable, legally binding document—and held it between two fingers. He lit it on fire with a lighter he kept for props, letting the burning paper fall into a metal cup holder.
“The contract is void, Scarlett. The inheritance is mine, and your brother’s bill is paid ten times over. Now, you must make a choice. Stay with me, not as the contract wife, but as the co-pilot of my life, the real woman who makes me want to drop the camera and just… live.”
Scarlett watched the last piece of the paper burn. “Darius Thorne, I’m staying. But you have to let me rewrite your ending. No more stoicism.”
He didn’t answer with words. He answered by taking her hand and kissing her again, more softly this time, a promise made in the quiet, intoxicating darkness of a Hollywood theater.
