The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the buzzing world of the entertainment industry, rumors had long swirled that Ramona’s meteoric rise to stardom wasn’t without the help of some shady dealings. But Kala, with her own history as a fan favorite, never bought into the gossip. She knew all too well how vicious whispers could trail a successful woman.

However, when she overheard Ramona trash-talking Vivienne, the scion of a respected entertainment dynasty, her blood boiled. Kala’s patience snapped as Ramona’s sneering remarks about the Brooks family hit too close to home. Before she knew it, a sharp retort lashed out from her lips.

Ramona’s face cycled through a spectrum of anger, embarrassment, and indignation.

Kala, her own temper flaring, nearly apologized, but the words froze on her tongue as she stared into Ramona’s twisted expression of fury.

“Oh, you’ve really done it now, Kala!” Ramona seethed, her delicate features contorting.

No wonder Kala and Vivienne were buddies—birds of a feather flock together!

“You want to slander me? You’re going to pay for that!” Ramona yelled inside when her hand shot out, grabbing Kala’s wrist and attempting to hurl her down the trailer steps.

“Ramona!” The urgency in her agent’s voice was clear as he raced to intervene.

With the grace of an actress, Ramona turned on the waterworks for the gathering crowd. “Ms. Brooks, I know you resent me for snagging that endorsement from you, but we all have to play the game in this industry. How could you attack me like this?”

Kala was incredulous at the audacity of Ramona’s performance, almost impressed despite herself.

The emotions in her eyes flickered as she stared at Ramona.

The shooting had just ended, and several staff were walking around the set, ready to leave. Hearing the commotion and realizing it was a clash between two popular actresses, a crowd quickly formed with onlookers recording the whole thing.

she limped onto him as if

righteously, “Ms. Brooks, Ramona has been giving you the utmost respect because you’re a senior in this industry; that’s why she prefers to avoid conflicts with you even if it means she has to give up things in the process! And how do you repay her? Not only did you take Ms. Vivienne’s side in oppressing us during the banquet, but now you’ve even gone and pushed her down the stairs! You know,

added, “But this isn’t over! Ms. Brooks, we’ll see you in

not expecting the Hawthorn family to actually hire me for this endorsement. Ms. Brooks, don’t

The onlookers started murmuring.

horrible! To think I actually believed Kala was

the granddaughter of a murderer be?

never certain until the last moment. How can Kala be so shameless to claim that the endorsement belongs to

she becomes the brand ambassador of the Hawthorn Group, I’ll never buy their perfumes again! Who knows what ingredients they put inside? They might

Xavier, frowned, his sharp

could a girl born with a silver spoon have the courage to do something like

surroundings, the dazzling flashlights making it hard to keep her eyes open. She would be

her reputation. It

Brooks family’s demise was because of her grandmother. In fact, even Scott was not

Ramona sound

to extract more out of Ramona. “Ms. Grimshaw, you seem to be very familiar with my family, so I’m sure you know that Vivienne is my cousin. You say you snatched my endorsement, right?

you think

dawned on the

forgotten about that. I think I’ve heard somewhere that Kala is