Morning arrived, and with it, an unexpected scene that threw the household into chaos.
Sophia was the first to notice. Her scream pierced the early morning quiet.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh! Is that Robin Smith? Why is he in our house?" Her voice trembled with both shock and disbelief.
Standing in nothing but a thin pair of white underwear, Sophia frantically searched for sothing to cover herself.
The flustered blush on her cheeks betrayed her embarrassnt, yet her wide eyes remained fixed on the impossibly handso man seated casually at the dining table.
There he was, Robin Smith, a household na and heartthrob to millions, calmly enjoying breakfast alongside Ross and Althea Quinn.
The trio seed at ease, their laughter and conversation blending seamlessly with the clinking of silverware. It was as if Robin’s presence in their ho were the most natural thing in the world.
Jasmine strolled into the room next, far less perturbed than Sophia. Dressed in her skimpy pajamas, she leaned casually against the doorfra and smirked.
"Of course that’s Robin. Who else would it be? Duh. He’s Althea’s boyfriend, rember?" Jasmine’s tone was dripping with mockery, but then her expression turned contemplative.
"Although... sothing felt off last night. I swear I caught a vibe between Ross and Althea. Like, maybe there’s more going on there than ets the eye."
Sophia’s mouth fell open. "Are you saying Althea’s dating both of them?"
"Don’t be so dramatic," Jasmine shot back, rolling her eyes. "I’m just saying there’s... tension."
Before Sophia could press further, Mary entered the room, still damp from her morning shower, her body wrapped in nothing but a towel. Explore more stories with empire
Her eyes flicked to the dining table where Ross, Robin, and Althea sat, laughing and chatting like old friends.
"If Ross is involved, then whatever’s going on between Althea and Robin is probably fake," Mary declared with confidence.
"What Ross wants, Ross gets. Look at them—they don’t exactly look like people with unresolved drama, do they?"
Her words hung in the air as the won turned to observe the trio. Ross, effortlessly commanding as always, leaned back in his chair, a sly smile on his face.
Althea appeared radiant, her soft laughter carrying across the room. Her eyes were fixed on Ross, as if he were the most delicious al on the table.
Robin, anwhile, seed perfectly at ease, as though he belonged there.
The tension broke when April burst into the room, holding several posters of Althea and Robin from her collection.
"Oh my god, we have celebrities in the house! There’s no way I’m letting this chance go to waste!" she squealed, her excitent contagious.
"Good idea!" Jasmine exclaid, her earlier musings forgotten in the wave of enthusiasm.
"I’ll grab so things for Robin to sign—maybe all my thongs!" With a mischievous grin, she darted back to her room, leaving Sophia gaping after her.
"You can’t be serious!" Sophia spluttered, clutching her makeshift cover tighter.
"Oh, she’s serious," Mary said with a chuckle, already heading to her room to join the frenzy.
It wasn’t long before the others followed suit. Natalie, Jade, and Maya, still groggy from sleep, shuffled into the chaos, their curiosity piqued by the commotion.
The house beca a whirlwind of activity as the won scrambled to gather whatever they could—posters, photos, even clothing—for Robin to sign.
Laughter and chatter echoed through the halls, their excitent turning the morning into an impromptu celebration.
They were oblivious to the fabricated mories from the night before, which seed inconsequential at the mont.
Yet amid the lighthearted chaos, none of them noticed the shadow looming over their joy.
Robin Smith, the man they idolized, was no longer his own. Beneath the polished veneer of fa and charm, he was nothing more than a puppet, his strings firmly in Ross’s grasp.
He was no different from the countless others who had fallen under Ross’s control—those who hid behind their demonic masks, carrying out his will in the shadows.
The only difference was that Robin’s mask was invisible, worn in plain sight for all to see.
He laughed, smiled, and chard, even as his autonomy slipped away, his fate sealed and body dead with not even a burial ground six feet under.
It was indeed a sorry ending for a young big handso promising man like him.
He suffered the sa tragic story as Jas Sullivan before him. Robin had beco another victim in Ross’s ever-expanding web of power and manipulation.
A bright star dimd, now serving a purpose far darker than anyone could imagine.
* * *
That day, Althea arrived at Sunset Hills University, drawing as much attention as the sun breaking through the clouds.
By her side, of course, was Puppet Robin, maintaining appearances as the dutiful partner.
"It’s Robin and Althea!"
"Why are they at our school?!"
"Wow! I didn’t think I’d ever see my idols in person!"
The students erupted into chaos, their collective excitent surging like an unstoppable wave. So scread, others pushed forward, and within monts, the crowd teetered on the brink of a stampede.
Disaster was only averted by the intervention of Ross’s puppet bodyguards—300 of them stationed strategically to ensure Althea’s safety. Not that she needed it, of course.
If she so chose, Althea could easily have massacred all 30,000 students in the university without breaking a sweat.
Order was restored swiftly, and the event proceeded as though nothing had happened. Classes were canceled for the day, much to the delight of all the students in general.
A signing session was organized on the spot, and Robin took center stage, diligently signing posters, notebooks, and anything else thrust his way.
Althea, anwhile, sat serenely nearby, her radiant smile captivating the crowd as caras flashed incessantly.
It didn’t take long for the local dia to catch wind of the commotion. Reporters sward the campus, eager to uncover the whereabouts of the missing actress who had abruptly canceled her taping for Silent Love.
The news spread like wildfire, further fueling the frenzy.
Amid the bustling activity, Althea’s keen gaze wandered over the scene. Her serene smile never wavered, but her mind worked tirelessly, analyzing every detail.
She observed Robin closely, her piercing intuition cutting through his outward charm. Her eyes flicked to the nurous bodyguards surrounding her—Ross’s creations, every last one.
"Robin and these... things… they do not have life in them," she murmured under her breath, her voice so soft that no one else could hear.
Beneath her large sunglasses, her crimson eyes glowed faintly as she activated her ability, allowing her to see what others could not.
Her gaze sharpened, peeling back the veil of normalcy to reveal the intricate threads of Ross’s power at play.
She scanned the crowd, searching for the man behind it all, and found him almost instantly.
Ross stood on the edge of the chaos, watching with quiet amusent, his presence unmistakable even amidst the throng of people.
Although she couldn’t hear him, she mouthed her thoughts in his direction, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "Although you carry many secrets now, I love you all the sa."
Ross, ever perceptive, caught her ssage. He didn’t miss a beat as he replied with equal subtlety, "And I, you."
The unspoken connection between them spoke louder than any words could. To the world, they were enigmatic figures, surrounded by fa, mystery, and power.
But in that fleeting mont, amidst the flashing caras and roaring crowd, only they understood the depth of the bond they shared.
***
Huge shoutout and thanks to Danny_Back for the gifts!
You are aweso! Thank you! ^_^
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