"Why was soone this handso," people wondered aloud, "and this talented, hidden for so long?"
Fan clubs ford overnight.
Across the internet, Theodore was celebrated as one of the hardest-working actors of his generation, a national heartthrob born from perseverance rather than hype.
At first, Theodore couldn’t believe it. He rubbed his eyes again and again, his fingertips warm against tired lids.
’This has to be a dream,’ he thought. But no matter how many tis he refreshed the page, the numbers didn’t change.
Finally, he let out a soft murmur, almost helpless.
"Aurora... you’ve really done too much this ti."
anwhile, Aurora herself was taken aback by the sudden reversal.
’This wasn’t all ,’ she admitted inwardly.
She had only released the evidence.
What truly moved her was the work of soone nad Jacqueline, who had patiently shared Theodore’s seven-year struggle, stitching together his journey piece by piece.
What touched Aurora the most was the speed of it all.
Within a day or two, nearly every social dia platform transford into sothing resembling Theodore’s personal fan club.
His follower count jumped from a re thousand to a staggering 5 million, and it was closing toward 7 million. If her estimation was correct, then it would continue to rise and stop only at 20 million.
An overnight sensation.
Even Theodore stared at his phone in disbelief.
Invitations flooded in... talk shows, reality programs, interviews. There were offers he had never dared to dream of, let alone reach.
The once-unknown company behind him surged into the public eye.
Even Aurora was stunned when she reviewed the sudden growth.
She had thought she would support her brother quietly from behind the scenes.
Now, it looked as though Theodore would be the one carrying the company forward.
Fa, however, ca with a price.
Theodore could no longer step outside freely.
His face had to be covered, hats and masks becoming second nature.
Even his family felt the pressure.
Paparazzi crowded their residential area, lenses flashing, voices shouting.
So chased their cars through city streets, hungry for a single clear shot.
Aurora alone moved through it all with ease, disguising herself effortlessly and keeping the paparazzi at arm’s length.
Soon, it reached a point where every morning, people lined up outside her door.
"Do my makeup too," they pleaded. "You’re the only one who can help us get out unnoticed."
anwhile, far away from the celebration, Nick and Jerry sat seething.
The results on the screen made their blood boil.
Fury twisted their expressions until they nearly wanted to slam their heads against the wall.
The dream they had nurtured with such passion... the future they believed was within reach... had co true.
Just not for them.
Instead, it had helped soone else fulfill his.
Nick looked at Jerry, the low hum of the air conditioner filling the tense silence, and broke it with a rough voice.
"Is there any real dirt on Theodore?"
Jerry shook his head slowly. The faint sll of stale coffee lingered between them, heavy and unpleasant.
Nick frowned, a crease forming between his brows.
"What a strange thing this is," he muttered, fingers tapping against his thigh.
"Every actor has done sothing wrong at so point in their life, so how does Theodore look so... clean? Like there’s nothing on him at all."
Hearing that, Jerry’s jaw tightened.
His fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned pale.
"Actually, there was a ti when I had dirt on almost everyone," he said, his voice low and sharp.
"I did it by secretly luring girls toward newly rising actors, hidden actors, and the ones still outside the public eye. I recorded everything. I kept it safe, waiting for the day they beca famous."
The room felt colder as he continued.
"Once they rose, I would take that dirt out and threaten them. I’d force them to work with so I could share their fa. And if they refused, I used what I had already recorded against them."
Jerry let out a bitter laugh.
"Who would have thought that Theodore would be the only actor who didn’t leave with anything to use?"
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as another thought surfaced. "What about approaching that girl?"
Nick turned toward him, confusion clear on his face. "That girl?"
Jerry frowned at his brother’s expression. "The one who kept chasing Theodore," he clarified.
"Maybe we could squeeze so secret information out of her. Use it to take revenge on Theodore and completely ruin him."
Nick shook his head almost imdiately, his lips pressing into a thin line.
"From my perspective, that girl looks..." He paused, searching for the right words.
"More like an eavesdropper than soone useful. Using her feels rushed and sloppy. It would be better to think of another thod."
He leaned back, eyes darkening.
"Maybe sothing involving his entire family. If Theodore sees his whole family suffering because of his career, he might give up. And once he gives it up, he could beco resentful... "
Jerry cut him off sharply. "Honestly, I don’t think that would work."
Nick stared at him, clearly puzzled. Jerry sighed, rubbing his temple.
"I’m not belittling your plan," he added. "If it were anyone else in Theodore’s place, things might have gone very differently. By now, most actors would’ve been completely broken by repeated scandals and failure."
He looked up, eyes serious. "But Theodore is different. His whole family is different."
Nick studied him in silence.
"One thing I’ve noticed," Jerry continued, his voice softer now, "is that this family is extrely united. They’re ready to sacrifice anything for each other. Just like Theodore. Even though it looks like he doesn’t do much, every bit of money he’s earned from his acting gigs so far has gone into buying gifts for his family."
Jerry shook his head slowly.
"He wouldn’t beco resentful. There was a mont during one of his auditions when he said that even if he had to give up on his dream and return to an ordinary life, he’d do it without regret. He’d take up a regular job, beco an office worker, and move on."
A faint, almost ironic smile crossed Jerry’s face.
"He believes he already lived his dream during his youth, during his peak years. Even if he never makes a na for himself, he’d still think, ’At least I chased it.’"
Nick clenched his fist, irritation boiling in his chest.
"What a fool. How can he think so optimistically?" he snapped.
"Shouldn’t he feel miserable? After giving everything to his dream and still getting nothing?"
Jerry fell silent for a mont.
’In fact... I understand him,’ he thought.
By doing nothing, you’re destined to have nothing. By doing sothing, at least you gain sothing in return.
Even if the result is failure, your heart knows you tried.
Finally, he spoke again.
"If you end up with nothing after trying, at least you gave yourself closure. And if you make sothing out of it, you’ll cherish it for life. That’s why I understand Theodore. He’s been chasing his dream with his whole heart for ten years."
Jerry exhaled slowly.
"Who would’ve thought that just when he was about to give up, he’d suddenly be hired by an unknown yet powerful company? And then, because of one scandal, he could even beco a rising star. To outsiders, his success looks overnight."
He shook his head.
"But it isn’t. It’s the result of everything he’s done every single day while others chose to quit."
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Nick.
"I really wanted the IP, but now it seems I won’t be able to get the IP of those novels."
Nick kicked lightly at the floor, a mocking smile on his face. "Lucas must be feeling very smug, having a celebrity brother."
Jerry opened his mouth to reply, but his phone rang sharply, cutting through the room.
He glanced at the screen and froze. His expression drained of color as he scrolled.
A cold sweat broke out on his back. He stood up abruptly. "I need to leave."
Nick blinked, startled by the sudden shift. "What happened? Why do you look so shocked?"
Jerry clenched his fists again, his nails biting into his palms. "Soone leaked confidential details about the studio."
Nick’s eyes widened, suspicion flashing across his face.
"It must be Maya. She must’ve realized sothing and acted first."
Jerry shook his head slowly. "No. It wouldn’t be her," he said quietly. "At least... she loves ."
Nick only managed a bitter smile once everything had settled, the taste of tal lingering at the back of his throat.
In that silence, sothing clicked in his mind with chilling clarity.
’If Maya truly was Laurie,’ he realized, ’then Laurie doesn’t love anyone at all.’
She loved only herself, obsessively, to the point where she would willingly sacrifice every single person around her.
To her, love was nothing more than a string, sothing she could wrap around others’ hearts and pull, turning them into puppets dancing under her fingers.
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