Chapter 30 Going Public
Lara lay on her bed, clutching her phone, rolling back and forth in exciterent. Oh my God, I’m about to play a game with Chace! I wonder if he’s good at it!
Lara ended up going to sleep at three in the morning. She had spent the entire night playing with Chace, unable to put her phone down. He was insanely skilled–the best player she had ever teamed up with.
How is it possible for a guy to be this incredible! Handsome, a brilliant actor, charming, and on top of all that, a pro gamer? Chace is the definition of a perfect man!
A month later, The Red held its opening ceremony at Vertical Store. With that wrapped up. Lara officially joined the film crew.
Before filming started, there was a company meeting. This was the first time Lara had seen Donovan again after a whole month. He had lost weight. His tailored suit fit him perfectly. His hair was neatly styled, his features sharp, and his deep–set eyes so intense it was difficult to meet his gaze.
When the meeting ended, Lara was asked to stay behind. Being alone with her boss made her nervous. “If you need anything. Jet Kelly know. If the company can provide it, we will, Donovan said, giving her shoulder a light pat. He smiled. “Now, go on
Lara let out a quiet sigh of relief and hurried out of the conference room. After a few steps, she suddenly felt a dull ache in her chest–an inexplicable discomfort. Confused, she turned back, staring at Donovan’s retreating figure. She had no idea why.
Lara joined the cast of The Red.
The filming schedule was tight. It would take three months to complete. Donovan visited the set twice. His newly signed arthr was incredibly dedicated to her work.
A few days before, Oscar had transferred money to him, explaining it was for car repairs. No doubt Lara had asked him to do
- it.
Soon, it would be the anniversary of Shelby’s death. Donovan had cleared his schedule in advance. Every year, he would travel somewhere new with Shelby. And he would continue to do so until the day he died.
For his entire life, Donovan had prided himself on being a principled man. But there was one person he had failed–Shelby That was a debt he could never repay.
Shelby was gone. He had lost the chance to make it up to her, to treat her better, to right his wrongs. Even if he wanted to kneel in front of her and beg for forgiveness, there was only an urn left to bow to.
Lately, Donovan had been dreaming a lot. Sometimes, they were memories of Shelby. Other times, they were scenes that had never happened in reality. In those dreams, he and Shelby had a child. Each time he woke up, the pain felt unbearable. Sometimes, he wondered if it would be easier if he never woke up at all.
As time passed, reality and dreams began to blur. More than once, after waking, he found himself continuing conversations from his dreams, only to be met with an empty room and Olivia’s bewildered gaze.
Shelby was dead. No one knew that better than he did. But somehow, his heart refused to accept it.
When The Red wrapped filming, a shocking headline exploded across the internet.
Lara, the rising actress from Mayer Entertainment, was rumored to be dating none other than the critically acclaimed actor. Chace.
Photos of the two walking their dogs in a park together went viral. Ten minutes later, Chace confirmed the news on Twitter Lara followed suit right after.
At first, fans refused to believe it, thinking the media was blowing things out of proportion. Within moments, social media was flooded with controversy.
Mayer Group launched crisis management efforts immediately, and Lara was summoned to the CEO’s office.
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Donovan sat at his desk, his expression unreadable. Lara hesitated before stepping inside, gauging his mood.
Technically, their contracts didn’t forbid dating, but in the entertainment industry, it was an unspoken rule. As long as no one talked about it, it wasn’t a problem. But going public was an entirely diffrent issue. Eecially since Lara hadn’t given the company any warning beforehand.
“Mr. Mayer, you wanted to see me?” She took a deep breath and walked up to his desk. Her eyes stayed lowered, avoiding his gaze. She focused on his hands instead.
“Do you understand what this could do to your career?”
Chace was a national heartthrob with millions of female fans.
Lara nodded. “I do.”
Donovan didn’t say anything.
Lara continued, “But Mr. Mayer, my feelings for Chace are real. I’ve never cared about outside opinions. I believe this jindustry is survival of the fittest.”
She would prove herself with her acting.
Donovan suddenly chuckled. He hadn’t even said much, yet here she was, defending herself like she was on trial. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then reached out his hand toward her. “I look forward to seeing you prove it.”
Lara smiled. She had expected Donovan to be furious, maybe even blacklist her. But he didn’t.
“At first, she wondered if he would try to use her relationship with Chace to his advantage, leveraging Chace’s fame for the company’s benefit.
But he didn’t do that either.”
Once again, Lara was convinced–signing with Mayer Entertainment had been the best decision of her life. After that, the logged out of Twitter and threw herself into her work.
And soon, the public started to notice something. Lara wasn’t just some nobody who rode Chace’s coattails. She was an insanely talented actress,
When she joined a reality show, people assumed she’d be an obsessive fangirl clinging to Chace’s every move. Instead, they discovered she was a breath of fresh air.
And then came the biggest surprise–Lara wasn’t just some small–town girl trying to make it in the entertainment industry,
She was part of the renowned Ross family from Royphia!
Lara’s career skyrocketed. Every show she starred in became a massive hit. Within six months, she had gone from an unknown actress to an A–lister. Her popularity was closing in on the industry’s top–tier stars.
The internet changed its tune.
Instead of “Did Lara and Chace break up today?” It became “Did Lara and Chace get married today?”
And Chace didn’t let them down. A year and a half later, a marriage certificate was posted on Twitter.
The website crashed from the sheer volume of traffic.
Qscar, who had been convinced Lara would stay an industry nobody for two years, realized his predictions had been completely wrong. Thanks to Lara’s rise to fame, Ross Group’s stock prices shot up significantly.
“Lara often had the same dream. A man named Don kept apologizing to her.
For two years, she had dreamed of him repeatedly, but she had never once seen his face.”
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As time passed, the dream became less frequent. Now, when she dreamned, it was of Chace. When she woke up, it was Chace she saw. And she was happy.
Eventually, the dream of Don disappeared entirely. For a while, she felt ze something was missing. But Chace was so good to her. And little by little, that emptiness was filled.
Two months later, she found out she was pregnant. She immediately put her career on hold. Chace, who had just finished at film, declined every new project his manager pitched to him.
Lara was pregnant, and he wanted to be by her side.
She was his light. She was the most beautiful thing in his life. Holding her in his arms was the only thing he ever wanted. He couldn’t even imagine losing her. He would spend his entire life making sure she was happy.
Lara had always wanted to visit Mount Killburn with someone she loved. At five months pregnant, her belly had started to show. At first, Chace refused. But seeing the excitement in her eyes, he finally agreed
The flight lasted two hours. Lara slept the whole way.
When she stepped off the plane, she thought she saw a familiar figure in the crowd. Before she could take a closer look, Chare took her hand. When she glanced up again, the figure was gone. Lara laughed to herself. She must have been seeing things
After all, what were the chances that Donovan would be here?
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