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
Nicole remarked, "You ran quite a distance, and I had to wander around searching for you for what felt like ages."Leighton, with a hint of discontent, retorted, "I was just behind your house. Who do you think you're kidding?"Nicole was surprised, "I thought you headed toward the main gate, so I searched for you along the main road. I never imagined you could circle around the back. I ended up walking in the wrong direction and making a full circle before I finally found you."Leighton felt a bit relieved and quipped, "Who would've guessed you'd be this clueless? Why didn't you check the places with seating first?"As for Nicole... She did indeed check places with chairs. Who would've thought he'd end up in the children's area with his long limbs?"Wait, if I hadn't found you, were you planning on spending the whole night there?"Leighton shot her a glare. "If you had made me wait all night, I would've tweeted tomorrow accusing you of cheating with a college student! Trying to f
Nicole inquired, "So, which option are you leaning toward?"Leighton hesitated, weighing his choices.Opting for the first one would entail assisting the company in promoting new talents. While he didn't mind mentoring newcomers, he found the company's various publicity tactics distasteful.Previously, they had gone to great lengths to pair him with an actor two years his junior, arranging for the actor to join the same cast and assigning her the role of an assistant, always at his side. The actor obediently followed the company's instructions, behaving particularly intimately with him on set, fetching drinks or snacks. Even after shooting a rain scene, the actor brought him a towel and a hand warmer.Leighton remained oblivious, sensing nothing awry throughout the filming process.It wasn't until the drama aired, and the ‘relationship’ between him and the new actor began trending, that things became clear. During public events, friends teased, "Are you two an item? Your eye conta
Leighton posted two Facebook updates, directly shattering the fans' faith. He openly rejected the CP (Couple Pairing) on the entire internet, he faced a barrage of disappointed fans calling him a scumbag, while his solo fans fought back fiercely, causing a huge online clash. At this moment, the new actor did something bold—he deleted the Facebook post where he showed off a scarf and posted a new one: "If I stand high enough, does that mean I have the right to stand beside you?" Posting such an ambiguous Facebook at this time led netizens to naturally interpret it as Leighton being afraid to admit his love, fearing it would affect his career, so he dumped the other person and even used his fame to attack him. Half of the CP fans unfollowed, while the other half became solo fans of the new actor, furiously insulting Leighton online. Leighton's solo fans didn't take it lying down; they dug up and posted the actor's history of bullying classmates before his debut. However, becaus
Nicole changed her approach, "Are you avoiding this option because you're afraid your popularity will drop while you're on break?" Leighton nodded, then shook his head, finally saying after a while, "I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't working." Since his debut, he hadn't had much of a break. Suddenly being without work made him feel lost, and he feared his dad might mock him. Nicole suggested, "Go back to school. You're still so young; it's never too late to do anything. If you want to have a long-lasting career in this industry, you need the confidence to stand on stage. No one is born an actor. Most of the best acting teachers in the country are at Rivera Drama Academy. You need to study acting systematically and see firsthand the skills of the older generation of actors. That's something you rarely get to experience outside." Nicole's words cut through the fog in Leighton's mind, making him realize that going back to school was an option. His dream had been to get into R
Leighton grumbled, "Then why did you hit me? Do you have any conscience?" Nicole said, "The cactus is dried up; the spines fall off with a touch. It didn't even prick you, so stop whining." "It still hurts! You poked the sole of my foot, and the skin there is so tender!" Leighton followed her, mumbling, "My foot hurts every time I go up the stairs now." Nicole stopped and turned her head. "Want me to carry you up?" Leighton was taken aback. "What?" Nicole pretended to move toward him as if to carry him. Leighton jumped away in a hurry. "What are you doing?" Nicole clicked her tongue, "See, you can still run and jump." Leighton was speechless once more. His expression shifted several times before he finally yelled, "Cunning!" Nicole's head injury was still hurting, and she didn't want to tease him anymore. She went upstairs, opened a guest room for him, laid out a new blanket, and said with a yawn, "You'll have to make do here for tonight. I'll arrange for someon
One had to admit, his figure was incredibly photogenic; no wonder his fans were so devoted. As Nicole thought this, she unfolded the blanket to cover Leighton. When she pulled it over his shoulder, Leighton suddenly opened his eyes.He looked at Nicole in confusion, then abruptly woke up and instinctively pushed her away, angrily saying, "Why are you scaring people in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"Leighton clumsily grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself, irritated by Nicole's lack of boundaries. After a moment of silence from her, he looked up to see Nicole lying unconscious on the floor, her face pale. His expression changed.Keegan Kane received Leighton's call in the middle of the night.He carefully moved Stella Hall's hand off his chest, tucked her in, and quietly left the bed with his phone.By the time they had settled Nicole into Rotona Pinnacle Hospital, it was already past five in the morning.She had fallen ill from a combination of her injur