Demon CEO's Hidden Love: Mr Grayson Stole Me From My Abusive Husband-Chapter 28: Brooke’s Heartfelt Wish

Flashback

Brooke tossed her crutches aside and fell on her bed, tired out from the day’s work at the agency. Her boss had made a mistake with the scheduling and Brooke was forced to stay back at work, dragging apology emails and fixing his mess.

On the basis of her being the only single person on the team.

However, just as she closed her eyes to get some rest, Cassie barged into her bedroom, holding three scripts in her hands.

"Wakey-wakey, big sis!" Cassie shouted, her voice piercing the night’s silence as she slapped a stack of scripts down onto Brooke’s stomach.

"What?" Brooke mumbled, barely lifting her head, fatigue weighing her down like a heavy blanket.

Without hesitation, Cassie flung the scripts across the room, her frustration simmering just beneath the surface. "I need you to study these carefully and pick the best one for me. And yes, I need it by tomorrow afternoon."

Brooke jolted awake, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What? When did you even get these?"

Cassie pouted, her expression a mix of annoyance and impatience. "About two weeks ago."

"Then why are you just bringing them to me now? This is insane! I can’t—" Brooke’s protest was abruptly cut off.

"Oh please!" Cassie scoffed, her voice dripping with derision. "It’s not like you do any real work. You just sit behind that desk and type away while we sweat and struggle for the camera. Heh." She crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. "I’m doing you a favor, you know. A vegetable like you could never dream of being in front of a camera, but hey, at least now you can touch a script. Isn’t that more than you could ever ask for?"

"Cassie!" In a burst of anger, Brooke leaped out of bed, determination blazing in her eyes. But her foot betrayed her, sending her crashing face-first at Cassie’s feet.

Looking down, Cassie erupted into a cruel laugh, her voice echoing with delight. "Hahaha! That’s what you get for standing up to me!"

She crouched down, her fingers tangling in Brooke’s hair, yanking her head back. The thrill of power surged through her as she watched Brooke’s expression shift from shock to fury.

"Shut your whining and get to work! Unless you want me to tell Father you tried to hit me just now. Then you’ll really be sorry," she threatened, her voice cold and sharp.

With a rough shove, Cassie tossed Brooke to the ground, her eyes blazing. "Tomorrow afternoon, you hear me?!" she spat, before dashing out of the room, her footsteps echoing as she hurried to complete her nighttime routine.

Brooke touched the side of her head, her fingers brushing against a warm trickle of blood. Cassie had yanked her hair so violently that it felt like a piece of her scalp had been ripped away.

Gathering the scattered scripts, she hugged them to her chest, tears spilling down her cheeks. In that moment, the weight of her dreams felt unbearable, as self-loathing washed over her. She despised herself for chasing after a dream that seemed further away than ever, each sob echoing the hopelessness that clung to her like a shadow.

Present

After Brooke came out of the bathroom, Hannah couldn’t help but interrogate her.

"Miss Brooke, you’re really impressive! How were you able to do all this in one night?" She asked holding the notepad to her line of sight.

Packing her hair into a loose bun, Brooke looked clueless over what she meant. "That? It wasn’t really all that hard, I’ve been doing it for years, so I guess you could say I’ve gotten used to it."

Used to this? Hannah inwardly shook her head in disbelief. For this level of detail to be even possible, she must’ve done this for over a hundred scripts.

But how was that even possible for a woman who wasn’t even an actress?

"Really? I never would’ve guessed you had such a hidden talent. And you’ve been doing it over the years? How come?" Hannah was intrigued.

Brooke’s smile faded when she remembered her job, back at Primestar Agency, "I used to work in an entertainment agency, so I helped the talent by giving them some pointers. It’s nothing impressive."

Hannah begged to differ, "Don’t sell yourself short! Anyone with eyes can see how talented you are. What industry did you work for?" She asked purely out of interest.

Brooke wanted to take Hannah’s words as a compliment, but she just couldn’t bring herself to be happy about it. The only reason she was able to analyze scripts so easily was because of Cassie.

And the last thing she wanted was to credit anything of hers to Cassie.

Brooke glossed over the question, "It’s a good script don’t you think? I only read it surface level, but it has potential, it’s rare to see these dark fantasy romances made into movies."

Hannah noticed her digress, but didn’t bring it up, "Well, most people love a light hearted romantic setting with a happy ending. But I’m guessing from the title, this doesn’t have that."

Brooke nodded, "It’s darker than most romance stories, but I feel that it’ll still draw in romantics. It’s a well rounded script, whoever is casted in this has to be really talented."

Hannah raised a brow, "I thought talent was a given."

"Well yes, but in some mass produced movies they rely more on the background, music and scenery to create dramatic effect, also a good looking cast can sometimes get away with average level acting. But much more intense plots like these call for a larger focus on an actor’s ability to portray the character." She explained in length.

’It’s almost as though I’m speaking to a completely different person.’ Hannah thought at the back of her mind, Brooke at the moment looked more confident, and her eyes sparkled with excitement when she talked.

"Miss Brooke, you must really like acting?" Hannah remarked, her tone casual but probing.

"Yes, I really do!" Brooke blurted out, a bright smile flashing across her face. But as the words left her lips, her expression shifted. She gasped, covering her mouth as if trying to choke back the truth.

In that moment, she looked like a child caught in a lie, shame flickering in her eyes. As though saying what she wanted was an unforgivable sin.

Hannah, sensing the shift, smiled warmly. "Then why don’t you try it out?"

"Who, me?" Brooke’s gaze fell to the script, her heart racing. "No, I couldn’t pull this sort of acting off." The denial spilled out before she could stop it.

"And even if I wanted to act, look at me—I’m practically a vegetable in this state. It’s just impossible—" Her voice trailed off, abruptly interrupted by the sudden arrival of Thane and Gilbert.

"It’s not impossible, Brooke." Thane’s voice cut through the air as he strode toward her, his presence commanding. Hannah instinctively stepped back, fading into the shadows.

Brooke’s smile faltered, the weight of his gaze pressing down on her. "There’s always next time. I don’t need to force things—"

"You say that with a smile, but your eyes betray your sadness. Brooke," he said her name with a tenderness that made her heart race. He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers with a gentle urgency.

"You have me now. So tell me, what is it you truly want?"

Brooke nervously scanned the room, her heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and hope. She saw faces, kind and supportive, but to her they all seemed to blur together as her eyes welled up with tears.

In a small, trembling voice, she spoke, "I-I need someone to see me... I want to step out of the shadows." She paused, wiping away a tear.

"I want to act."