"No, the lead is Isabella Davis," William says into the microphone.
Reporters laugh. A camera flashes. Someone calls out a question before William finishes reading the line.
"What about Catalina?" a voice shouts.
"Is there a press release?" another demands.
Catalina laughs and waves like she owns the room. Her smile is practiced; her fingers curl around the edges of the press packet. She knows every beat of this room. She wrote the book everyone says deserves to be the center of the screen.
"Forgive me, but we had enormous interest from many agents and actors," William says. His voice is flat. "Isabella brings a certain gravitas the series needs."
"You're replacing her?" a reporter asks.
"Not replacing," William says. "Refine casting. Lead: Isabella Davis. Catalina Dickinson will play—" he glances down at the sheet and keeps talking as cameras pivot, "—a supporting role of strategic significance."
A phone vibrates against wood. Someone coughs. The hall fills with that small, sharp sound that means someone's missed their cue.
Catalina's smile doesn't drop at first. She lets the line hang, studies the room. The applause is polite. The photographers angle for reaction shots. Someone with a live feed zooms into William's face like it's the verdict.
"Isabella is perfect," William continues. "She has the history and the audience to anchor the show."
"I thought you wanted an unknown female lead tied to the novel's heart," Maya says from Catalina's side, quietly, but her
