"Young Master, something bad has happened." A Maid reported to Samuel, who was having breakfast with Maya. "Get straight to the point!" Samuel ordered. "Little Master refuses to open the door, but I can hear him crying and groaning in pain." "Is that all you're reporting? Quickly get me the spare key. I need to see the condition of my son." Samuel showed a worried expression on his usually impassive face. The head butler promptly handed him the spare key. Samuel was about to leave, but he turned, looked at Maya, and approached, pulling her along. "Samuel, why are you pulling me?" "You should come too. You must be worried about his condition, right?" "No—" "You're definitely more worried than I am!" Samuel emphasized. Maya didn't respond anymore. This man would only listen to what he wanted to hear. "You also have a schedule with Stelio today, right? If he's seriously ill, I'll reschedule the appointment." They were already in front of the door. Samuel quickly opened it. "Ste
"You?" Maya was surprised to see who was in front of her."Hello, Maya Lin. Oh, is this Stelio Ren? He looks so much like you. Just as I saw in the video," the woman said."Fallin Ma, what are you doing here? Is it because we canceled abruptly?" Maya said with a regretful expression."It's okay; health is more important. I just wanted to meet both of you. How is it now? Does Stelio still need more rest? If so, I might postpone until next month," Fallin said.Stelio noticed the disappointment in Maya's face, making him feel guilty. "I'm fine. It's just a minor issue; Designer Fallin Ma doesn't need to worry."Fallin Ma stared at Stelio for a while. Stelio felt puzzled. "Madam Designer, is there something wrong?""It's nothing. I'll adjust the schedule. How about tomorrow? Maya Lin, do you agree?"Maya looked at her manager with a questioning expression. "Yes, you don't have any schedule tomorrow."Fallin nodded. "Good, I have another appointment. Next time, I'll invite you both to dinne
"I discussed this with your husband, but he asked me to talk to you again. Were you willing to consider my offer? I really hoped both you and Stelio could do it."Maya fell silent and glanced at the thick paper handed by Fallin Ma. She hadn't wanted to get too involved. "I thought about it. Are you in a hurry?""No, I waited for you. You took this first. You read the original; I'm sure you did it better than anyone."Maya could only take it."If you decided, you contacted me! Here's my business number. I looked forward to it; I hoped you wouldn't take too long to think about it."***"Mama, what was a script? Did we play another drama?" Stelio asked as they sat in the car."Just focus on one drama for now. I didn't take it," Maya replied."Why? Isn't it good to play more dramas? We got to spend more time together," Stelio said hopefully."What about your school? Will you be the kid who failed school because of this?" Maya stated firmly."Mama, I'm smart. I covered study material even
"Stelio, why would you do this? Do you want to be some kind of hero?" Maya exclaimed angrily upon learning about the trouble caused by Stelio. "You even got hurt like this.""Mama, calm down. My injuries aren't serious, and my handsome face isn't even scratched."Maya sighed. "Are you worried about your face at a time like this?""Of course, isn't an actor's face the most important? I saw an actor say this in a drama. At least I can still continue shooting."Maya took the first aid kit brought by a servant and began applying antiseptic to Stelio's wounds. "Stelio, aren't you worried about getting expelled?""Why should I be the one getting expelled? He's the one who deserves it. I just fought back because he insulted me first. He bragged about his mom and explained to you how his workers cry in front of the camera. I won't allow him to mock you like that!" Stelio vented his anger, then quickly realized his actions. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at Mama.""Stelio Ren, ne
"Impossible. Why should I do that?" Samuel refused when Maya told him what needed to be done."Fine. Let it all go like this. Besides, there's no harm in it, right?" Maya said nonchalantly.There was silence on the phone for a few minutes. "Samuel, you're not sleeping—""I'll do it, but you have to keep your promise to be kind to Stelio.""Don't worry, I'm not someone who always has a reason to break promises," Maya sarcastically remarked to Samuel."Really? Haven't you violated many contract agreements so far?""Samuel, do you want to make peace with me, or do you want to make me upset again?" Maya growled. "Hurry up, do what I told you earlier.""Maya Lin, I apologize, and I won't belittle you again or blame you for what happened in the past," Samuel said flatly."You're not sincere. Repeat it quickly!" Maya felt the pleasant feeling of subduing this man."I said it as sincerely as possible.""Then, let's forget it," Maya said casually."Hey, I'll do it." Samuel began to repeat his
Mike's phone rang at that moment. "Hello, I'll be there soon." He immediately turned off his phone."I have to leave now. Director Wang is looking for me."Manager Chen wanted to keep Mike from going so quickly. "Wait, do you think you can just run away like that? Leave your phone, and then you can go.""Maya Lin's manager, do you think I can leave my phone with a stranger? I'm a famous actor; you might steal private information from my phone and misuse it since I won't be watching.""I won't—""Everyone with malicious intent will never admit it. Just don't hinder me. If you delay me too long, the shooting schedule will be further delayed. Maya, I'll go first." Mike left the room as if nothing happened."That cunning man!" Manager Chen exclaimed in frustration. "Maya, didn't I ask you not to get involved with him? Why are you still doing it?""He just showed up suddenly. Manager Chen, calm down; I didn't do anything bad that could be misunderstood. He did ask me to hug him, but I didn
"No. I will never come back to you again! Our relationship ended years ago. Leave us! We are content with our life now without you!" Anger and sadness were evident on her face."You feel satisfied without me? Really? I'm sure that kid also wants his father's love. Don't deceive your feelings. I know you still love me," the man insisted."You're too confident. Just because I loved you in the past, you assume I still have the same feelings. I will never love a man like you again!" Yaya said firmly, then reached for the door handle of her car.Her ex-husband grabbed her hand, causing her to fall onto his chest. "Is that so? Let's see then, how long you'll keep denying." He immediately kissed her, and they shared emotions in that kiss.***Samuel stood behind Director Wang, watching his wife and another man in a scene. His face hardened, one hand clenched."Stop it immediately!" Samuel warned with a threatening tone.Director Wang finally called Cut to stop the scene. Samuel immediately p
Samuel stepped forward and then kissed Maya in the same way Mike did to her. This time, Maya allowed it and responded to his kiss."Then the second you have to..." Samuel said after breaking the kiss."Second? You said only one, right?" Maya protested."I make the rules, so it's up to me. You also have to fulfill this! I want you to involve Stelio in every drama you play.""Samuel, do you think every drama needs child actors? I know you're doing this so that your son can overshadow me, right?"Maya had successfully negotiated her way out before. Now, does she have to get trapped again? Of course, she didn't want to."Why are you so bothered? Is it because you still want to play many dramas with romantic scenes with young actors and forget your status as a mother?""I never thought like that. You're the one being excessive.""So, you don't want to do it even though it's a condition I gave you?"Maya sighed. She was once again in a difficult situation. After a long silence, thinking abo
"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