There was a moment of silence on the other end. The director knew better than to pry into her personal life, but he was undeniably relieved to have finally secured his ideal leading lady. His voice became noticeably brighter.

"Alright then. Get yourself ready. We start in two weeks."

"Send me your ID and passport info. I'll have the production team book your ticket in advance."

After hanging up, Sienna sent the director the information he requested.

A month ago, she had gone with a friend to an audition. She hadn't expected the internationally renowned director to spot her, captivated by her stunning looks, figure, and presence, and invite her to be the star of his long-planned film.

Though she had graduated from film school, she hadn't entered the entertainment industry, all because Julian didn't want her in the public eye.

And when she learned the shoot would be so long and overseas, she had rejected the offer without a second thought, for the sake of a man who couldn't even get on a plane.

The director had been deeply disappointed at the time, telling her she was born for the silver screen, a natural star whose beauty was meant to shine. But she had just smiled and remained firm in her refusal.

Now that she was determined to leave Julian, she certainly wouldn't give up anything for him anymore.

Not long after she hung up, Julian came home.

He took off his coat and, out of habit, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Why'd you leave so early? You didn't even say goodbye."

She forced a smile. "My proposal failed. What was I supposed to do, stick around and make a fool of myself?"

Julian held her tighter, his voice a gentle caress. "I'm sorry, Sienna. I'm really not ready."

"We're still young. There's no rush."

His lips brushed against her neck, slowly trailing downward.

Feeling his intimate touch, Sienna frowned and pushed him away. Meeting his surprised gaze, she mimicked his tone. "Go take a shower first. There's no rush."

Later that night, when Julian came out of the shower, Sienna was already asleep in bed.

He looked at her profile, her back turned to him in sleep, and a faint sense of unease crept over him.

But he brushed it off, figuring she was just sulking because of the failed proposal.

He didn't think much more of it. He took another cold shower to cool his frustration, then slipped into bed, pulling her soft body close as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when Sienna woke up, Julian was already gone.

He had left her a text saying he had something to take care of at the racing club and had to leave early.

But Sienna knew he didn't have any races scheduled anytime soon.

Julian came from a wealthy family; as the only son, he was the adored heir. But instead of taking over the family business after graduation as everyone expected, he chose to become a race car driver.

He was wildly talented, arrogant, and had already become an F1-level driver in Asia.

Sienna used to think he chose that path purely out of passion. Only now did she remember that back in school, it was a well-known fact that Quinn Taylor was obsessed with race car drivers.

Watching Julian rush out the door this morning, she understood. She opened her social media and saw a new post from Quinn, location-tagged at the airport.

"Landed safely! Thanks for all the concern. Someone's here to pick me up!"

So that was it. Julian's early morning rush wasn't for the club. It was to pick her up from the airport.

She laughed, forcing down the stabbing pain in her chest, and took a cab to her office.

When she walked in, her colleagues all gave her strange looks.

She had no idea what was happening until she opened the group chat and discovered that her promotion to Director, the position that was supposed to be hers, had been given to the newly arrived Quinn Taylor.

And she was now expected to work under her.

Because of Sienna's stunning looks, the people under her had always assumed she'd slept her way to the top. Now, seeing her replaced, they were openly gloating.

"This is just karma. I always said you can't keep what you get by selling your body."

"Exactly. Let's see how high and mighty she acts now."

"I bet she's going to run crying to the general manager. Maybe he'll see her pretty face and give her the job back."

Sienna calmly cleared her desk, picked up her resignation letter, and walked to the general manager's office.

It had taken her years of hard work to climb to this position.

Countless sleepless nights, working overtime. She'd once pushed herself so hard for a project that she ended up with a bleeding stomach ulcer.

She had put up with their snide remarks before, thinking her work would speak for itself. But now, she had no reason to endure it any longer.

The general manager had always recognized her abilities and tried to persuade her.

"Sienna, you're still young. There will be other opportunities for promotion."

"This time, the investors specifically requested Quinn Taylor for this position. My hands were tied."

Sienna's breath caught. She suddenly understood. "The investor... his last name is Vance, isn't it?"

The general manager looked up, surprised. "How did you know?"

"This new project determines whether the company goes public. He invested specifically for Quinn. The Vance family has too much influence; we couldn't say no."

"Sienna, please reconsider. I have high hopes for you. I promise there will be other chances."

Sienna just shook her head gently. "I've already made up my mind. It has nothing to do with this. My future plans have changed, so I have to resign."

Seeing her resolve, the general manager didn't press her further.

By the time she finished the handover and packed her things, it was the end of the workday.

For the first time, she wasn't working late. She walked out of the office building, holding a box of her belongings.

Parked not far away was an incredibly flashy, limited-edition sports car, drawing everyone's attention.

Sienna looked at the tall, elegant man standing beside the car and let out a sarcastic smirk.

It was Julian. He was blessed with an exquisite face that had captivated countless young women over the years.

People around her were whispering.

"Since when did a guy this hot start showing up around our office? Should we go ask for his number?"

Someone else immediately shot down the idea.

"He's obviously here to pick up his girlfriend. You'll just get rejected."

As soon as the words were spoken, they saw Julian wave gently toward the entrance, and Quinn Taylor walked toward him, a bright smile on her face.