A Million-Dollar Marriage: A Story Of Heart Over Contract

"Why the hell am I being fired?" Gianna demanded as she burst through the door in anger. The manager looked up from his laptop, eyebrows raised. He leaned back in his chair but didn't say a word. "I said, why am I being fired?" Gianna repeated, now leaning over the desk. She slapped the pink slip she’d been given down over it. "This says 'termination of contract' but gives no reason why. What did I do wrong this time?" Rather than answering, the man picked up a stack of papers from his table and flung it across the desk at her. They went flying in the air around her. Gianna flinched. She was stunned as the papers rained down around her. She just stood there motionless for a few seconds then bent down to gather the scattered papers. While she picked them up, she read the words on one of them; “NOTICE ON COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT”, “EARLY SCRIPT LEAKS FOR BRAVADOS III", as well as other evidence, including a chain of emails exposing the truth about the leaked scripts incident that

They eventually stopped in front of the door and the woman, not meeting Gianna's inquisitive gaze, pulled one side of the door open. "Right through here.” It was a dressing room of some sort? It was far too luxurious and lavish for any ordinary dressing room. Ivory chaises and beautiful vanities, exquisite gowns, towers of jewelry, and makeup shelves that would make any Hollywood starlet green with envy. She wondered, awestruck as she took a hesitant step inside. She saw a breathtaking lace confection in a corner. “A wedding scene…” Gianna said, half-asking, half-musing. She expected one of the several ladies in the room to affirm or negate her statement but no one was talking. Everyone seemed to be more bothered with getting their work done, hence she decided to also keep the questions to herself and just go with the flow. Gianna didn't immediately notice the other two young women who had appeared on either side of her until their impersonal hands started moving over her shoul

It wasn't just any mansion, it was now her home, for the next six months at least.She got out of the car with her luggage wheeled behind her. It was a three hour drive home. She was driven home by Mason’s chauffeur and had overheard some staff talking about him going on an urgent business trip.The mansion stood a few feet ahead. Its grand architecture reflected the setting sun and turned the large windows into sheets of burnished gold. The front door was a slab of dark wood that easily opened up as she pushed it. She half-expected a butler or a maid to greet her, but there was nothing but silence in the house. Her footsteps echoed in the house to amplify its emptiness. The air was cool, almost clinical, and fairly scented of lemon.Moving further inside, Gianna saw the living room that seemed more like a showroom. With the expensive leather sofas, a glass coffee table, and abstract art pieces hung at random places on the walls. There was no sense of life here. There were no books le

She was a slender woman, 5’4, with shoulder-length curly hair and brown eyes. Gianna was not supermodel-looking. In fact, she was what one might call "average" in the looks department, especially in a world where looks were often prioritized over talent.Gianna gave herself a final once-over in the mirror, after having gotten dressed for the so-called function that she’d spent half of the night before wondering about.She wondered what kind of event it would be, maybe it was a charity gala, or a business conference…actually her dress was saying otherwise. Perhaps, it was a lavish party hosted by one of Mason's influential friends. Not like Mason looked like he had any friends to begin with. But for sure, Gianna could expect that she would be in the spotlight again since the media seemed to have taken a keen interest in their marriage.After she was sure she was fine with her overall appearance, Gianna put on her silver heels and picked up her clutch, then made her way downstairs. The

Gianna zeroed in on the waiter headed straight for Mason's table with a spiked drink on his tray and her heart was pounding against her ribs. What if that thing was actually harmful like she was trying not to believe? She’d seen far too many movies to not suspect that.She soon rammed into someone else, now being jolted off her trajectory as the drink in the stranger’s hand exploded out of his glass and drenched his shirt."Shit!" came an expletive burst from her lips.The man, equally shocked, glanced down at his ruined shirt. But she’d barely heard his grunted "Dammit" over the roar of blood pounding in her ears when her eyes snapped back to Mason where he stood.The waiter was nearly at his table, tray extended.Mason turned at the waiter’s prompting to pick a drink from the tray.No, no, no!Her feet moved without conscious thought, she couldn't get close enough to stop him. And then, Mason's hand bypassed the drugged glass to pick up a different drink instead.Gianna’s shoulders