Princess of Hollywood (The Glitterati Files #2) - Maggie Dallen Page 0,1

much cleavage in my V-neck gown this goon could no doubt see my navel. “If you could just tell Delilah Devereaux that I’m here—”

“She knows.” His gaze was unreadable as he stared me down.

I dropped the smile. Lila knew I was here… and she was still keeping me out. My hands clenched at my sides. This just went beyond petty and straight into betrayal.

We had a deal.

Leaving now? That was not an option. I’d come this far from my crappy hometown, I sure as heck wasn’t about to turn and flee with my tail between my legs just because one braindead guard was acting as Lila’s lapdog.

I had pride, even if Lila didn’t. With that thought, I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming my rage. “If she’s aware I’m here, then clearly I was expected—”

“You were expected two hours ago,” he said, consulting some list that was on the concierge stand beside him.

Two hours ago, huh? If Lila Devereaux hadn’t realized by now that I was a girl who knew how to make an entrance, then she hadn’t been paying attention.

Not that I should be surprised. The girl was clueless.

I mean, she’d spent weeks in Pinedale and never realized that there was an enemy in plain sight.

Again… me.

Let’s recap, shall we? Lila was sent by her hotshot producer father to bring my childhood bestie, Brandon MacMillan, back to Hollywood to reprise a role on the TV show Love on the Range. It was a role that his father, Frank MacMillan, made super famous back in the day. Back before he died.

Everyone thought it was an accidental drug overdose that killed him, but if you paid as much attention as I did…? Well, secrets tended to stay not-so-secret in a town like Pinedale. I wasn’t sure how, but his crazy wife had something to do with it. Even I remembered the fights that broke out before he suspiciously died. On top of that, Brandon’s mom was totally certifiable.

And who was I? How did I fit into all of this? I was the girl next door, thank you very much. I was the sweetheart with the heart of gold and blah blah blah.

Please.

No one was that nice. Sure, I was a sweet kid back in elementary school, but all those losers at Pinedale High somehow managed to believe that I’d stayed that way even after my mom tore me away from the only home I’d ever known. Even after she ditched my good-for-nothing dad; even after she started shacking up with a creep who tried to mess with me so often that I started to sleep with a knife under my pillow. Even after I’d transferred to a public school in a bad neighborhood of a big city.

Even with all the crap I’d gone through, I came back to Pinedale for senior year and all those mouth-breathing idiots thought, ‘hey, Amber’s back. Must still be the same naive little girl we remember from fifth grade.’

Morons.

I didn’t even have to try to get back into the heart of Brandon’s social circle. All I had to do was move back into my old room at my grandparents’ ranch, which bordered his family’s property, and voila. I was in.

But why try to con an old buddy from my past, right? I know that’s what everyone’s thinking. Was I some cruel heartless witch who just wanted to take advantage of the sweet, misunderstood hometown hero?

Of course not.

I might have my faults, but I wasn’t heartless. I’d just figured out that I had to look after myself because no one else was going to. So, when Devereaux’s people approached me about getting close, promising me some immediate money but also a giant payday and my big break on-screen if I got him to go to Hollywood with me… of course I took him up on the offer.

What he didn’t tell me was that he was also sending his beloved daughter as well.

The moment she showed up in town, I knew what was happening.

I was just backup. I was the inside man he was using to get all the dirt on Brandon and his family while she swooped in and stole what was rightfully mine.

I didn’t think so.

So, I’d done what I’d had to do. It wasn’t like I hadn’t known for ages that Brandon was playing for the other team, and I honestly didn’t care. More power to him. I actually liked him more once I’d realized he wasn’t another dumb jock