"I want--""Papa, the doctor's here!" Stelio suddenly entered.Samuel whispered something to Maya. "Get your task done first. We'll discuss compensation later. If you can't do it well, you'll face the consequences!"The doctor observes their intimate conversation."Sorry, did I arrive at an inconvenient time? You can continue being affectionate. I'll wait."Samuel distanced himself from Maya, his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay; you can check her leg. Please be gentle; I don't want my dear wife in pain."The female doctor quickly approached and started examining her leg. "Does this hurt?""A little.""Could you bring me some ice, Mr. Ren?" The doctor asked Samuel."Let me do it." Stelio offered. He knew his father wouldn't want to be ordered around."Stelio, you can sit next to your mom. I'll handle it," Samuel said, moving from his seat."Mr. Ren is very attentive to you, Ma'am. I've never seen him do all this for a woman, not even accompanying a woman during treatment. How did you m
"Samuel, what do you want from me?" Maya Lin trembled as she looked at the man, his hand gripping hers, his gaze intense."Maya, if you let me hug you, I'll help you pass the audition and get that role.""You said Director Wang doesn't accept the back door approach," Maya stared at him, disbelief in her eyes."I have my own ways. So, are you letting me?""No. It's your job to help me. You're going to be my agent, right?" Maya Lin firmly refused."Don't use that as a reason to refuse. If I'm just acting as a manager, I might as well send one of my artists who's guaranteed to be accepted by Director Wang." Samuel looked at her with a condescending gaze. "Maya Lin, do you know how many women throw themselves at me for more help? I just want to hug you, nothing more.""Don't lump me in with those people. Why should I sell myself just to be considered by someone else? You want to hug me to channel your longing for Mathilda, don't you? Why don't you go to her grave and hug—"Samuel gripped
"No. I disagree. I just want my wife." Samuel rejected the CEO's suggestion."Mr. Samuel, think about it again. If you invest in this company, I'll provide excellent resources for Maya Lin. It's also beneficial for you. We have our up-and-coming actors and actresses. They show more promise than just bringing Maya Lin, who might not be as profitable."Samuel stared sharply at the CEO. "Are you mocking my wife? Do you think my wife is worse than your other artists?""Mr. Samuel Ren, even though she's your wife, you should assess objectively. Have you not considered the public's reaction if Maya Lin moves to Jinyue Production?" The CEO fearlessly expressed his low opinion of Maya Lin."Of course, my wife is the most deserving. Didn't she receive awards? Her name is even on the rise compared to your favorite artists." Samuel, now, returned the CEO's gaze with a condescending look. "My wife doesn't fit in your company, providing poor resources that don't match Maya. Do you think I would in
"CEO Ren, what's going on?" Jung, the assistant, asked hesitantly, dropping a stack of documents on the desk.After returning from the capital, Samuel was even colder and harsher than usual. The room's temperature had dropped to discomfort for anyone who entered. Even other employees were afraid to report directly to him and preferred to go through Assistant Jung.Samuel stared sharply at his assistant. "Don't ask questions. Just handle your work.""I also want to focus on my work, but because of your bad mood, my workload has increased, as people are afraid to meet you, and--""Are you blaming me?" Samuel grew even colder."N-no. I'll get back to my other tasks." Assistant Jung became fearful. Speaking out of turn could lead to severe repercussions from his boss.Assistant Jung wondered who had upset Samuel Ren to make his boss act this way, but it was better not to ask. He left his boss's office.Samuel sighed as he looked at the pile of documents he had to review, his expression wo
"Maya, it's a risk you must take, but don't worry, I'll only act on things that bother me. But isn't it fair for what you get in return?" Samuel said with arrogance. "I also won't push you to work too hard like your other maids do.""Samuel, your actions are actually excessive. My agents have never limited the scenes or dramas I choose," Maya protested."That's because they only want to profit and see you as a worker. I'm different from them, and Maya, bad scenes will also tarnish your image," Samuel argued. He was determined to force Maya to agree with his thinking."Samuel, do you know how many married artists take roles like this? Their reputation doesn't suffer. Besides, this isn't excessive.""Maya, are you still insisting on taking this role?" Samuel grew increasingly frustrated."Yes, I've already said I won't give up until the end. No matter how you try to stand in my way to get this.""So stubborn. Alright, you can do what you want, but remember that you'll pay for it with th
"Maya Lin, why are you so slow to scream?" the person said."Get out right now!" Maya yelled.The person approached and covered Maya's body with a bathrobe. "You might catch a cold like this."Maya's body was suddenly lifted. "Samuel, why do you enjoy doing this? I didn't know you had such a bad habit.""Maya, you invited me in yourself! I'm not in the wrong, am I?" Samuel placed Maya on the bed."I didn't invite you. I called the maid. Oh, where is the maid now? Did they leave their duties just like that, or did you dismiss them?" Maya looked at Samuel suspiciously."Yes, I did dismiss them," Samuel said without a hint of regret."Why? The maid was young and doing their job well. Why did you get rid of them?""Because they wanted to keep me away from you.""What? What do you mean?" Maya needed help understanding Samuel Ren's thought process. "Are you even jealous of a woman? I really can't fathom your thinking.""You don't have to understand it. One thing you should know is that I on
