The Spotlight

1
The day the Hawthornes—the wealthiest family in Starling City—came to claim me, I was already one of the brightest stars in Hollywood.
The homecoming was a media circus. Paparazzi swarmed the estate, their cameras broadcasting live to the entire nation. But as I approached the grand entrance, Chloe, the daughter they’d raised in my place, stepped forward to block my path.
“Sister,” she began, her voice dripping with fake sympathy, “we looked into you. You got famous off that indie film, didn't you? The one with all the… explicit scenes. The Hawthornes have standards. You'll have to change into something more appropriate before you can come inside.”
She gestured to a small, smoldering brazier and a simple grey dress laid out beside it—a bizarre, humiliating purification ritual. “Dad said that when he and my brother are away, I’m the lady of the house. I hope you understand.”
The old me would have played along, carefully managing my image, desperate for their approval.
Too bad for her, I’ve been reborn.
With a sharp kick, I sent the brazier clattering across the marble. I shoved Chloe aside, my voice ringing with cold fury. “A joke! You want to strip me down? You couldn't afford the price tag on my coat, let alone the rest of me. Don't you dare.”
“Every part of me is insured for millions. You can’t even afford a single strand of my hair.”
“‘Lady of the house’?” I scoffed. “We’ll see how long that lasts. I’ll have you on your knees begging before this day is over.”
…
My outburst was like a signal. The reporters surged forward, a tidal wave of flashing lights and shouted questions. The world exploded in a strobe of blinding white.
“Sienna! Is it true? Are you really the long-lost Hawthorne heiress?”
“You seem furious. Is it because you resent Chloe for taking your place?”
“This temper doesn’t quite match your sweet public persona, does it?”
The questions were like bullets, sharp and relentless. In my past life, I had meekly submitted to Chloe’s demands. My return became her stage. She used me as a stepping stone, then spent years spreading vicious rumors about my ‘promiscuous’ lifestyle until the relentless online hate drove me to despair and, ultimately, death. This time, I refused to be the sacrificial lamb for her ambition.
Chloe stared, stunned into silence for a long moment before she finally snapped out of it.
I ignored her and strode toward the doors, but she grabbed my arm. “Sienna, we’re all happy to have you back, but you can’t just disrespect the Hawthorne name like this!”
Her voice rose, playing to the cameras. “Your big break was a movie where you showed everything! Dad was furious when he found out! A woman with your reputation has to be cleansed before entering this house!”
She lunged, her fingers clawing at the fabric of my dress. I slapped her hand away, the sound cracking through the air. “You dare!” I snarled. “Even if I weren't a Hawthorne, I'm a star worth millions! I’m warning you, Chloe. Touch me again, and you'll be hearing from my lawyers.”
Chloe cradled her cheek, her eyes blazing with hatred. “You…!”
This was the drama the paparazzi lived for. They shoved their microphones in Chloe’s face. “Ms. Hawthorne! Sienna is a huge star. Aren’t you happy to have a sister like her?”
“She’s the real Hawthorne by blood. Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?”
A calculated smile spread across Chloe’s lips. “Of course, I’m happy. This wasn't my idea; I'm just following my father's wishes.” She preened for the cameras. “I’m preparing for my own debut, you know. But unlike some, I know there are lines you don’t cross. I would never sell my body for fame. So really, no one here is better than anyone else. I’m just acting as her older sister, as the lady of this house, and teaching her the Hawthorne way.”
I let out a sharp, derisive laugh. “Lady of the house? Let’s wait until the Hawthornes officially acknowledge you. For now, you’re just a cuckoo in the nest.”
“You!” Chloe trembled with rage, but the cameras held her back.
I smoothed my hair, my voice dripping with ice. “Well? Is this reunion happening or not? Because if not, I have places to be.”
The reporters seized the opportunity. “We heard the Hawthornes initiated this reunion. Why are you turning Sienna away now?”
“Are you really shunning her over that critically acclaimed art-house film?”
“Is the world of the super-rich completely devoid of artistic taste?”
Chloe’s face went pale, her lips trembling, but no words came out. It’s amazing what a little leverage can do.
Just then, the old family butler, Mr. Thompson, hurried out. He bowed his head to Chloe. “Miss Hawthorne, your father saw the live stream. He’s on his way back!” Then he turned to me, his tone laced with contempt. “And he said actresses will be actresses. He told me to tell you not to be afraid, Miss Chloe. You are the only daughter of his heart. No one can bully you.”
The reporters erupted. “Did you hear that? Even if Sienna comes back, Chloe’s position is secure!”
“So much for a grand homecoming! She’s still second-class!”
My phone buzzed violently. My agent, Amy, was screeching into my ear. “Sienna! For God’s sake, get out of there! Forget the reunion! The internet is exploding! They’re saying you’re an ungrateful brat! This is the richest family in the city!”
