“I’m familiar with those, trust me, but I have a lot at stake here. I need the film to be a success, which means we can’t cut corners on cinematography. A smaller tower means smaller shots, and the loss of 360-degree panoramas. It’ll constrict everything at precisely the moments when we need the views to feel endless.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow. “I’ll admit I don’t know much about filmmaking, but isn’t it unusual for a lead actress to concern herself with camera angles when the director didn’t have any trouble making accommodations?”

“He’s an idiot.”

“That’s less than inspiring to hear about a man to whom I granted a great deal of access. Maybe I need to rethink some tighter restrictions.”

“Oh, come on.” Sophia exploded. “Are you seriously going to extend your little power trip even further?”

Vic blinked in surprise, and for a second something akin to hurt flashed in her eyes before she regained the politely distant veneer all her social training had likely stamped onto her features. “I’m sorry you feel I came here in a power play, or anything other than sincerity.”

Sophia didn’t buy that, and her body language must’ve said so, because Victoria sighed heavily.

“Perhaps I failed to make my own personal stake here clear. I certainly understand that for most people, this place—” she gestured expansively to the castle behind her, “—feels like a movie set, but it’s my home. I live here. My family lives here. My grandparents lived their entire lives here. The people I love have their fingerprints all over the place. Would you give a stranger, whom you yourself consider an idiot, carte blanche to trample all over your family’s home and heirlooms?”

Sophia folded her arms across her chest. “I have no heirlooms, and my family home is quite often inhabited by idiots who ran roughshod over every part of my life for as long as I let them. If you’re planning to gain sympathy with some family history argument, or an emotional connection to inherited wealth, then it’s no surprise your appeal landed better with Brian, as he has plenty of both. I, on the other hand, have only ever had what I’ve been willing to fight for.”

Victoria’s smile faltered again, and this time it stayed that way, making her appear genuine for the first time all morning. “I’m sorry to hear that, but, the fact that you chased me down to go against the will of all your colleagues suggests you’re long past the point where you’ll accept less than you deserve.”

“Touché.” Sophia appreciated the quick turnaround of her sad story. “But now that you know that about me, I hope you also realize this isn’t the last conversation we’ll have on filming details.”

“What makes you think we’ll need multiple discussions?”