"Samuel, why did you do this to me? Did I agree to it? You didn't even inform me beforehand." Maya stormed into Samuel's office, knowing he'd be there on the weekend."Why did you walk in here? Is your leg better?" Samuel asked."Samuel, don't change the subject," Maya glared at him."Maya, you're officially my artist now. It's not wrong to officially announce that you'll be with our agency. Your old company has even officially stated that you're no longer their artist. So, what's wrong with that?" Samuel explained calmly, thinking it was not a big deal.Maya snorted in annoyance. "Of course, it's not a big deal to you, Samuel, but you didn't even provide me with a contract copy. Is that what you consider official?"Samuel paused and sighed. "Maya, didn't you say that—"Maya cut off Samuel's words. "Stop with those nauseating excuses, Samuel. Our contract still isn't official. I'll consider other agencies.""Is any agency willing to offer you tens of millions of dollars to break free
Stelio stood by the partially open door of Samuel's office. He heard his mother's sorrowful voice, which compelled him to approach. He was astonished by what he saw his mother doing."Papa, why are you making things difficult for Mama like this? Just let her do what she wants," Stelio tried to persuade Samuel. He shifted his gaze toward Maya. "Mama, please get up. Isn't your leg still hurting?""Leave it be," Maya said. "This might make Samuel Ren satisfied.""Maya, stop it! Even if you kiss my shoe, my answer won't change," Samuel said coldly.Stelio felt sad. Right now, Maya's expression looked like she was about to cry. "I have to help Mama, but convincing Papa isn't easy," Stelio thought. The young boy brainstormed and followed what Maya was doing. "Papa, I'll kneel with Mama until you grant her request."Samuel was taken aback by his son's action. "Stelio, why are you doing this? You don't even understand the real issue.""I might not understand what's really happening, but I can'
"Do you know where Maya Lin is?" Samuel asked upon receiving a call from Manager Chen about Maya's sudden departure."No, Young Master, I think something has happened. Especially since that number is not registered. It's my fault; I should have blocked it.""Do you remember the number?" Samuel persisted, staying calm."Yes, the number..." Manager Chen mentioned the number. Samuel's face began to harden."Assistant Jung, have someone trace the location of this number. I'm sure that person is behind all this. Ask them to do it quickly," Samuel instructed his assistant.Assistant Jung began contacting someone. "Young Master, we have found its location!""Let's go there right away!" Samuel said.Assistant Jung informed the driver of the address they were heading to. "Drive fast. We need to get there quickly," Samuel ordered coldly.***Maya stared at the small bottle. She was sure it contained poison."Mama, don't drink! I beg you!" Stelio tried to rebel, but he was too small to break free
"Maya, if something important happens, I will request permission for someone to replace you," Manager Chen said, sensing Maya's anxiety.Maya shook her head. "It's okay, it's not something important."Maya was confident that without her interference, Samuel would find Stelio. As usual, she handed her phone to Manager Chen, letting him keep it during her shoot.Maya tried to remain cheerful during the shoot and socialize with other reality show members, but her mood was off. Many thoughts raced through her mind. "Has Samuel found him? How is the child? What made him leave suddenly?""We'll take a short break, be ready for the next session."Maya immediately went to her manager. She was informed, "Maya, there's a call from an unknown number. He's been calling repeatedly.""Let me check it!"With the phone in her hand, Maya received a call from the intended person."Maya, I'm leaving for a moment!" Manager Chen said, leaving Maya.Maya nodded, bracing herself to answer it. "Hello.""Oh,
Stelio's mouth dropped open wide as he read the name on the tombstone. Marion Lin Ren. "This person has a middle name that's Mama's surname and also Ren. Could there be a connection to the Ren family?"Things were becoming clearer for Stelio, especially after Maya's statement earlier. However, a part of him found it hard to believe. Numerous questions filled Stelio's mind.The small man looked at a photo of a baby repeatedly touched by Maya. Unconsciously, he felt a twinge of envy. Stelio turned around, his mind filled with complexity and headed home.Someone suddenly tapped his shoulder. Stelio's body jerked in surprise. He turned hesitantly, fearing it might be Mama."Little Master Stelio, it's time to go home," Stelio felt relieved as the chauffeur approached.***"Papa, do you have another child?" Stelio couldn't bear not to know. Samuel, focused on typing something shifted his gaze to Stelio. "No. Don't you know you're my only son?""Is Papa sure there's no other child with the l
