She watched his gaze drop to their joined hands before lifting to meet her eyes again. The simple gesture felt intimate and significant in ways that made her pulse quicken.
"I don't mind sharing everything with you," she murmured. "In fact, it feels good to talk about my life with someone who isn't planning to write an exposé or use the information against me."
His lips curved in the hint of a smile that transformed his entire face. "I promise, Willow, it's because I'm interested. Interested in making sure you're safe, but more than that, I’m just... interested in you."
Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt heat bloom in her chest at his admission. When she exhaled, it came out slightly shaky. "I did modeling from age five onward, mostly for children's clothing catalogs and department store advertisements. The work was steady, which my parents loved. I'd go to regular school during the day, then my mother would rush me to whatever studio had booked me, where I'd get to play dress-up while photographers captured dozens of shots."
She paused, remembering those early days with a mixture of nostalgia and discomfort. "When I was seven, I was cast in a television commercial for laundry detergent. That changed everything for my parents. The idea that I could transition from modeling to acting was like they'd discovered the pot of gold. Even though it was just me playing in dirt and then appearing in clean clothes to demonstrate the product's effectiveness, my parents were absolutely convinced I was destined for stardom."
"What about your education during all this?"
She let out a bitter laugh, noticing how Casper's expression grew more concerned. "That's exactly the right question to ask. I attended public school but missed classes whenever there was a modeling or acting job. When I was nine, I landed a small recurring role on a Saturday morning children's show. It was nothing glamorous. I was just one of the crowd, with maybe one line per episode. But it was steady work, and that meant spending several days a week being tutored by studio teachers instead of attending regular school."
Her voice softened with genuine affection. "I was lucky there. I've always loved reading, and some of those studio teachers were absolutely wonderful. They worked hard to ensure I stayed at grade level despite my unconventional schedule."
"What were your parents doing while you were working?"
"My earnings weren't enough to support our family completely, so my father got a job building sets for one of the studios. My mother stayed with me constantly… partly as my chaperone and partly because she didn't trust anyone else to manage my career." Willow's fingers tightened slightly around his. "She also didn't work outside of managing me."
"Were you happy during that time?"
The question sliced through her, and she felt her fingers jerk in his grip before his gentle pressure steadied her. Her gaze flewto his face, searching for some hidden agenda behind the inquiry but finding only sincere concern.
"Happy?" The word felt foreign on her tongue. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had asked about her emotional well-being during those years. Everyone always assumed that being in front of millions of viewers automatically equated to happiness and fulfillment. "I... it would seem ungrateful to complain when so many people would have loved the opportunities I had..."
"Willow," he said, cutting through her deflection with gentle firmness. "I want to know the real you. Just because you were earning money and gaining recognition doesn't mean you were happy. I want to understand your experience from your perspective."
The lump that formed in her throat felt enormous, and she had to swallow hard to keep tears from spilling over. Her lips pressed together to stop them from trembling, and Casper simply waited, radiating calm patience until she could draw a shaky breath and release it slowly.
"My mother started monitoring every calorie that passed my lips the moment I signed my first modeling contract at age five," she said quietly. "I was constantly reminded that my value lay entirely in my appearance. If I didn't maintain the look that brought in money, my parents would have nothing. That message was reinforced daily for years."
She looked down at their connected hands, her small, pale fingers dwarfed by his much larger, work-roughened ones. The contrast should have been stark and uncomfortable, but instead it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
"During the day, at least I had other kids my age on various sets. But things really changed when I was cast as Rose inRiverside High. I was only fourteen, and initially, my character was supposed to be the stereotypical pretty, empty-headedteenage girl. That lasted for the first couple of episodes, and then a new writer was brought on board, one who supposedly saw Rose’s potential as a sweetheart. When the show was picked up and our contracts were renewed, my parents finally decided to hire an attorney to review the terms."
"Christopher," Casper said with understanding.
"Yes." Her smile was genuine this time. "My mother wanted to negotiate for me to earn as much as the other cast members, even though my initial role was smaller. My father flat-out announced he was tired of building sets and that it was time for my earnings to support the entire family after all their 'sacrifices.'"
"Holy shit," Casper breathed, and she could see anger flashing in his eyes on her behalf.
"That's when Christopher really started advocating for my interests rather than my parents'. I was assigned Nathan as my agent around the same time, and he became another lifeline. Both men made it very clear to my parents that they represented me, not my family's financial interests."
Her voice grew stronger as she continued, "Christopher structured everything so that my money went into a trust fund that my parents couldn't access. Even though my father wanted to be the executor, Christopher insisted on an independent financial adviser. Between Christopher, Nathan, and that adviser, I was protected from having everything I earned disappear into my parents' pockets."
"I thought there were laws protecting child actors from that kind of exploitation?"
"There are, but people find ways around them if they're determined enough. Christopher recognized my parents' motivations immediately and made sure my contracts were ironclad." She squeezed his hand gratefully. "I didn't fully appreciate what he'd done until years later."
"When did Rose become a breakout character?"
"Starting the second season when I was fifteen. The original female lead left to pursue movie roles, and the producers initially planned to bring in a replacement. But the writers and producers started looking at me differently, thinking they saw leading potential." She laughed self-deprecatingly. "As much as a fifteen-year-old can carry a show."
Casper squeezed her hand and smiled warmly. "I have a feeling you could be compelling in any role, at any age."
"You're sweet," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
"Just calling it like I see it.”
