Yoyo had helped Wyneth settle into her hotel room, even tidying up for her. As she prepared to leave, Wyneth escorted her to the elevator entrance where Yoyo could not resist hugging Wyneth tightly."You've got to come see me when you get a chance," Yoyo implored.Wyneth teased her in return, "I got it. You go ahead and scrub up for me, okay?""Ugh, you're terrible."After Yoyo stepped into the elevator, Wyneth turned to head back but bumped into Luke at the corner. Their gazes locked for a moment."Hi, Luke," Wyneth greeted, unflustered.However, Luke seemed uncomfortable, swiftly averting his gaze before striding past her as if he had not seen her at all.Wyneth was taken aback. Ever since she had accidentally caught a glimpse of him fresh out of the bath in his dressing room, his attitude toward her had been strangely awkward. But she could do nothing. She had seen him, and she had apologized; there was nothing more to it. She shrugged it off, returning to her room and retrie
Yet, hearing her words, Luke's expression soured even further. "You forgot?""Yeah, I'm sure you wouldn't want me to remember, would you?"Luke pursed his lips and did not utter a word, his mood seemingly plummeting to an all-time low.Ding— The elevator finally halted on their floor. As the doors slid open, a familiar crowd stood inside."Luke.""Morning, Luke.""Hey? Isn't this our new lead actress, Aurelia?" Someone's eyes landed on Wyneth, the excitement evident. "You're staying with Luke?"Wyneth's expression shifted slightly. 'What do they mean by staying together?'Just as she was about to explain, Luke's icy voice cut in, "Same floor, not together."The person, noticing Luke's foul mood, promptly fell silent. The rest of the crowd, struck by the sudden appearance of such a beautiful lady, dropped their jester-like antics, feigning decorum and even making room for her."Thank you, everyone," Wyneth said.The men exchanged glances, fixating on Wyneth's pretty face, all
Before Wyneth had a chance to respond, Luke was already on the move.Wyneth could only stare after him, dumbstruck. 'How long is he going to hold that incident against me?' she wondered, shaking her head in resignation before she hurried to catch up.The men had been training for the production of Cessation for quite some time now, and they had gone through at least a month of rigorous preparation before the cameras started rolling. Running was child's play for them by now, and they would normally be halfway through their run by this time. But today, they had slowed their pace to accommodate the newcomer, Wyneth. A bunch of strapping men sauntering along was as if they lacked any drive or energy. It gave Jax a headache just to watch. He would have liked to give them a piece of his mind, but then he remembered the delicate-looking young lady who had just joined the team and thought better of it. 'Let it slide, Jax,' he told himself. 'It's her first day of training. Don't scare her off
With that, Luke was suddenly burning with indignation and dialed Shaun's number. As soon as Shaun answered, Luke said, "You ever barge into my dressing room again, old man, I'm dumping you as my manager.""What?" Shaun was clearly taken aback. "When did I ever...?" He got no further before the line went dead. "Hello? Hello?" After several futile attempts to reconnect, Shaun realized he had been cut off. "Mysterious as always." He tucked away his phone, shrugging off the incident. The longstanding animosity between him and Luke was something he had grown used to.Ever since the day Wyneth had "held Luke hostage" with her threat, and every time he laid eyes on her, his expression darkened even more. Nevertheless, he stopped singling her out. Whenever he saw her, he would stride past her without a sideways glance. The first few times were no big deal, but as the instances increased, rumors started to circulate in the production crew that Luke was displeased with the female lead."Why i
[Can the backdoor entry skedaddle back to her own garbage shows, please? She better not tarnish our man's hard work he puts into filming all year round.][Seriously, is she clueless? He's giving her the cold shoulder and she doesn't even realize it? Do us all a favor and quit. We can crowdfund another gig for you, just don't mess with our idol, okay?][What I'm really itching to know is, who's the sugar daddy. He's got his fingers in Luke's pie too? Now that's a head-scratcher.][Well, to be fair, even with a sugar daddy, it's understandable. Check out how gorgeous she is! If I had the money, I'd want to keep her around, too.]Wyneth skimmed through the top comments before searching her own name on the platform—a new trick she had learned recently to keep tabs on what was happening in her world. What she found was a whirlwind of rumors about Luke's disdain for her and his grim-faced interactions on set. She sighed, mentally acknowledging, 'This industry is indeed a complex beast.'