“Do you have any idea how much Hawthorne money is invested in our agency?! Are you trying to kill me?!”
I chuckled softly at her panic. “Relax, Amy. Just watch the show. I’ll handle the fallout.”
Amy’s voice cracked. “My dear girl, that’s Caleb Hawthorne’s sister you’re messing with! The heir! He’s notoriously overprotective! Do you think he’ll let this go? The second the Hawthornes pull their funding, the agency will drop you so fast your head will spin!”
Suddenly, there was a commotion on her end. “Oh, hell! I have to go! I just got a message from the Hawthorne Corp business affairs! Listen to me, Sienna! Come back now!”
Dropped? I had to laugh. My adoptive mother was Eleanor Vance, a three-time Oscar winner. I’d just never told anyone, determined to make it on my own. As if the Hawthornes had the power to blackball me.
Chloe, noticing I’d hung up, leaned in and whispered, a venomous smile on her face. “Looks like my brother is already making moves. I suggest you learn to behave. So what if you have Hawthorne blood? With that attitude, you’ll never set foot in this house again.”
As if on cue, a flashy red sports car screeched to a halt with a dramatic drift at the main gate. The legendary Hawthorne heir, Caleb, stepped out, his face a mask of cold displeasure.
Chloe’s expression instantly transformed. She scurried over, clinging to his arm like a damsel in distress. “Caleb… you’re finally here…”
Caleb walked right up to me, his eyes raking over me with disdain. “So you’re Sienna.”
The paparazzi held their breath, practically salivating. “Mr. Hawthorne! Sienna is one of the hottest stars in the country! Your long-lost sister! How do you feel?!”
Caleb sneered. “She might share our blood, that’s true. But Chloe has been a Hawthorne for years. She's the only sister I’ve ever known. Besides,” he added, his voice hardening, “Chloe is older. For Sienna to show up on day one and treat her with such disrespect… it just shows a complete lack of proper upbringing.”
Just then, my phone rang again. Eleanor. She must be furious too.
I ignored it. Caleb continued, his voice low and menacing. “I don’t care what kind of celebrity you are. The Hawthorne estate is not a stage for your publicity stunts. If you cause a scene here, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
The reporters buzzed, cameras trained on me, waiting for my response.
I met their lenses with a smirk. “This is being broadcast live to the entire nation. Everyone saw who tried to rip my clothes off. How did that become me causing a scene?” I raised an eyebrow. “And didn’t you already pull the funding for my latest project just minutes ago? Who’s the one putting on a show now? I had no idea the great Hawthorne family was so skilled at twisting the truth.”
The live-stream comments must have exploded. I could feel the tide of public opinion turning in my favor.
Chloe’s face tightened. She quickly adopted a saintly, innocent expression. “Caleb didn’t mean it like that. He’s just always been protective of me.” She paused, then added with a tone of magnanimous charity, “We’re the Hawthornes. We can certainly afford to feed and clothe one more person.” Her eyes welled up. “Today was just about following family tradition. My sister must have misunderstood. After all,” she sighed, “she never had a proper education. She’s been working since she was a teenager. It’s only natural she’d have a more cynical view of the world.”
I laughed and raised my hand as if to strike her. She flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and cowering away.
I let my hand drop. “Do you know who first contacted me for a DNA test?” I asked, my voice dangerously soft. “Let me tell you something, Chloe. Whether this family accepts me or not is not up to an adopted little stray.”
My biological mother had searched for me for years after I was lost. The guilt and despair eventually consumed her, and she took her own life. But long after, once I became famous, my face plastered on screens across the country, my maternal grandmother recognized me instantly. It was her—not some high-and-mighty patriarch or his arrogant son—who had begged me to take the test, who had longed for my return.
Chloe’s eyes flew open. “So what if Grandma recognized you!” she shrieked. “This is the Hawthorne house! What she says doesn’t matter! My brother is the sole heir, chosen by Dad himself! If he says you can’t come in, you will never set foot past that door!”
I chuckled inwardly. Not his real sister, indeed. She didn’t even know who truly held the power in this family.
I calmly pulled over a patio chair and sat down, crossing my legs. A cool smile played on my lips. “Fine. Then we’ll wait for Mr. Hawthorne to get here.”
The viewer count on the live stream was skyrocketing. Perfect. If I didn’t blow this up, these two would never learn who was really in charge.
As I casually scrolled through the comments, a furious roar cut through the air. “What is going on?! When did my home become a public theater?!”
I looked up. It was Charles Hawthorne, his face contorted with rage.
I rose slowly, a mocking smile on my face. “No one’s putting on a show. Although some people seem to have gotten a little too comfortable playing a role that isn’t theirs.”
Charles’s eyes swept over the sea of cameras, and his face turned a dark shade of purple. “Mr. Thompson! Get these vultures out of here!”
