Page 15 of The Restaurant on Plum Island
According to the press, Stella Hart had dumped Ethan when he’d given the part in his new movie, which he wrote, to Daphne Rose. Another article supposedly written by Stella Hart appeared in the entertainment news where she slated Ethan’s new film, which flopped as did the movie Carly had done before. Suddenly, her acting career was scrutinized, and according to the media, it wasn’t Stella Hart’s talent that had gotten her to where she was.
Carly’s career had exploded around her and gone up in flames of searing lies and malicious rumors. Even her manager and friend, Simon Jones, told her to lay low for a while. He was sure it would all blow over. But it hadn’t. It had gotten worse. And after a threatening visit from Alex Blackwell, Carly did the only thing she could. She packed up her life in New York and got herself and Reef out of the spotlight to the small town of Plum Island, where she was welcomed by her family and the residents. Jennifer Gains was the only person outside her family to know who Carly was.
For the past three years, Carly and Reef had enjoyed a quiet life where she was Carly Donovan. Single mother, restaurant owner, and Sam Donovan’s niece. She rubbed her temples as a headache started to sting her eyes. To say she hadn’t missed acting would be a lie. The moments she’d seen the camera crews roll into town, Carly had felt the rush of excitement flow through her like it used to when she was about to step into a role. But she’d kept to the sidelines, reminding herself that show biz wasn’t just bright lights and glamor. It came with a price that could have a painful backlash. While she admittedly was eager to hear if Ethan really wanted her to play the lead in Caroline’s mystery series, a bigger part of her pulled away.
Carly knew the Blackwells couldn’t be trusted, and according to an anonymous source, they had deliberately ruined her career for some reason. It was them that had started all the rumors and issued articles in her name. However, there was no hard evidence, as the Blackwells were rich, powerful, and big names in the movie industry. They could make or break whoever they wanted, and for some reason, they tried to break her. Carly was going to confront Ethan about it, but Alex put a stop to that by threatening her. A threat that still made her shudder as she knew exactly what they were capable of.
CHAPTER 4
Ethan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dad, I have everything under control.”
“Ethan, you’ve sent your sister to Egypt, and I’m told that you’ve found Stella Hart and want to offer her the lead in Danes Studio’s brand-new hit production!” Arthur Blackwell’s voice overflowed with concern. “Son, I know this is not the best time of year for you, and I feel that maybe I should fly out there to oversee this production.”
“Good grief, Dad!” Ethan gritted his teeth. “Like I told you back then, I don’t believe anything the media printed about Stella Hart.”
“Oh, really?” Arthur didn’t sound convinced. “I know you haven’t forgotten what she wrote about your movie after pulling out at the last minute.”
Ethan dropped his head back and blew out a breath. “No. How could I forget that when you, Bailey, and Alex keep reminding me of it?”
“Because you’ve been obsessed with finding her,” Arthur told him. “The woman was fickle, malicious, and when she couldn’t get what she really wanted out of that movie deal, she pulled out.” Before Ethan could reply, his father continued. “And we all know what Stella Hart truly wanted from that movie deal. The Blackwell surname!”
“Dad!” Ethan exclaimed. “I have no idea where you and Alex came up with that nonsense.”
“Stella’s ex-husband and ex-best friend,” Arthur said.
“Wait…” Ethan’s brows creased. This was the first he’d heard this bit of information. “What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t understand the question?” Arthur said.
Before Ethan could elaborate, another call came through.
“Dad, I have to go. Bailey’s on the other line,” Ethan told him. “But we’ll circle back to this.”
“To what?” Arthur sounded confused. “You were the one that told us about what Stella’s husband and best friend said.”
“I did what?” Ethan was even more confused and worried about his seventy-five-year-old father’s memory. The line beeped, reminding him that Bailey was holding. “I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, son,” Arthur said. “But your mother and I are thinking of coming out there.”
Before Ethan could reply, his father hung up, and Ethan answered Bailey’s call. It was like a phone call relay. He’d just gotten an ear full from his father, who passed the baton onto his sister.
“What took you so long to answer?” Bailey hissed. “I’m about to board the flight.”
“I was on the phone with Dad,” Ethan told her. “And thank you very much for telling him about Stella Hart.”
“I didn’t tell him!” Bailey’s voice was laced with anger at the accusation. “I haven’t spoken to the parents today.”
“You were the only one I …” Ethan drew in a breath and pursed his lips. “You spoke to Alex, didn’t you?”
“Wasn’t I supposed to?” Bailey sounded sheepish.
“Bails, you know at the moment he’s looking for any way back into the parent’s good books, even if that means selling me out!” Ethan shook his head.
“I think you’re being too harsh on Alex,” Bailey told him. “Maybe it wasn’t him.”
“Sure!” Ethan wasn’t convinced. “Is everything okay?”
“What?” Bailey sounded confused by the question.