"L-Luke, there's something I think you should know about.""What is it?" Luke asked, thumbing through his script."It's about... the rumors that you're upset on the set."Hearing this, Luke paused. "Oh?""Apparently, word got out to the public. It's trending on Facebook. People are saying you're dissatisfied with Wyneth." The assistant showed Luke his phone, his furrowed brows deepening as he scrolled. "I thought I should bring it up since this could potentially harm your reputation, so...""What about her?"The assistant blinked. "Pardon?""What's happening with her Facebook?"Only then did the assistant realize that Luke was asking about Wyneth's Facebook. "I'm not quite sure about her situation." After all, he was only Luke's assistant; when news like this broke, his first thought was how it could impact Luke's image, not someone else's.Luke was silent for a moment, before saying, "You can go."After his assistant left, Luke pulled out his own phone and logged onto Facebo
Shaun gaped at him, astonishment widening his eyes as his mind grappled with what he had just heard. 'Did I just mishear? There's no way I just heard Luke say that Wyneth caught him in the midst of his post-shower routine. Surely, not that intimate, exposed moment?' The shock was swiftly replaced by exhilaration, causing Shaun to bolt upright from his seat as though he had been jolted by an electric current. "Then what?" he urged eagerly.Luke narrowed his eyes, the palpable danger in his gaze evident. "What do you mean 'then what?'"Shaun was practically quivering with anticipation. "What did she see then?"Luke was rendered speechless."Did she see you—"Before Shaun could complete his scandalous thought, he was promptly cut off by Luke's dark glare. "Keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself.""What's disgusting about it? You're the one who brought it up." Shaun pouted, but his eyes began to twinkle mischievously. "You weren't... actually naked, were you?"Luke became even mo
He paused for a moment, then asked, "What exactly are you doing?"Luke responded, a touch of impatience in his tone. "You asked how I was going to solve it, right? Well, here's my solution."Without further ado, he followed Wyneth's Facebook account.Shaun was taken aback. "This is your idea of a solution? That simple?"Luke pocketed his phone, his gaze icy. "Or what?"Shaun stood still for a moment, processing this before a realization dawned on him. 'Indeed, everyone currently believes Luke is disgruntled with Wyneth, leading to all sorts of speculations about her. But if Luke willingly follows her, isn't it a clear slap to the faces of these gossip mongers? A silent proclamation that they're on good terms?' He then said, "Well done, Luke, swift thinking. This solution is brilliant and doesn't even require PR."Seeing the matter resolved, Luke cast him a glance. "You can leave now.""Hold on," Shaun said, trying to keep the conversation going. "I don't get to see you often. Ca
"I heard," Hayden sighed, thinking she might tell him not to touch her."What do you think?" Wyneth asked."Me?" A small smile formed on Hayden's lips as he gently kissed her. "It's whatever you want."Wyneth's eyes sparkled. "So, you'll listen to me?"Hayden hesitated. "Except...""What?" Wyneth's tone shifted to annoyance. "You aren't backing out, right? You just said it's up to me.""It's not that I'm backing out," Hayden said, "I just have one condition. I'll listen to you any other time, but there's one thing I can't do.""What thing?" Wyneth asked.Hayden leaned in and whispered in her ear. Wyneth's face turned a shade of pink, and she pushed him away, gasping."You're such a creep!" she exclaimed.Hayden took her wrist, drawing her close and kissed her earlobe. "What's the matter? Isn't this okay for us? Don't you think so?" As he kissed her, he began to unbutton her collar. His voice was low and smooth. "Just listen to me this one time. For everything else, whatever y
On the ride home from the hotel, tears rolled down Wyneth's cheeks nonstop. This time, though, she was not alone by the car window. She was nestled in Hayden's arms. He wiped away each tear, comforting her all the way."Don't cry. It's just a mix-up, okay? He said he's fine and will be around for a long time," Hayden whispered.Despite his soothing words, Wyneth's tears did not cease. Seeing this, Hayden, filled with concern, gently asked, "Is this not what you wanted?"Confused, Wyneth looked up. "What are you talking about? I'm beyond happy he's alive."Hayden smiled, gently wiping her eyes. "Then why are you still crying?""I'm crying because..." Wyneth bit her lower lip, with Hector's words echoing in her mind.She had always been upset, believing her father had not wanted her years ago. But just as she was about to leave, Cindy pulled her aside. "Wyneth," her mother said gently, "your dad did want you. When I divorced him, I had just one demand.""What was it?""I wanted o
Everyone was silent. Just before entering the private dining room, Wyneth blurted out, "Is he really dying?" Hearing this, Andrew's steps halted. Before he could answer, she added, "How long does he have? Why didn't anyone say anything before?"Andrew sighed and turned around. "Is that why you're here?" Wyneth pursed her lips. A wave of uncertainty washed over Andrew. 'This mom and daughter,' he thought, 'they're here because they got it all wrong. Mom is acting differently toward Dad, too. She was all tough before, but now she's gone soft, probably thinks Dad is dying. And Dad? He's just laughing, like he's having a good time with all this mess.' Andrew hesitated, then said, "Let's talk inside." He chose to hold his words for now.Hayden and Wyneth walked into the private dining room. Cindy was passing dishes to Hector. As they entered, every pair of eyes turned their way. A divorced couple and six sons stared at Hayden. Used to the predictable world of leadership, Hayden now ventur
