Terry would not dare to get any ideas when it came to a celebrity like Taylor. The only thing on his mind was to show off in front of the female fans. “Sure thing.” Taylor gave the okay with a smile, and the crowd burst out with shrieks. “That’s amazing, Terry. You’re the only one Taylor is hugging tonight.” “Rose doesn’t have money to be here tonight. If she finds out, I bet she will be so jealous.” “Ha! Her relative, Kaze, can’t even afford 20 grand. I can’t believe he tried to steal Terry’s thunder before.” “Terry’s right. So what if he can fight? Money talks!” The members of the fan club put Kaze down while buttering Terry up. They followed him up to the stage. They were excited to shake hands or high-five Taylor. Terry was happy and ready to give Taylor a hug. “Taylor.” Suddenly, Alisa the agent came up on stage and waved at the host before approaching Taylor. “What’s the matter, Alisa?” Alisa whispered in her ear, “A VIP just arrived at Dynasty Hotel.
Taylor finally showed up at the door. Rose was thrilled beyond words to see her favorite idol. Taylor was surprised. She was not expecting to see a young girl. The VIP who spent 100 million dollars to meet Taylor turned out to be a much younger lady. Taylor was jealous. Still, she reflected none of her inner emotions on her face. Taylor nodded in reverence. “Hello, young lady. Thank you for supporting me. How should I address you?” “I’m Rose Oceanid, Taylor,” Rose said in a daze. Taylor was an idol, worshiped and screamed at by her fans. Now, she stood before Rose in deference. Rose could not get used to it. It put a damper on her excitement. Somehow, Taylor’s attitude made her sick. “Ah, Ms. Oceanid.” Unaware of Rose’s changed opinion, Taylor smiled ingratiatingly. “I believe you aren’t a local to the city. “As far as I know, the Oceanids aren’t one of the top three families in Lilyrose.”Rose was puzzled that Taylor would think she came from an elite family
Despite her displeasure, Taylor kept her feelings to herself. She could not afford to piss off Kaze, the type without qualms to throw money around. Besides, Kaze was not just wealthy. Alisa said that Kaze had to hold a higher position than the chief commander of Lilyrose Strategic Department to set foot into Emperor Hall. Kaze was the definition of power. Hence, Taylor stood there without a word. “I needed Rose to see you for who you are, Taylor, but I also need to find something out from you.” Amid the tension, Kaze spoke. Taylor’s breath hitched. “Ask away, Mr. Lee.” “Did my buddy, James White, really assault you?” Shocked, Taylor looked up at Kaze in disbelief. She did not expect Kaze to be a good friend to James. “Mr. Lee, I-I…” Fear stirred in Taylor’s eyes. Her knees went weak, and she fell into a kneeling position. Her tiny frame shuddered. “Stand up and talk,” Kaze said indifferently. Taylor shakily rose to her feet. Kaze then said, “I want the tru
Taylor knew right there and then. Kaze was not leaving her with any choice. After all, she had done a lot of harm. Kaze was a man of power. She could not refuse his requests. “Come on, Rose.” Not wanting to see the disgusting woman anymore, Kaze left Emperor Hall without looking back. Rose even glanced at Taylor in disdain on her way out. The earlier conversation introduced Rose to a whole new world. Rose thought that Taylor was no different than ordinary folks. She was probably a bit of a snob. It never occurred to Rose that Taylor had committed such an unforgivable thing. Once out of Dynasty Hotel, Kaze gave Snow a call. “Snow, get Shane to investigate the real reason behind James’ death. I believe he didn’t jump off the building.” The police wrote off James’ death as suicide because he was depressed from the car crash and career downfall. Everybody even called James a coward. Kaze knew something was fishy right from the start. James was expelled from s
The two women quickly met with Frank. Frank felt a tingle in his loin when he saw Taylor looking vulnerable in tears. “What’s wrong, Taylor?” Frank asked. Taylor recounted the story once more. Frank looked solemn. For the person to gain access to Emperor Hall, they must be untouchable even to the upper society. That included the Goldings. Frank said frustratedly, “I’m not aware of anyone important in Lilyrose. What does he look like? Let me see.” Alisa pulled out a thumb drive. She had all her bases covered. Prior to coming, Alisa requested a surveillance video of Emperor Hall from Dynasty Hotel to keep as evidence. “Hahaha!” Frank burst out laughing when Kaze appeared in the video. “Do you know him, Mr. Golding?” Taylor and Alisa looked at him, wondering why he was laughing. Frank enjoyed a good laugh before uttering, “Taylor, I’ve missed you. It’s been two years since we got it on. “I hold the key to your survival, but perhaps one more taste of that shar
Alisa dragged Taylor back to Dynasty Hotel. The fans who attended the meet-and-greet were still hanging around the venue. Noticing Taylor’s return, they were overjoyed. “Is that a new outfit, Taylor?” “She must have taken a shower. Her hair isn’t dry yet, and she’s already in a rush to see us. She’s too good to us fans.” Feeling moved, the fans kept screaming. To their surprise, Taylor went up on stage and solemnly announced that she would be having an immediate press conference which would be broadcast live. The local press from various agencies soon entered the scene. The press conference began. Without wasting a lot of time on words, an edited clip was projected on the screen. In the video, Taylor kneeled before a young man, explaining something in tears. Holy shit! Gasps filled the room. Taylor was a top-rated celebrity with a huge following. The Internet went wild in less than a minute. With Alicia pumping money into the publicity campaign, Taylor quick
