Page 56 of Scarred Heart

“Wait.Are you serious?I thought you were joking!”I propped myself up on my elbow, staring at him in shock.“She helped you plan that?”

“She reached out to me earlier in the week and asked me when we were going to make up.You aren’t supposed to know about that,” he added, wincing.

“I guess I have her to thank too.”The pieces were starting to come together and form the bigger picture.“I guess that’s when you two shared the whole father-daughter thing?”

He nodded, his grin widening to a fond smile.“She’s a miracle, that kid.Did we get lucky or what?”

The fact that he used the word we made tears fill my eyes again.I had done so much crying lately, but these were the kind I didn’t mind shedding.

I didn’t mind staying up through the night, either, talking until dawn, planning, laughing, and dreaming about the future.I had spent such a long time dreaming alone.

I wouldn’t be alone again.Not ever.

And that was the best gift anybody could ask for.

EPILOGUE

LEX

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve never wanted to do anything but make movies.Sure, I was raised around them.I’d witnessed meetings, phone calls, and screaming matches with temperamental directors.I had visited sets from a young age and had my illusions shattered, though it never lessened my fascination with the process—the magic of it.

Finding out my father was finally willing to give me a big-budget project of my own should have been a dream come true.The chance to prove myself.To show him I had what it took to manage the studio when the time came for him to step down as president.

I should have known there would be strings attached.

“Let me get this straight,” I growled out.Coming to a stop in front of my father’s desk, I tossed the contract his way.He looked down at it, wearing a smirk but didn’t show any surprise.“You tell me I’m finally going to produce my first film.Yet I don’t have any say in the script we chose.You already have a cast in mind and a list of agents to reach out to.And now, you tell me you’ve already chosen the director, and she’s coming in to sign a contract I’m only looking at five minutes before she’s due to arrive.”

“Quite a succinct summation, Lex.”My father folded his arms, wearing what was about to become a shit-eating grin.I had seen too many of them to think otherwise.“What are you so pissy about?”

“For starters, exactly what part of this project will have my fingerprints on it?”I demanded, throwing my hands into the air.My voice echoed in the spacious office.“Because so far, I’ve had nothing to do with it.”

“Let’s get this straight, here and now.”His amused expression fell away before his face turned stony.“You know damn well what’s at stake.The numbers are shit.There are fewer people buying movie tickets every month.Our streaming platform isn’t worth the money we poured into it.We need a win, or else the studio is going to look a lot different this time next year.”

He didn’t need to explain what that meant.I’d already sat through meetings where ideas like partnering with another studio or selling off branding and merchandising rights on our biggest legacy franchises were discussed.Those ideas were never met with enthusiasm—pretty far from it.They were worst-case scenarios.

And they were looking more realistic all the time.“I get it,” I said with a sigh as some of the fight drained out of me.“We don’t want to take risks.”He nodded slowly, and I added, “So why the hell give me a movie at all right now?If you don’t trust me enough to make good?—”

“Do us both a favor and get your personal feelings out of this.”He stood, framed by the many awards, posters, and photos covering the wall at his back.If only the world knew the true Alexander Landry.They saw him as a humanitarian, a philanthropist, someone who happened to be born wealthy and influential and who now chose to use that influence to better the world around him.

He was also cold, demanding, and self-centered.Impossible to please.Crass and devoid of sentimentality.Granted, I’d inherited some of those qualities, but I didn’t base my entire personality on them.“You’ll make good because I’ve set it up, so success is inevitable.We’re courting the hottest names in Hollywood… spending a shit ton of precious resources.You’re the crown prince, and this is your first major project.That alone should help drum up enough interest to make this a hit at the box office.”

“You’re counting on everybody getting in line to see if I fail,” I concluded.Strange how the realization did nothing to me.He had stopped surprising me a long time ago.

“I’m counting on you proving them wrong.”Even his warmest smile landed flat and insincere.“You’re going to produce the film that turns everything around.”

Or else.He left that part out, not that it mattered.

“I wanted Erich Danvers directing this,” I countered, making him groan and roll his eyes.“You know he’s the smart choice.Hot as hell after his win at Cannes.Everybody wants a piece of him, and he was interested in working with the studio.”I didn’t bother mentioning the hoops I jumped through to court the guy and all for nothing.Dad would have laughed at me, chalked it up to hurt feelings.

“Ah, you know how it is.”He wandered over to the small refrigerator in the far corner and pulled out a bottle of sparkling water.I noticed he didn’t bother offering one to me.“We have to be inclusive.Hire more women.We can’t afford a whisper of scrutiny right now.”

Because he failed to see the writing on the wall when the industry began to shift, it meant I had to accept some second-rate director with a shitty reputation around town.According to all sources, she was mercurial, stubborn to a fault, wouldn’t give an inch when it came to her precious artistic vision.A pain in the ass I had no desire to work with.

A pain in the ass who marched into my dad’s office like she was heading into battle.She wore a loose, flowing white dress and sandals, which slapped the floor with every determined step.Long, brown curls were piled high on her head and the thin, silver bracelets stacked on her wrist jangled when she lifted a hand to shake my father’s.There were hoops on her ears, too, and at least half a dozen beaded necklaces hanging halfway down to her abdomen.

I swallowed hard, but it did nothing to wipe the sour taste from my mouth.An artsy bohemian.Exactly the sort of person I avoided like the plague.The stench of incense had never much appealed to me.

“Summer Strawbridge,” she announced, wearing a bright smile.“Thank you for this opportunity, Mr.Landry.I’m looking forward to working together.”

Dad offered a patronizing, amused smile.“It’s a pleasure, Miss Strawbridge, but you will be working with my son, Lex.He’s taking the executive producer position on this film.I’m sure a pair of young people like yourselves will breathe new life into our studio.”

It was like she hadn’t noticed me until now.Her head turned, and bright, green eyes landed on me.Sized me up.Full lips tipped downward at the corners.“Lex.”My name fell out of her mouth and landed with a thud while the air around us went cold.She was disappointed to be working with me rather than Dad.She took it as an insult.It was written all over the lines between her eyebrows, the furrowed forehead, the narrowed gaze.“I see.”

“Summer,” I murmured, sizing her up in response, not bothering to hide the disappointment, which was beginning to border on resentment at being forced to work with a notorious pain in the ass who thought she was too good to work with me.

What a shame the entire future of the studio rested on us playing nice.

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