Hit And Run

Lydia

Morning light streamed through my office windows, painting golden streaks across my desk. The city outside was already alive—cars honking, people rushing—but inside, everything carried on with its usual quiet hum.

I leaned back in my chair, eyes drifting to the two profiles in front of me.

Alice Cain. Rosalind Carter.

New recruits. Supposedly rising talents.

I exhaled slowly, picking up Alice's file first.

Background: clean.

Education: Bachelor's in Performing Arts.

Experience: Minimal. Expected, considering she hadn't debuted yet.

Pack: ShadowMoon.

Not that I cared. A clean background meant nothing in this industry. It was just a formality on paper—people could hide anything if they had the right connections.

Talent, however? That was something you either had or didn't.

So I pulled up her audition video.

The screen flickered to life, and Alice Cain appeared, standing under the bright lights of the audition room. 

I watched. 

And within seconds, my fingers curled against the desk.

Something felt... off.

The lack of effort was staggering. Her eyes were hollow, her posture lazy, her line delivery stiff and uninspired. She wasn't just bad—she didn't even look like she cared. A serious debut actress would be refining her expressions, learning how to embody a role, working on her weakest points, seeking guidance. But Alice? She treated the entire thing like a half-hearted school play.

I exhaled sharply, my fingers tightening around the mouse.

I had spent years surrounded by real talent. I had seen actors break down scripts for hours, rehearse in front of mirrors until their voices cracked, push themselves until their performances bled with authenticity.

Alice had none of that hunger. None of that passion.

How the hell did she pass the screening?

I clicked on Rosalind Hayes' audition next. 

Rosalind wasn't bad—she wasn't exceptional either—there was hesitancy in her delivery, roughness in her technique—but there was something there. A desire to get better. When she faltered, I could see the frustration in her eyes. When she delivered a line well, there was an unconscious flicker of satisfaction. Her expressions needed refinement, her delivery lacked depth, but there was effort. A desire to improve.

She was an artist who wanted to grow. 

Whereas Alice? She was playing pretend and just here for the title.

Anger stirred in my chest.

I knew Alice. She was from a neighboring pack, arrogant, entitled. The kind of girl who wore expensive things just to make sure everyone noticed, who acted like the world owed her something because of her bloodline.

I tapped my nails against the desk, thoughts sharpening.

Since when did Star Entertainment start handing out contracts like party favors?

I clenched my jaw, turning her file to check who has pushed her through.

And to my surprise it is Theo.

Nepotism. 

It can't be. 

If Star Entertainment had ever accepted someone like her before, it was purely out of pressure from investors. But Theo never allowed something like this. He was ruthless about talent selection.

So why now?

Standing up, I grabbed my phone and strode toward Theodore's office, my heels clicking against the polished floor. The door was slightly open—a detail that instantly clicked my mind.

Theo never left his office open unless he was out.

I stepped inside and noticed it was empty, which is expected.

The leather chair behind the desk sat untouched. Papers remained neatly stacked. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air, but the man himself was gone.

Where the hell was he?

I was still processing his absence when the door suddenly swung open behind me.

"You selfish, vindictive bitch!" 

Scarlet's manager. 

His voice thundered through the room as he stormed in, fury written across every inch of his face. 

I barely turned before he was on me, pointing a trembling finger in accusation. 

"Do you have no goddamn sense of boundaries?! If you have a problem with Scarlet, take it up with her—don't fucking sabotage her career!"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't you dare act clueless now," he snapped, his nostrils flaring. "Because of you, Theo has pulled Scarlet from all her major projects and handed them to a bunch of nobodies who can't even act!! You knew how important this year was for her. Do you even understand the damage you've caused?!"

Theo did this!!??

My mind went blank. What? 

Scarlet was out of projects? But that didn't get anything to do with me. Besides, I have no reason to take his insults without retaliating.

A slow, cold anger seeped into my veins. "And how exactly is that my fault?"

"Don't play dumb, Lydia! You and Scarlet fight, and suddenly, she's blacklisted from everything? That's not a coincidence. You're the only one Theo listens to, and now she's paying the price for your damn feud!"

I clenched my jaw.

"I don't control Theo's decisions," I said icily. "If he pulled her from projects, that's his call."

