“Ethan. It’s okay. I’m not upset about it.”
“But—” His hold loosened and he seemed to deflate a little.
“It’s okay.”
He looked down, then faced her again. “I didn’t realize it. When I told you I wanted to become an agent, I truly thought I was doing it for you…to be closer to you, to see you more often. I wanted…I wanted you.”
He sighed. “But, yes, you’re right. I am trying to prove myself to Marcello, to my whole family. Though my brothers were also in the armed forces, they were respected for it, while I wasn’t, not really. Becoming a doctor—which I love—didn’t help with that respect either. If I became an agent, I thought maybe that would finally prove I was more than just the ‘littlest brother’ or the youngest. Even though they don’t know I’m doing this now, they will some day.”
“It makes sense.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Anda. I—”
She leaned over and cupped his face, then touched her forehead to his. “I know, and you didn’t. I understand more than you think. My story…I didn’t join for me, either.”
He tilted his head and she followed suit to kiss him. “Why did you join?”
“Can I have some water first?”
“Of course.” He left and brought back a plastic cup with a straw and slowly sipped, the ice-cold water scorching and soothing her dry throat at the same time. He brought a chair over and positioned it near her hips, and she wished he could have curled up on the bed beside her with his arms around her. It wasn’t an easy story to tell.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “How much do you know of my past? My childhood, I mean?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, really. You don’t talk about it.”
No, that she didn’t. “You never looked me up, or asked someone else to?”
He held her hand. “No. It wouldn’t have been right.”
Another reason she loved him. He was just sogoodand kind and decent. “There’s the story the press knows about my beginning, me as an actress, I mean. That story is the one about me growing up in foster homes and eventually being discovered as a kid during a community production ofValue by Omission.”
“That’s not a complete lie. I’ve seen photos of you in that play. Are you saying that story is fake? Were those photos doctored?”
She glanced away. No one but the VIA had ever known the truth.
He squeezed her hand, a gentle support that helped her continue. “I was in that play, but what you don’t know is that I was arranged to be the lead by Marcello’s predecessor.”
His mouth fell open slightly. “Are you telling me you’ve been an agent since you’ve been, what, ten years old?”
“Not exactly. See, the thing is, it all started with my parents. My real, biological parents. They were in the industry. Not actors, but they worked behind the scenes. I’m sure you might have guessed this, but the name I was born with wasnotAnda Salamanca, but it was another Spanish name of my heritage. I had to choose—or, really, I was given—a new name once my parents were killed, for my own protection.”
His hand squeezed hers tight. “Anda.”
“They were killed because of what they knew. It was a car crash, but it wasn’t an accident.”
His voice was soft and low. “What did they know?”
She took a short breath before she said the name out loud. It wasn’t a name often spoken by those in the industry. “They knew about Envision.”
His brows furrowed. “Do you mean…?”
“Yes. The supposed cult in Vollywood isn’t supposed at all. It’s real. They hide under the cover of their parent company, Envision, which claims to help actors and industry personnel ‘envision their talent and make success a reality’. As covers go, it’s not a bad one. In reality, they use manipulation, blackmail, and more to get members that success. They’re highly connected, powerful, and private. From what the VIA learned, someone attempted to extort my parents, but they didn’t play along. When they realized what Envision really was, they decided to gather evidence against them and help bring them down. They were killed when someone found out their plans.”
“Christ, I’m so sorry.” He gave her a long look. “That’s your long game, the ultimate mission that you’ve always been working towards, isn’t it? To take down Envision?”
She nodded, a sense of relief flooding her now that he knew.
“Are you already a member?”
