Page 43 of Corrupted Tyrant

One moment still haunts me. Sitting in Raskins’ office, desperation clawing at my throat as I begged him not to fire me, to give me another chance.

“Please,” I had whispered, hands twisting in my lap. “I’ll do anything. Anything you want.”

My gut churns at the memory. I hate my younger self for that and God, I love her, too. She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her self-esteem, to ensure money kept coming in to support her parents’ lifestyle.

I remember it in such vivid detail—the gleam in Raskins’ eye and the slow, predatory curl of his lips. Even then, he had known the depths of my despair and how far I would go to keep the only life I had ever known.

And he had reveled in it, savored my anguish like a fine wine, although for some reason he never took full advantage of my vulnerability.

“You’ve always thought you meant something,” Blackwell sneers, dragging me back to the present. “Always thought you were special. But the truth is, you’re nothing. Just another disposable starlet.”

“You’re going to make accusations against us? We’re Hollywood elite. You know why? We bring in dollars. No one will ever believe you,” Raskins chimes in, his smirk cutting me to the bone. “It’s your word against ours, and who do you think they’ll choose? The powerful, respected producers, or the washed-up former child star with a history of bad behavior?”

Their words batter against me like fists, each blow striking at the fragile, hard-won sense of self I’ve fought so long to build.

I feel myself crumbling, my resolve cracking under the weight of their cruelty, their certainty.

Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m nothing, no one. Just a broken doll, a cautionary tale.

But something buried deep inside me swims to the top, banishing my fear and giving me strength to speak my truth. It’s Courage. His belief in me. His faith in me. His support and strength now give me the courage I need to do this.

“You’re both predators. Maxwell, maybe you didn’t do the deeds, but you knew full well what was happening on set twenty-three—the systematic decimation of children’s self-esteem, the bullying, the sexualized scripts that we were too young to know were filled with despicable innuendo.”

I’m stunned they’re letting me talk, but nothing could stop me now.

“And you, Sam, you were right there leading the charge. The grooming, the threats, the way you played us against each other, giving more lines and juicier parts to the girls who were more… compliant. You’re both users. You, Sam, for sex. And you, Maxwell, all in service to the bottom line. I hope you both rot in hell.”

“It’s still about the bottom line, Candy.” Maxwell’s voice is so condescending I wish I had claws and fangs like Courage and could leap at him and tear out his jugular. “We can’t let you share your story with the world. You need to call Broken Starlets and tell them to destroy the recording of you spilling your guts.”

As helplessness whirls through me like a tornado, Courage’s voice, lower than I’ve ever heard it and laced with ferocity, cuts through the darkness like a beacon.

“That’s not going to happen.”

He steps out of the shadows, Fury at his side, their faces set in identical masks of determination and protective rage.

“We’ve got your confession on tape.” Courage’s words are slightly distorted through his snarl; his fangs on full display. “Candy’s everything good and brave and true in this world. And I won’t let you try to destroy her.”

Fury nods, his claws flexing at his sides. “And we have all the proof we need to take you down. Now that we have videos and recordings, they’ll bolster the testimony from Candy and the other victims. It’s over, you sick fucks.”

Blackwell blanches, fear flickering across his face before he smooths it away. “You’re bluffing.”

“Are we?” Fury takes a step forward, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. Looking at their faces, I swear their fangs are longer. Even their claws look more deadly. “Try us, motherfucker. See how that works out for you.”

For a moment, the world seems to hold its breath. Raskins and Blackwell exchange a glance, something unspoken passing between them.

“Shoot them!” Blackwell yells.

Courage and Fury both laugh. “We’ve already taken care of the two men in the woods. Unconscious and ziptied. It was easy. They didn’t see us coming.”

And then Raskins laughs, the sound brittle and mocking. “Fine. You want to play hardball? Let’s play.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cell phone. “You’re not the only ones with evidence, sweetheart. How do you think the world will react when they see their precious Candy Wood begging to suck my cock to keep her job? My phone is primed to release the video to the media with one push of a button.”

The blood drains from my face, my stomach twisting with nausea. No. He can’t. He wouldn’t.

But the look in his eyes, the cruel twist of his mouth, tells me he absolutely would.

“One click.” His goading voice is almost a whisper, it’s dangerous, lethal. “That’s all it takes. One click, and your life is over. Your career, your reputation, your entire future… all gone.”

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