The reporters protested. “On what grounds? We’re here for Sienna!”
“Some welcome! The great Charles Hawthorne won’t even let his own daughter in the door! Is this how you do things?”
A vein pulsed in Charles’s temple. “My daughter? For all I know, she’s just another gold digger trying to get her hands on the Hawthorne fortune! You think shooting a few skin flicks makes you royalty? We were willing to acknowledge her, and this is the thanks we get? She shows up and tries to drag our family’s century-old reputation through the mud!”
I looked at him, the irony thick enough to choke on. This man, who had changed his own name to marry into wealth, had the audacity to lecture me about integrity.
Caleb, thinking my silence was fear, puffed out his chest. He snapped his fingers at the security guards. “Get them all out! And I want you to monitor the news for the next few days. If I see a single negative story about this family, there will be consequences.”
The reporters exchanged uneasy glances. Most of them lowered their cameras, seemingly forgetting that their live feeds were still running.
Chloe pointed a finger at me, her voice dripping with scorn. “Looks like this reunion is off. Maybe when the ‘big star’ is ready to change her clothes and step over the brazier, we can talk.”
Charles glared at me with disgust. “Don’t think a little shared DNA gives you the right to throw your weight around here! We don’t welcome women who sell their bodies in this house! Now get out before you dirty the place!”
Just then, a powerful, commanding voice thundered from the gate. “I’d like to see who dares touch a single hair on my granddaughter’s head!”
An imperious, white-haired woman leaning on a cane strode onto the property. She was the true matriarch of the family—my grandmother.
Charles, Caleb, and Chloe froze, their faces a mask of pure shock. They clearly hadn't expected her. After my mother’s death, my grandmother had moved to a neighboring city, leaving the day-to-day operations of Hawthorne Corp. to Charles. She never involved herself in family affairs.
In my last life, she was the one who brought me home. But I was too timid then, too eager to please. She thought I was happy. When Chloe’s lies began to circulate, she had tried to help, but by then, I was lost in my depression and pushed her away.
Seeing her now, my eyes burned with tears. “Grandma…” I choked out.
Her gaze softened with heartache as her wrinkled hand gently cupped my cheek. “Sienna, my girl. It’s my fault. I should have been here on such an important day.”
Charles’s jaw was hanging open. “Mom… why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
THUD. Her cane struck the ground with startling force. “I finally find my daughter’s lost child, and this is how you treat her?!” She whirled on Charles, her voice a whip crack. “I wouldn’t have known what a disgrace you are if I hadn't seen the live stream!”
“You are nothing but a son-in-law who married into this family! When did it become your place to pass judgment on my blood?!”
The reporters, who had been cowed just moments before, sprang back to life. Cameras flashed, microphones were aimed. “Unbelievable! The CEO of Hawthorne Corp is just a son-in-law!”
“A real-life succession battle! The tables have turned!”
Sensational headlines scrolled across the live feed. Charles’s face cycled through shades of green and white. He shoved Caleb in front of him like a shield. “Get out! All of you! I’ll sue you for invasion of privacy!”
Chloe, so arrogant moments ago, was now pale and frantic. She tugged at our grandmother’s sleeve, pleading in a low voice, “Grandma… please, don’t make a scene… This is embarrassing for Hawthorne Corp…”
The old woman ripped her arm away. “Don’t you dare call me Grandma! Sienna is my only grandchild! And the only embarrassment here is you!”
A reporter shouted, “Does that mean Caleb Hawthorne isn’t your grandson either?!”
“He’s the son Charles brought with him from a previous relationship!” she declared, her voice ringing with fury. “My daughter and Charles were a blended family! I never should have allowed it! I never should have let this ungrateful parasite into our home!”
The entire scene erupted. The live-stream chat exploded with a torrent of shocked comments and memes.
Caleb’s face was a thundercloud. He grabbed Charles and Chloe and stormed into the villa. My grandmother took my hand, and we followed them inside.
Under the glittering crystal chandeliers, she slammed her cane onto the marble floor. The sound echoed through the vast hall. “Charles Hawthorne! Get on your knees!”
Charles flinched, but defiance hardened his features. “Mom, what is this? I’m the CEO of Hawthorne Corp!”
“CEO? You’re nothing!” she spat. “Without the Hawthorne name, you are nothing! You were a penniless nobody when my daughter took pity on you! Do you think you’d have any of this without her?” She leaned forward, her eyes blazing. “And don’t forget the promise you made when she passed. I told you that if you behaved, Hawthorne Corp would be yours after I was gone. But as it stands, the majority shares are still in my name! You’re just a glorified manager!”
Seeing Charles remain defiant, my grandmother snatched an antique vase from the coffee table and hurled it at him. “Don’t make me repeat myself!”

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