Taylor’s words stirred an uproar. It went crazy online. The God of War was more popular than any A-list celebrity. Alisa did not have to throw money into publicity to make the issue a huge deal anymore. Taylor was trending on social media for crying to the God of War on her knees. Her name and other keywords were trending. The usual breakups, divorces, and scandals that the public loved to hate were no longer going viral. “The God of War’s buddy, James White, assaulted Taylor.”“The God of War’s face exposed.” All terms related to the incident occupied the top ten hashtags. All of Arcadia had their attention at the press conference. The server of all social media platforms went down. The network engineers were summoned late into the night to fix the servers urgently. The press put in the extra shift to publish articles about the press conference. They could expect huge traffic on their sites. “Taylor, are you going to apologize to Shangrila Group and pay your r
That night, the Internet broke. Kaze became famous overnight.“He’s just a loser who takes his wife’s family name. How dare he impersonate the God of War! Who does he think he is?” “This is an insult to the God of War and all citizens.” “I don’t approve of you voicing your opinion for all of us, but I agree that the guy should be executed.” “Kaze doesn’t represent all men who take their wives’ names, but I agree that he should be executed.” Such comments went rampant online. Most of the public spent their night in a rage. They were filled with kindness and a sense of justice. The public could not stand to have the God of War, the national hero, insulted and discredited by a mere son-in-law of a somewhat wealthy family. A petition was set up that night itself. Millions of citizens signed the petition, calling for punishment for Kaze. Some had expressed that they had bought flight tickets to Lilyrose. They summoned the public to protest the city government today
The guests attended the party, not to be dragged into trouble. Most of them were ready to leave. Katie was pleased with Leah and Jet getting to know each other. However, the smile on her face vanished the moment Perry showed up. She was pleased with the Duncans’ wealth and power before. Otherwise, she would not have allowed her daughter to be with Perry. Now that Leah had broken up with Perry, there was no way they would get back together. Perry took things far by showing up at the party. Katie glanced at Joey. Joey did not expect trouble at the party. Though there were security guards stationed outside, they were tasked to maintain order, not prevent any disruptions. Without further delay, Joey radioed security to throw Perry out. “Who are you? Quit messing around.” The captain and his security team rushed to the scene. It was a dilemma. No one expected a disruption at a birthday party. It was not a wedding. The security team did not understand what the commo
“Jet and Katie look close. I hear wedding bells.” “Katie threw this party to pick a guy for Leah. I didn’t think it’d happen so quickly.” “I know, right? This is quick, but I guess that means we don’t stand a chance,” the crowd gossiped in amazement. Jet appeared interested in taking Leah’s hand in marriage. Everybody at the party had their own agendas. Finding their goals unattainable, they were disappointed. Still, most of them loved the drama. The event hall bustled with excitement as the guests discussed the unfolding incident. Leah was the star of the show. She engaged with some guests amid the compliments. Jet was thoughtful to stay by Leah’s side. He would hand her a drink and even answer questions for her. Approving the relationship, Katie allowed Jet to take care of her daughter. The lights flickered, and the beautiful music captured everybody’s attention. It was time to head to the dance floor. Katie was happy to leave Leah in Jet’s care. Jet, eager
Yet, Jet’s grand entrance at the birthday bash showed where he truly stood. “Jet must be interested in you. He makes a huge gesture of it.” Katie believed Jet was the next-best thing for Leah since there were no other options. She would not be assertive, though. She would approve of the marriage if Jet could win Leah’s heart. It was not as if Jet was not good enough for Leah. Leah believed she could do better, and Jet simply did not give her butterflies. Jet was tall and handsome. He looked like a prince, holding a bouquet of flowers. Leah should be swept off her feet. However, another person came to mind as Jet approached. If only Kaze were there. Leah would be happy to see him again. Her eyes were on Jet, but she wished Kaze would show up and give his blessings to her. Jet drew close to Leah and presented the flowers as the crowd looked on. “Happy birthday, Leah!” “Thank you.” Leah took the bouquet and smiled thankfully at Jet. “You’re too kind. You don’t ha