In the end, Wyneth decided to stay. She could see the honesty in Matilda's words and knew she was sincere. Recognizing Matilda as not her birth mother made Wyneth realize she should not hold her to the same expectations. With acceptance, she focused on building her future with Hayden, freeing herself from doubts and reservations.With Wyneth's decision to stay, Matilda's heart swelled with joy and immense honor. Realizing Wyneth's sincere intentions, not merely chasing the Hamilton family's wealth, transformed their relationship. Matilda's newfound warmth toward her was evident. Gifts, once withheld, now freely flowed into Wyneth's room. At auctions, Matilda eagerly bid on items for Wyneth. During jewelry store visits, Matilda generously bought her gifts, swiping her credit card without hesitation, and welcoming her nearly as a daughter.Wyneth received a call from her mother. Even after so many years, her mom, Cindy, was still bossy. "Your father isn't doing well. You should come to
Just at that moment, a knock sounded from outside."Sir, your mother is back," someone said.Hayden could feel the person in his arms stiffen, her body tensed. "Don't worry, I'm right here," he reassured her softly."Your mother heard that Ms. Walford is here. She wants to see her," the voice from outside continued.'Meet me?' Wyneth bit her lower lip lightly. 'Why does she want to see me? To insult me again?'"She hasn't eaten yet. She can meet her after eating," Hayden said, gently turning down the request for Wyneth. Outside, everything fell silent."Won't this offend your mom?" Wyneth's voice filled with concern as she asked.Hayden looked at Wyneth, pausing for a moment before speaking. "I know she's been mean to you," he said. Wyneth's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry." He bent down and lightly kissed her forehead. "You've been treated unfairly." Seeing her blink, he added, "Let's eat first. After that, I'll go with you."Wyneth was a bit nervous, but not as anxious a
Hector was speechless as Cindy mistakenly thought he was ill. Seeing her worried face, he felt the misunderstanding might not be so terrible. He shared a look with Andrew. His eldest son caught on immediately, giving a subtle head shake. Understanding the signal not to mislead Cindy any further, Hector hesitated before gently asking, "Can I see her? Even just a glance?" It had been many years since he last saw his daughter up close, and she had not called him "Dad" in all that time.Cindy, lost in thought, stared at Hector before finally nodding as if admitting defeat. "Fine, I'll call her."Later, Wyneth fell asleep. Upon waking, she found herself on the large bed in Hayden's bedroom. She saw Hayden sitting at the sofa, busy with a computer.Hearing her movement, Hayden immediately got up and walked toward her. "Awake? Thirsty or hungry? Want something to eat first?"Having slept through lunch, Wyneth was hungry, so she nodded. "Sure."After Hayden left to give some instructions,
'He shifts moods so fast,' Wyneth thought as she stared at her unattended ringing phone.Observing her delay, Hayden asked, "What's going on?"In his mind, a thought flickered, 'She seems reluctant to take the call. Perhaps there's tension with her eldest brother?'"He's calling now; must be about him," Wyneth whispered."About your dad?"They had decided to be together, and Wyneth did not hide anything from him. "Yeah, my dad."Hayden did not utter a single word."I don't like him," Wyneth softly said, staring at her ringing phone. "Answer it for me and say I'm asleep," she whispered to Hayden as she cozied up to him. Without a word, Hayden picked up the phone and conveyed the message before ending the call.After ending the call, a curious Hector asked, "Well? Where is she?"Understanding the situation, Andrew said, "She didn't answer the phone; she's asleep."Despite hearing the words, Hector felt something was off. He sighed, "She really doesn't like me.""Don't worry, D
"Trouble recognizing faces? What do you mean?" Hector Spencer asked.Andrew sighed. "Dad, he's Wyneth's ex-husband."Hector's eyes widened in surprise. "He is? No wonder I didn't recognize him. I must've barely seen him before.""Is that what's bothering you?" Andrew asked."What else would it be?" Hector replied, still taken aback.Andrew sighed. His dad, Hector, was good at many things and never stayed mad at people. But there was one funny thing about him: he could never remember faces of people outside their family. "You don't mind?" Andrew asked.Smiling, Hector replied, "Mind what? She's told everyone, so she must be ready. I've never been the dad she favored. If I object now, won't she dislike me even more?"Andrew was left speechless by this. He had not expected Hector to have no objections. "Seems like someone doesn't need your approval."Changing the topic, Hector asked, "What about your mom? Is she back?" He had been living alone for many years.Andrew exhaled. "I t
Everyone rushed to check out Wyneth's Facebook and, sure enough, they saw her admitting to the relationship, along with a freshly taken selfie.At first, Wyneth only wanted to write a post. But after Hayden tasted the joy of going public with their relationship, he suggested taking a wefie for the official announcement. Feeling his excitement, Wyneth agreed. They posted the wefie on Facebook, captioned "Officially Together". Yet, Hayden was not done. He captured another photo, this time holding her hand, eager to share their love with the world.Since Hayden was not a celebrity or idol, he had no fan feelings to fret over. Eager to declare his love, he did not hold back. His photo captured his sharp features and dark, gem-like eyes that shone under the camera lights. The image showcased his palm holding Wyneth's fair, slender hand. Their contrasting hands highlighted his affection, radiating warmly from the photo.After the photo came out, everyone was shocked. This included fans, p