"Why can't I open it? Did Samuel take the child home?" Maya said. This morning, she mustered the courage to meet Stelio after the heated argument."Excuse me, Madam. Is there anything I can help you with?" A neatly uniformed hotel employee approached Maya."Do you know the guest staying in this room?""The guest in this room checked out last night. Is there anything else?" the woman asked politely."No." Maya felt a bit relieved. Stelio must be getting better care in S city now.***A few days later, Maya had resolved her drama. She decided to return to S city. "Manager Chen, is there any schedule after this?""No. Even the schedules for this month, including both advertisements and dramas, have all been canceled," Manager Chen replied."What? Why suddenly? Isn't my popularity rising now? Has the company not assigned any projects to me?""No. I also don't know what happened. Maya, did you perhaps offend CEO Ren?"Maya didn't answer. Manager Chen quickly interpreted her silence. "Didn't
Stelio faced numerous negative comments, and even haters began resorting to cruel actions like throwing rotten eggs at him when he met fans. Maya couldn't stop it in time. She could see Stelio's displeasure, but a professional smile remained on his lips as fans expressed concern. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need to clean up."However, it wasn't as simple as that because Stelio's skin turned red. It seemed the eggs were laced with something causing skin irritation. Luckily, Stelio had completed his part. Maya couldn't bear to see this anymore."Stelio, you better quit after this!" Maya said sternly when they were in the room."No, Mama, I--""I can't take it anymore. You're always getting into trouble, and now your image is tarnished in the public eye. Plus, you have a lot of anti-fans; this will only reflect badly on me!""Mama, don't worry about it. Papa can handle all the internet news and annoying people--"Maya frustratedly cut Stelio off. "Enough! I don't want to hear it. How
Maya initially ran the shoot smoothly, but in a few days, everything changed. When the child suddenly arrived."Director, what's this? Why did the plot in the script change so drastically? Moreover, you've added a child character?" Maya protested about what was happening. She intentionally spoke privately with the Director."Maya, this isn't a drastic change. The writer just added it. Some scenes support it. Besides, we can capitalize on your popularity for this drama when it airs."Maya still suspected something. "Director, did my husband meet you and provide a significant investment with the condition that the story is altered to include a child?""Nothing like that happened. I chose to include it myself. Maya Lin, you don't need to worry about this. Just focus on acting. It should be easy for you to interact since he's your son, right? Don't complain too much; just do what's been determined."Maya left feeling disappointed. She was very sure that Samuel was behind all of this."Mam
Samuel gave flowers to Maya and Stelio. "Congratulations on completing this drama shoot!""Thank you, Papa." Stelio smiled happily.The crew and actors involved began celebrating with group photos."As a celebration, I'll treat all of you to a restaurant," Samuel announced, a statement that both actors and crew eagerly anticipated. "Come on, let's head to the restaurant I've booked right away."Everyone started getting ready. Samuel stopped Stelio, who was about to follow Maya and Manager Chen. "Stelio, you'll be in my car. There's something I want to talk to you about."Stelio looked at Samuel with confusion but still got into the car. During the journey, Samuel immediately posed a question."Are you close to Mike? What kind of relationship do you two have?" Samuel asked."Papa, didn't you want me to separate them? I don't have any relationship with him other than this," Stelio calmly replied."Are you sure that's all? Mike hasn't done anything wrong to you, right?"Stelio hesitated
"Stop looking for excuses. I know you're just talking nonsense to leave this place," Samuel said, not intending to let go of Maya."Samuel, can't you use your eyes properly? It's so obvious, but you didn't see it. Come on, we need to go to the eye doctor!" Maya said irritably.Stelio observed his parents arguing. He then shifted his gaze towards the door, his brow furrowed as if contemplating something.***Days passed, and Stelio's body slowly began to recover. He insisted on resuming shooting. Samuel was still concerned about his condition. "Are you sure you're feeling better?""Yes.""Alright. If that's what you want. Stelio, starting tomorrow, you'll have a guard to watch over you," Samuel informed his son.Stelio disagreed with Samuel's decision. "Why do I need a guard? Wouldn't it be safer if I'm with Mama? Dad, those guards could be one of the bad people like what happened at the party.""This time, I've chosen more carefully. Being with Maya is not too safe; look at yourself n
"Did Boss instruct you to do this? If anything happens to him, you'll know what we can do. Be aware, never touch the child recklessly," the person on the phone warned.The call ended, leaving Mike feeling anxious. Now, he had to ensure the child was okay to save himself. Mike immediately contacted someone he trusted to handle the situation.***"What the kid ate, I also had the same menu. If something's wrong, I would have experienced it too," Maya insisted."No, that's not necessarily true. Maya, you've always been careless about these things. Someone must have tampered with Stelio's food to harm him. Who's the lunatic daring enough to hurt a child?" Samuel felt frustrated."What about his condition now?""Lucky that the doctors could handle it, but Stelio hasn't woken up yet.""Samuel, you better reconsider your decision. Now you know the outside world is too harsh for a child. It's better for him to focus on school and play rather than pursuing a career as an artist like this!""I