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Prologue

“Absolutely not!” Juliana Richardson told her lawyer agent with fierce determination

Marty Devens stared at her in surprise “But Juliana, you’re already under contract—” he began before she cut him off

“Break it” Her voice was implacable

“I can’t do that, and you know it Not unless you have a daood reason” His voice ended the sentence on an up note, turning the statement into a question

Juliana had a daood reason, but she couldn’t tell Marty Couldn’t tell anyone

“Besides,” Marty coaxed, “you’re the actress who alants to fil lends realis where the actual events occurred I thought you’d be thrilled they received per’s Ransom on location in Zakhar, and even within the royal palace itself”

Juliana walked to Marty’s officeand gazed out at the sprawling city of Los Angeles below her But she wasn’t really seeing the city through the haze that hung over it like a sepia tint even on good days She was seeing a lush green valley nestled between towering o, the capital city of Zakhar, looking like a fairy-tale city froadoon-like into the twenty-first century She was seeing the royal palace there and the castle walls surrounding it as she’d seen it when she was fourteen, excited and thrilled to be attending her first reception in a real palace with her ambassador father

I can’t go back to Zakhar, she told herself, feeling suddenly eighteen again and oh so vulnerable So defenseless I can’t I can’t see Andre again I’d rather die

Then she laughed bitterly as the mature twenty-nine-year-old she was now took over Don’t be et over hihteen anyain Been there, done that Where’s your pride? You’re an actress, dah can it be to play a role for three months?

“Juliana?” Marty’s voice broke into her thoughts