"Bullshit," he spat. "You know he wouldn't do this unless you put something in his head."

His voice was grating, filled with pure rage, but I wasn't even listening anymore. 

I refused to waste another second arguing. Pushing past him, I pulled out my phone and dialed Theo's number. He picked up on the third ring.

"I'm in a meeting," he said curtly.

"Then make time because we need to talk."

He sighed. "Lydia, not now. We'll discuss this later."

"Discuss what, exactly?" My patience snapped. "How you suddenly decided to destroy Scarlet's career overnight? Or how Star Entertainment is apparently handing out contracts to talentless nobodies?

Not only had he pushed Alice through, but now he was pulling Scarlet out? 

The anger I had been holding back snapped. 

Silence. Then a sharp exhale. "You're overthinking."

"The hell I am." My grip on my phone tightened. "Where are you?"

"I told you, I'm busy. This conversation can wait."

No, it couldn't.

I hung up and immediately called his secretary. It only took a few words to get my answer. A restaurant name. Celeste Royale.

Of course. The most exclusive restaurant in the city. If Theo was meeting an investor, it had to be someone important. But right now, I didn't care. I needed to meet him, make it spat out what he is hiding from me.

I called my driver, but he didn't pick up.

Seriously?

Annoyed, I grabbed my coat and stormed out of the building.

Stepping onto the pavement, I moved briskly down the street, my heels clicking sharply against the concrete.

The sun was high now, burning bright in the cloudless sky, casting stark shadows against the sidewalks. The late morning air was thick with warmth, the kind that made the roads shimmer faintly in the distance. A few passing cars rumbled by, their engines blending with the occasional honk. But the sidewalks? Practically empty except for few occasional passerbys.

Most people were indoors—buried in offices, or tucked away in meeting rooms. The city never truly slept, but this particular stretch of hour was eerily quiet.

Celeste Royale wasn't far. Just across the next street.

I reached the pedestrian crossing, my thoughts tangled between frustration and disbelief. Theo, Alice, Scarlet—everything was a mess, and he was dodging me when he damn well knew I wouldn't let it go.

The light flicked green.

I stepped forward.

A low rumble sounded in the distance. Not unusual. Just another car.

I didn't think twice since it would halt eventually.

One step. Then another.

And then—

The growl of an engine roared to life, loud and unnervingly close.

Too close.

A sharp, icy instinct slammed through me. I turned my head—

A black car.

Racing toward me.

My breath hitched, muscles locking in place. The pedestrian light was green. I was supposed to be safe.

But this car wasn't stopping.

A flicker of realization struck, sharp and unforgiving.

The car's gonna hit me.

I tried to move—tried to leap back—

But the impact came first.

A solid force slammed into my side. My body jerked backward, the breath knocked from my lungs in an instant. The world spun, pavement rushing up too fast, too hard—

Crack.

Pain shot through my shoulder as I hit the ground, a sharp sting spreading through my arm. The air punched out of my chest, leaving me gasping.

The car never stopped.

It sped through the intersection, disappearing just as fast as it had come.

A hit-and-run.

My fingers weakly curled against the ground, my cheek pressed against sun-heated asphalt. The scent of burning rubber clung to the air. Blood—warm, sticky—seeped from my shoulder, staining the pavement beneath me.

I gasped, but no air came. My ribs screamed in protest, my chest caving in as I struggled to inhale.

Pain.

So much pain.

It felt like my body had been ripped apart, crushed under something invisible yet immense. A dull ringing filled my ears, muffling the distant sound of people shouting.

Move.

I tried. My fingers twitched, but everything else felt… disconnected. As if I wasn't inside my own body anymore.

Dark spots danced at the edges of my vision, growing larger with every second.

No. No, not like this.

I didn't want to die.

I didn't want to leave—

Theo.

Would he come if he knew?

Would he be here, holding my hand, calling my name?

Would he care?

A shaky breath escaped my lips. The world around me was blurring, the streetlights smearing into long streaks of gold and red.

I tried to move again. Someone. Someone needs to call —

A distant voice yelled something. My name? I wasn't sure.

The darkness pressed harder.

I just… I just wanted to see him.

One last time.

But before I could, the world turned black.