THE DISCARDED TRILLIONAIRE AND DAUGHTER

"You either sign the NDA or you Die."

Director Lucas toned dangerously, leaning over the polished oak desk with an unkind expression.

Amoss stumbled back. His heart hammered, realizing the situation he just walked into.

The previous night, he received the mail on his phone, a limited opportunity to earn six figures for shooting a single video.

From the Astral Media Empire, one of the biggest entertainment industries in Kingsport.

He was a photographer, struggling to cater for his family responsibilities with his meager earnings.

Amos thought this was a golden opportunity to change his life, maybe things were finally taking a good turn in his life. He clicked on the link, and filled in his qualifications, his heart racing with anticipation of a good response. Miraculously, he was selected. He was over the roof with excitement, but reaching the Astral Media Empire the next day to start the job, he realized he'd just walked into a deadly trap.

Director Lucas rose to his feet. A tall man, Fourty five years old, broad-shouldered, Clad in a pristine white suite that probably cost more than Amos's entire existence, a gold wristwatch costing more than most people's cars caught the roof light on his wrist, sending flash across the room.

He stepped away from the desk and walked to Amoss slowly. He stared at him for a second before a slow dangerous smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

"Amoss Vale," He called with much familiarity for a man he was meeting for the first time. "You see in this world, if you really want to make real money then you must be willing to get into deep shits. And that is what we do here against what the world really sees about our organization.." He began to circle him slowly, his loafer clicking the Marble sharply.

".. aren't you tired of your current life, huh? You're barely scraping by, you have a daughter who needs money more than any other form of responsibilities.."

He stopped in his front, at a close range, holding his gaze firmly, the smug smirk still tugged at the corner of his lips.

"..and you have a wife who won't care about your struggle, only what you bring to the table. An empty account can't keep a woman."

Amoss chuckled, almost mockingly.

He shook his head, firmly.

"You don't know anything about my wife," he said confidently. "she's satisfied with what I give at the moment."

Director Lucas let out a deep humourless laughter, tapping his chest out of sheer amusement.

"Oh, my God, you're said that with so much confidence like you really know who she really is." His voice dripped with mockery, "Most women don't settle for mediocre. They always go for the best."

"That is what makes her different," Amoss snapped, his expression serious, defending his wife's characteristics. "She is not most women. So stop talking about her because you don't know a single thing about my wife."

Director Lucas simply nodded, choosing not to speak further, his smirk only got wider.

"Absolutely." He simply said.

"I am not taking the job," Amos said firmly, without double-taking it. "However if you have another offer, I will do it but not this."

He grabbed his equipment bag and made his way to the door. The two burky bodyguards wearing black suits, flanked at both sides of the door stepped forward, blocking his path.

Amoss stepped back one step. His chest hammered.

"What..is going on.." He stammered, glancing back at Director Lucas in confusion and rising fear.

Director Lucas walked closer to him, his expression turning grim. "You think you can walk away after knowing the secret of Astral Media Empire?" He shook his head. "You have two options and they are non-negotiable. Sign the Non-disclosure agreement and do the job, or you die here. No one will look for you, you're a common man. Not even your wife will see your body."

Amos's breath hitched.

His heart hammered, racing fast.

Obviously, Director Lucas is not going to let him walk away after finding out that the Astral Media Empire, the entertainment conglomerate praised for its moral standards has secret operations, and among them was their Adult industry which Amos was asked to shoot.

His mind reeled.

Even though the offer was tempting and he needed the money, he couldn't betray his wife. Cassandra would always lecture about purity, her insistent statement about 'refusing gold buried in filth and taking scraps instead regardless of the need, always telling him she was satisfied with everything he provided.

Betraying that woman was worse than death.

keeping secrets from his wife was something he'd never done in the marriage, and Cassandra also was always plain to him with everything. Maybe she really was.

Amoss swallowed hard. Cold sweats broke out from his face. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head made him flinch.

His chest hammered.

Amos realized he had just walked into something far more dangerous than he'd imagined.

His body trembled.

Director Lucas glanced at his wristwatch like he was in haste already.

"You're wasting time, Amoss."

Amos swallowed again, feeling the cold sensation of Sweats crawling to his tail.

"But.. why me? Why me? You can just let another person take the job...It doesn't have to be like this." He stammered.

Director Lucas snorted.

"So I should allow you to walk away and reveal Astral's secret to the world? I'm not dumb, Amoss." He shook his head, refusing him. "Make your decision." He clipped.

"I won't tell anyone..I promise..I promise you..you can trust me..but I can't do this..I can't.." The words tumbled out of Amoss's lips.

Director Lucas exhaled sharply. His patience finally snapped.

"Shoot him at the count of three."

Amoss's heart hammered against his rib.

His anxiety rose to fever-pitch.

Sweats crawled over his face, his body couldn't hide the fear, shaking visibly at gun point. He was trapped between two options— betray his wife and take up the filthy job, or die at refusal.

"Three."

Director Lucas Started the count down. His hand slid into his pocket casually like this was a normal negotiation.

Amoss's heart raced erratically. The gun pressed firmly against his neck, reminding him death was close by if he made a choice against the Director's wish.

"Two"

Director Lucas grinned faintly, a mix of amusement and admiration in his eyes. "What a devoted husband." He muttered under his breath.

Deciding to keep the secret from Cassandra, Amoss blurted breathlessly before the last count.

"I'll do it. I'll do it."

Director Lucas grinned widely. "That's more like it." He nodded at the paper on the desk. "Now sign the agreement. Our biggest star is coming today, we don't want to delay her."

Amos picked up the pen. His palm was slick with sweat. His heart was still racing with the earlier tension. He paused the pen on the paper, still hesitant about the entire thing, it felt like he was about doing the most gruesome thing to Cassandra but choosing to die will make things worse.

He squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled shakily.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra."

He opened his eyes and wrote his signature.

Director Lucas picked the paper and glanced through it quickly, nodding his head in satisfaction.

"Good," he looked at Amoss, smirking sharp with the same impressive look in his eyes. "You know, I'm intrigued. You're willing to lose your life for morals your wife stated even in her absence rather than do what most people could have done easily. You're really a devoted husband, I'll be honest, but I'M SORRY."

Amoss didn't give any thoughts to his last statement 'I'm sorry'. And he would soon realize the reason behind it.

Anger and guilt seared his heart. He stared at his own hand that wrote the signature repulsively, and for a splitting second, it was covered with blood, it felt as though he had committed murder.

His knuckles whitened on the strap of his bag.

"Let's begin." He said between clenched jaws.

"Of course."

They stepped out of the office, heading to the Adult studio. Amoss looked away from the nearly naked women and men chatting along the buzzing hallway, some squeezing each other shamelessly behind open doors, rehearsing their next shoot. He shut his eyes for a few seconds, disgust twisting his stomach like acid.

He wanted this over already.

As soon as they stepped into the studio, Amos started setting up his equipment.

Then suddenly, the corridor behind him suddenly erupted in appraisal.

"The Star is here!"