Chapter 1

Late one night, Samantha Norton wore nothing under her clothes, hoping she could get closer to her agent, Raymond Holt, whom she had secret feelings for. However, he used all his strength to shove her aside, the disdainful look in his eyes clearly screaming that she should have a sense of propriety and shame. She had loved him for ten years, and it was a known fact to everyone. During that time, she had used all sorts of tricks at her disposal, yet he never desired her, not even a little. Samantha assumed that he was always emotionally detached, that was, until the day she stumbled upon him masturbating to a picture of her adopted sister, Tiffany Jensen. Only then had she realized that he had desires—but not for her. They were for someone else. In that moment, she finally gave up on him. The next day, she went to find her older brother, Hector Norton. "I've chosen to retire from the industry. I'll be giving up on the international film role and leaving the country as per your arrangement." Samantha's tone was light as she told Hector of her decision. Hector paused briefly, but then triumphant excitement flashed past his eyes. A gentle smile swiftly curled his lips. "Since you're willing to leave the industry, I'll talk to the shareholders about your compensation. I'll also handle the ambassador contracts Norton Group has signed with those luxury brands. You're an artist under Norton Group, so I certainly won't mistreat you. "Besides that, I'll arrange for you to leave with ten million dollars worth of assets." "Is that a joke?" Samantha tapped her finger on the table. "I practically built up Norton Group's entire entertainment sector, yet that's all the compensation you're paying me? Sorry, but I want at least one billion dollars." The smile on Hector's face froze, and the pen he had been holding fell to the floor. He stared in disbelief at his younger sister. "Samantha, are you crazy? One billion dollars? Why don't you rob a bank instead?" Taking in his loss of composure, Samantha scoffed and stood up. "Can't bear to part with that measly amount? Then I guess this deal is over." Hector frowned before snarling through gritted teeth, "Fine, I'll agree to your terms! However, I have two conditions. One, you have to officially leave the industry within two weeks. Two, you will never appear at any events that might affect Tiffany's career progression." Tiffany was a new star who had risen to prominence overnight. Norton Group had worked hard to portray her as an innocent and beautiful goddess. The image they painted of her was that of a gentle and endearing woman, with a temperament that could easily invoke sympathy from others. She was but an adopted daughter of the Norton family, yet Hector treated her way better than he did his own biological younger sister. "You know how Tiffany has been living in your shadow all these years," Hector uttered lowly. "She didn't even dare to compete with you over this movie and had no choice but to come and beg me. She said she would rather die than lose the lead actress role in this movie." He couldn't bear Tiffany suffering even the slightest injustice, so even if he had to snatch the role from Samantha, he would do it. After all, this was a rare opportunity for Tiffany to make it big. Samantha's ruby red lips quirked into a smirk as she eyed her brother disdainfully. "So that's why you're threatening me? All so you can satisfy your precious Tiffany's wish?" "Sammy, you've always been understanding and reasonable. You know what Tiffany's like. If you insist on fighting for the lead actress role, she certainly won't be able to handle it." He deliberately avoided mentioning how Tiffany had overdosed and ended up hospitalized, thereby scaring him half to death. Samantha turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows. The piercing sunlight outside was blinding, hiding the desolation lurking in her eyes. "Since the day Mom passed away, the sibling card stopped working on me. You have one day to make up your mind. "Oh, I have another condition. I want to break my contract with Raymond." Her tone was calm as she spoke. "That way, he can help Tiffany without any more reservations." "What?" A meaningful look entered Hector's eyes as he raised a brow. "But he's the man you've secretly loved for the past seven years, no?" Samantha didn't refute the question, merely retorting with, "Yeah, well, you've been in love with Tiffany for ten years, haven't you?" With that said, she didn't linger any longer and turned to leave. She had long since learned from the housekeeper about Hector and Tiffany sleeping together. However, she had been unable to gather any concrete evidence. Hector's last sentence had truly hit her where it hurt most. The intense agony crashed over her, causing her thoughts to drift. Her love for Raymond had indeed been what kept her going all these years. Unfortunately, he only had eyes for Tiffany. Tiffany was originally the daughter of the Norton family's driver. Ten years ago, a car accident took the lives of both their fathers. The Norton family decided to look after the orphaned Tiffany, but she refused to change her surname. Ever since losing her father's protection, Samantha had found the Norton residence growing increasingly suffocating for her. This was especially felt when the Norton family announced their adoption of Tiffany on the day Samantha turned 18. It was originally supposed to be a joyous occasion with two happy events, but Samantha's newly calm life was thoroughly shattered from that moment on. At her coming-of-age party, Samantha accepted a toast from Tiffany, after which she inexplicably lost control over her desires. Before she knew what she was doing, she was entangled in a passionate embrace with a man in a second-floor room, clad only in her underwear. By the time she woke up in the bathtub, almost completely naked, the Norton family members and the party guests were already crowding the doorway. Upon seeing this scene, her mother was so enraged that she fainted, whereas Hector strode forward and slapped her harshly. Only Samantha herself knew that she was still untainted. She accused Tiffany of setting her up, but not a single person, be it her friends or family, believed her. Tiffany clutched Samantha's mother, who had fallen unconscious and collapsed to the floor, to her while tears rolled down her cheeks in a beautifully tragic display. She wailed about how she had only just joined the Norton family, but if Samantha didn't like her, she could always leave for the orphanage. That same day, Samantha's mother suffered from a brain hemorrhage and passed away. At her funeral, Hector stepped forward and accused Samantha of being loose. Pointing at the blood-stained bedsheet, he claimed she was more than willing to sleep with any man. No matter how hard she tried to say she was innocent, nobody believed her. In the end, rumors about how the precious daughter of the Norton family had gone wild during her birthday party and angered her mother to death started spreading across the elite circles of Huxville. From then on, Samantha became the biggest humiliation of the Norton family. In contrast, Tiffany suddenly became the most beloved daughter. Not only was Samantha kicked out of the family, but Hector even pulled her out of the drama school she had been studying at. However, the more things were like that, the more Samantha wanted to prove herself. She even went as far as returning home and threatening Hector at knifepoint not to hurt her anymore. In the end, he agreed, but he never once allocated her any resources after that. He wanted her to struggle and fail on her own, after which he would marry her off to a random rich playboy. Hence, only Samantha herself knew just how arduous her journey had been so far. For the next three years, she had to attend many social events and dinners, where it was common for actresses like her to sleep with men to gain resources. Nevertheless, she tried her best to remain pure. The turning point in her life came when she met Raymond. At the time, he was an up-and-coming agent in the entertainment industry. He had appeared at the social event that marked the darkest chapter of Samantha's life. With a frown, he resolutely brought her away from there and protected her. After that, they signed a contract, and Raymond scored her a movie role that became her first box office hit, with over 100 million tickets sold. Following her sudden rise to fame, they became the perfect partners. With the resources, brand endorsements, and leading roles Raymond found for her, he turned her into one of the most sought-after celebrities in just a year. As for Samantha, every time Raymond chose her without a doubt, her feelings for him grew just a tiny bit more, until she fell irrevocably in love with him. Upon realizing that, she couldn't stop herself from using every opportunity she could find to flirt with him. She would cook him meals and give him presents, even care for him unwaveringly when he was sick. Despite him pushing her away time and again, she willingly continued with her actions. Even this last time, when she had approached him while scantily clad and had been refused, she had still naively thought that he would one day notice her if she never gave up her efforts. But then, she saw him at Tiffany's lingerie photoshoot. He looked utterly dazed, with yearning deep in his eyes.