Leighton fell silent."Can’t think of anyone?" Stella asked."It’s not that," Leighton coughed. "There are too many."Stella was rendered speechless.Previously, Leighton had clashed with a somewhat influential host on a variety show. Although the host was being offensive and Leighton’s retort was praised by netizens, he was still new to the industry. The host, with his connections, caused Leighton to lose some job opportunities and subjected him to plenty of difficulties.Leighton's rebellious and righteous nature made him intolerant of some people’s vile behavior, leading to many conflicts in the entertainment industry over the years. It wasn’t impossible that someone might want to take this opportunity to drag him down.The entertainment industry was already a place with too many people competing for too few resources. The top artists monopolize over ninety percent of the resources. Taking him down could free up opportunities to benefit dozens of other artists.After listenin
Nicole was annoyed. "What does a little brat like you know about aesthetics? If I'm not good-looking, then who is?"Leighton replied, "Stella."Nicole was stumped. Well... she couldn't really compete with that. Stella was indeed stunning. Nicole had seen many beautiful women, and Stella could easily be in the top three. She was the type who looked great on camera but even better in person. Many beauties looked good on screen but appeared too thin in reality, losing some of their charm. Stella, with her soft and elegant features, was a pleasure to look at. Nicole had to admit defeat, but seeing Leighton's "aren't you convinced?" expression made her itch with irritation."No matter how beautiful your cousin is, I’m your girlfriend. If someone asks you who’s good-looking, you should say I am."Leighton glanced at her. "I'm just dating, not blind.""That response makes it obvious you’ve never been in love. Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘love makes everything beautiful’?"Leighton p
Leighton suddenly remembered what the woman who caused a scene at the previous press conference had said. That woman claimed Nicole was “seducing her own brother.”Was she talking about this guy?Nicole seemed to read his mind and laughed. "I don’t like him, and I never will. He’s not good enough for me."Leighton’s eyelid twitched. He muttered, “Thick-skinned.”He was used to hearing people say they weren’t good enough for someone else. This was the first time he’d heard someone boldly declare that the other person wasn’t good enough for them. How could Estelle call him narcissistic? This crazy girl was way more self-absorbed than he was!Before long, they arrived at Nicole’s place, only to find a crowd already gathered, waiting to corner her.Estelle didn’t even stop the car, simply detouring around the crowd.Leighton frowned. “How did your address get exposed?”“No idea.” Nicole was puzzled too. When she and Leighton had gone public with their relationship, the reporters ha
Leighton exclaimed, "Monster!"Nicole echoed, "Monster!"For once, they were in complete agreement about something.Estelle was thirty-four, while his girlfriend was twenty-one. Saying that he was robbing the cradle was an understatement.Estelle's face turned red with embarrassment as he explained through gritted teeth, "When we were playing games, she told me she was twenty-seven. She didn’t show me any pictures, and I thought, who lies about being older?" It turned out, some people did.Leighton scoffed, "And after meeting her and knowing her real age, you didn’t cut ties?"Estelle glared at him. "I did! I even deleted her from my WhatsApp!"Nicole was curious. "So how did you reconnect?"Estelle’s voice lowered, "I stayed off the game for a while, but one day I logged back in, and she immediately reached out, crying and asking why I blocked her. I told her she was too young, like my sister, and if she wanted, she could see me as a brother."She agreed, but then a few day
Leighton was speechless.After ten minutes, the car finally came to a stop.The house was a villa, but the entire villa area had been abandoned previously. The developer went bankrupt, and the assets were liquidated. A few years ago, a new developer took over and completed the final touches, finally making it available for use. However, this place was quite remote, and being close to the crematorium, property prices had sharply declined. There were listings everywhere online, offering low prices. Those purchasing villas here were generally not short of money. Due to the unfavorable location of this house, not many people chose to live here.The house was far from the city center, and with the overcast sky, darkness had already descended by the time they arrived. There were scarcely any lights on the road. Leighton glanced out the window, observing the willows casting eerie shadows under the dim streetlights. The more he stared, the more unsettled he felt. Quickly averting his gaze,
Leighton was still trying to wrap his head around how he could have kicked a ghost when the lights flickered on, revealing what lay on the ground. It wasn't some ghastly hanged specter; it was unmistakably a man.His kick had been forceful; the man lay there clutching his stomach, unable to get up right away. Upon seeing the light, he didn't bother lifting his head, but clenched his teeth and said coldly, "Nicole, you've really outdone yourself this time!"Leighton was speechless.What was this thing? Why did it speak so disgustingly? It was even more repulsive than the lines he delivered as a boss character.Nicole furrowed her brow. "What are you doing here?""How did I end up here? Who else has the power to make me come to this dump—" The man paused, then glanced toward the foyer. When his eyes met Leighton's, his voice abruptly trailed off, and he frowned. "You brought someone else?"Nicole replied calmly, "He's not someone else; he's my boyfriend." Then she introduced Leight
Kaden visibly bristled at Leighton's words, taking a full two seconds to compose himself before responding, his face contorted with anger. "Who do you think you are? What do you know about her and me?"Leighton silently mused, "I couldn't care less about their dynamic, but if a woman who can handle me is getting bullied by someone else, how embarrassing would that be if it got out? I need to assert myself in front of this domineering guy so she knows I've got her back—it's not that I can't hold my own against her, but I'm cutting her some slack because she's a woman."Leighton impatiently retorted, "You talk too much! Wrap it up and get lost already. A non-blood-related big brother hanging around his stepsister's place in the dead of night— even if she's okay with it, I’m not!"Since Leighton joined the conversation, Nicole remained silent. She stood there, observing Leighton with a peculiar expression, and even at the last sentence, a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes, tinged
She had nearly completed a loop around the entire villa area when she finally spotted Leighton, sitting all alone in the children's play area, his gaze fixed on the rocking horse that had been the center of kids' attention.With hardly any children in the neighborhood, the play area stood deserted, devoid of any activity.Leighton's long legs made him appear rather awkward sitting there. Half of his face was obscured by shadows, lending him a desolate air, like a forsaken puppy, pitiful and alone.Having discarded his outerwear, he sported only a thin white short-sleeved T-shirt. As the night's chill set in, Nicole felt a shiver despite her coat, imagining how uncomfortable Leighton must be in just a T-shirt.He rubbed his arms, seemingly annoyed, and kicked away pebbles at his feet.Sensing a presence at his shoulder, Leighton jolted for a moment, then glanced up to find Nicole standing beside him with a warm smile, whispering, "Let's go inside; it's getting cold out here."Sudd