The Game (Wagered Hearts Series, #3)(2)

Instead of answering my question, Christian looked past me, over my shoulder and turned his lips down into a frown. "Uh oh," he said. "Looks like you've got company."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Kelsey's heading this way and she doesn't look happy." He smiled at me apologetically before downing his drink in one gulp. "I'm not in any mood to deal with her hysterics so I'm out." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before walking off.

"Prick," I muttered under my breath as he left. I didn't have time to be angry too long since Kelsey was bearing down on me. I wondered why she looked like she had a stick up her butt, but then realized I didn't care.

"I'm surprised you showed up tonight," she said once she had reached me. She wore a fake smile on her face to go along with everything else fake about her, from her eyelashes, to her lips, right down to her boobs.

I didn't answer her. It was such a stupid thing to say. Why should I care if she was surprised or not? Taking my silence as an insult, she dropped her false demeanor.

"God, you're such a bitch, you know that?" she said.

"Thank you," I said. "It takes one to know one."

"Cut the bullshit Emilia, or should I say Gina Marie," Kelsey sneered.

"You can call me what you like. Doesn't change the fact that you're a nobody, and you'll always be a nobody."

Her features froze and she pinned me with a death glare. "At least I never slept my way for a role. You're nothing but a cheap whore. It's all over town how you slept your way to the top. Your parents must be so proud."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't try to play innocent. Everyone knows you slept with Marshall Kent to get the part in Crystal Clementine. How was it f**king an 80-year-old?" she sneered

I wanted so badly to smack the smirk off her face, but the last thing I needed was an assault charge. Instead, I stuck on my sweetest smile and shrugged my shoulders. "Not as good as your husband," I lied. It was worth it just to see the look of shock and anger on her face.

She stood there for what felt like several minutes, staring at me in stunned silence. I almost thought I had broken her. A little guilt seeped into my conscience, and I had half a mind to tell her I was kidding, and was just about to apologize. After all, I wasn't a completely heartless bitch. But before the words could come out, she had regained her composure. A calculating gleam stole into her eyes, and before I could figure out what it meant, she threw her drink in my face.

"You home wrecking slut!" she yelled. "You f**k my husband and think you can get away with it?"

The whole tavern got silent and turned their attention in our direction. I knew she was causing a scene on purpose, but I was so angry, I didn't care. All I wanted was to rip the weave from out of her hair. But somehow I found it in me to control my temper; at least enough that I didn't go flying at her. I calmly wiped the drink off my face with the sleeve of my shirt. Once I had done that, I looked at her dead in the eye.

"Don't get mad at me because your career is in the toilet. That's not going to change anytime soon, no matter how many directors you marry," I said. "You're bitter, old, and undesirable. It's why your husband can't stand you. At least, that's what he told me last night."

Before she had time to respond, I took my drink and threw it right back at her. I had the satisfaction of seeing her face pucker up in anger and shock before I turned on my heel and walked out of the tavern.





Chapter 1: Emilia



One Month Later



"Jesus Christ, Emilia! What were you thinking?" Charlotte snapped as she rubbed her hand across her forehead. She sank down at her desk and glared at me, waiting for me to speak.

I turned to look at my publicist, Arnie Silver, waiting for him to back me up, but he was busy pacing around the office while talking on the phone with God knows who. Charlotte had called me in this morning and told me we needed to have an emergency meeting. "As in code f**king red," she had said.

I knew something major must have happened because Charlotte hardly ever swore. When I arrived at her office, she didn't waste any time telling me the bad news. Apparently the press got wind of a story about me sleeping with Harry Barnes, and being the reason for the breakup of his marriage.




"Well, are you going to answer me?" she asked impatiently.

"It's not true," I said.

"Then why do the papers have eye witness accounts that say you admitted it? In a bar full of people!"

"It's that f**king Kelsey Keller's fault," I said defensively.

"Why is it always someone else's fault?"

"You weren't there that night at the wrap party. She goaded me into lashing out, accusing me of sleeping with Marshall Kent for the role in Crystal Clementine! As if I'd ever sink so low. Besides, I don't know why you're getting so pissed off at me for. If you hadn't practically forced me to go to that damn wrap party, we wouldn't even be in this situation."

"Correction: If you would learn to keep your temper in check and not go flying off the handles, you wouldn't be in this situation," she retorted.

"I have been keeping my temper in check. You don't know how badly I wanted to deck her."