Chapter 4The Golden Cage

Seven years in the industry, I was used to the shade. I didn't get mad.

I smiled. "Can't help it. Too much business to handle, I forget things."

Layla rolled her eyes. "What are you so proud of? You just have a pretty face. Once Julian gets bored of you, you'll be nothing."

Kyle was brutally honest. "Vivian, let's keep our distance. I'm trying to be relatable, I don't want to get dragged."

They went into their tents, treating me like the plague.

They weren't wrong. Most people in the industry knew Julian was my sugar daddy.

Thanks to him, I was acting alongside Oscar-winner Rainie Yu before I even graduated high school. After that, I was in blockbuster after blockbuster.

Seven years, non-stop resources. And non-stop hate.

An old interview clip of 15-year-old me saying "I want to be a Movie Queen" became a meme. "Movie Queen" became my ironic nickname. My acting was constantly roasted.

I didn't even want to be a serious actress. With my face and Julian's backing, I could have coasted on variety shows and sweet dramas.

But I took this hardcore survival show.

Why? Because Julian's "white moonlight"—his first love—came back last month.

Rainie Yu returned after sweeping the international awards.

He couldn't wait to throw all his resources at her. He had no time for his canary.

I just wanted to make some extra cash on the side.

Who knew I'd screw up on day one?

When the director collected phones, my manager handed over the one on the table without thinking.

When I realized the phone in my pocket was my personal one, I froze.

Because that phone—the one with Julian's contact info—had a wallpaper of his naked side profile.

One night, Julian got a business call and answered it standing by the bed, not bothering to put on a robe. He argued in fluent English, waking me up.

I was grumpy, so I took dozens of photos of his waist.

The camera panned up, and Julian's phoenix eyes stared at me, half-smiling.

He allowed me to sneak photos. He even let me sit on his lap while he was on the call, making me hold the phone to test the image stabilization.

Afterward, he gripped my ankle and whispered, "Who are you going to show off to? Hmm?"

"Vivian, canaries should stay in their cages. Don't cross the line, understand?"

I cried and begged for mercy.

Since then, I only dared to keep the photos for myself.

I never thought there would be a day when these photos faced the threat of public exposure...