We sat on a rough wooden prop bench, the dim work lights above casting long shadows that distorted our faces. The vastness of the storage room felt suffocating.
My fingers trembled as I unclipped the worn metal rings of the script binder. The pages inside were yellowed, many filled with my father’s neat, looping handwriting, annotations for dialogue and character beats.
Then, tucked between two script pages, I found it. A single, folded sheet of paper. It was a letter, handwritten, dated six days before my father’s unexpected death.
My vision blurred as I unfolded it. The ink was a familiar blue, my father’s distinctive script flowing across the page.
I started to read aloud, my voice cracking with emotion:
“My dearest Leo,”
“If you are reading this, know that I fought for you. Veronica Kross has been aggressively attempting to alter co-authorship contracts for ‘Starlight Kids,’ trying to claim a larger stake for Julian and herself.”
Hector leaned in, his eyes fixed on the page.
“She’s been pushing me to sign away my backend points, claiming it’s for ‘synergy’ but I know it’s a lie. She’s ruthless, Leo. Don’t trust her. Don’t trust anyone who tries to get you to sign anything without Maya looking it over first.”
I swallowed hard, the words chilling me to the bone. This wasn’t just about money; it was about my father’s legacy, his creative work.
“I have copies of the originals hidden, just in case. But the pressure is immense. And she has powerful friends at Apex.”
“Remember, my boy, always look beyond the smile. If anything were to happen to me,” I choked back a sob, “the Krosses would come after the trust. Protect Maya. Protect our name.”
I finished reading, the paper clutched tightly in my hand. Tears streamed down my face, hot and stinging. Six years. Six years ago, my father had tried to warn me. He knew. He knew all along.
The true scope of the betrayal, the deep, insidious roots of Julian and Veronica’s scheme, became terrifyingly clear. This wasn’t a recent plot. This was an old, festering wound that they had finally reopened.
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