Jet could feel the attention when he showed up. He would not shy away from the gazes, though. This was what he wanted. However, Jet did not fancy Leah. All he cared about was Katie’s connections. They had not been in touch since their last encounter. Jet had been waiting to hear from Katie. To Jet’s surprise, he heard nothing back. Instead of pushing Katie, Jet sat tight. Jet attended the party to ask about the progress and to make others think that he was pursuing Leah. One of the goals was to reach out to the veterans in the industry to see if they knew who Jet had offended. Surely, there was a motive behind the recent attacks. “What is Jet doing here? He looks good, all dressed up.” The ladies huddled together, drooling over Jet. Jet was the ideal man. He was tall, handsome, and well-connected. Most importantly, he would soon become the leader of the Frosts. The woman who married Jet would soar in social standing. For that reason, many heiresses and social
Kody had been kicking back, hanging out with friends since his return. Even though he did not get a job, he was up-to-date with the latest gossip.Jonathan glanced at Katie, who enjoyed the attention, in confusion. It was the last thing he expected. He was friendly with Katie, assuming that she wanted to marry her daughter off to one of them. It appeared now that Katie did not hold them in high regard. “What’s the point of you? If you were a great catch, you would be picked for her daughter. Don’t you know that Katie is connected to the Viper’s Den?” Jonathan whined. However, he understood that it was not that easy to get close to Katie. “What does this have to do with me? Leah’s not for me anyway. I’m taking myself elsewhere.” Kody walked away. He was not interested in marrying Leah anyway. He would not be at the party if his father had not dragged him along. Nevertheless, his friends were there. Most of them would love to approach Leah. Leah was the birthday girl,
Jonathan, a glass of wine in hand, approached Katie with his son. “Young Kody is a fine man himself,” Katie said courteously. “Oh, he’s the bane of my life. I think daughters are the best,” Jonathan said gleefully, his eyes running down Leah. Leah was stunning when she was put together. Her poise reflected her upbringing in a well-bred family. She would make a perfect daughter-in-law for Jonathan. Jonathan had always wanted to be a family with Katie, but the latter was against it. “The kids are still young. They will understand our pain when they grow up. My girl still has her moments too.” Katie got the hint. However, she refused to engage with Jonathan. “They are around the same age. My son just got back from abroad. He could use some showing around. If Leah isn’t too busy, she can take my son around the city.” Jonathan took his chances. “That’s up to Leah. I won’t stop her if she’s available.” Katie was not saying no or yes. “The young people have their own t
“You’re finally growing up.” Katie was pleased. “Thank you for your guidance, Mom. You need to get one thing straight, though. Don’t force me to do the things that I don’t want to do,” Leah whispered. Marriage was not the path she chose. “Today is just about formalities. You won’t have to commit to anything. We can talk about this later. If you see someone you fancy, you can talk to me.” Katie would not pick a fight with her daughter on an important day like this. She gave Leah some space. At the very least, Katie would not upset Leah right now. Though Leah did not get the answer she was looking for, Katie had backed down a little. Hence, Leah said nothing. As the pair smiled politely from across the room, the crowd grew envious of them. “Even though Katie is a grown adult, she looks young and beautiful for her age.” Jonathan’s breath was taken away. It was no secret that Leah was beautiful, but the mother-and-daughter duo held their own when standing together. Le
Leah was glowing in her princess outfit today. “Thank you, Joey. You’ve worked hard for my birthday party.”Leah was thankful to hear her friends’ well wishes from Joey. “I didn’t do much. Madam Loren is the one doing the heavy lifting.” Joey put in the good word for Katie.“My mother only barks orders. She won’t do things herself,” standing in the elevator, Leah murmured. For that reason, Leah did not have much expectation for her mother. Leah would celebrate her birthday with an intimate party at the villa every year. This year was special and more elaborate. Leah enjoyed putting a look together, but she was no commodity. Most of the attendees were Katie’s business partners or bootlickers. Leah felt like a product up for sale, and she did not even have a say about it. The choice was in the customers’ hands. “Don’t say that. Madam Loren had been keeping an eye on the event planning. Though she wasn’t here, she determined every detail, including the flowers.” Al
Joey did not expect her comment to upset Leah. Leah should not be throwing a tantrum on an important day like this. However, Leah’s mind was elsewhere, to begin with. She merely stayed at the hotel to increase her chances of running into Kaze. Luck was not on her side because Leah did not see Kaze again. Leah felt down, but she was reluctant to leave. Despite feeling annoyed about being pushed around today, Leah could only sit around and wait. Joey’s remark made Leah feel like she was a commodity. Her mood dropped to an all-time low. Leah kept to herself, not keen to carry on with this life. Her life bore no meaning. She was her mother’s mindless puppet. “Why the sudden frown? Not everybody gets to wear such a beautiful gown,” flustered, Joey consoled her. She could not understand Leah’s change of mood. “I’m fine. I just feel uneasy about joining everybody at the event hall.” Leah knew she should not be headstrong, but the words just came out of her mouth. T