61-65

*Chapter 61: Waiting for the Wind*

"Any changes in the sales data for Twilight, Ned?"

It was a little after four in the afternoon the next day. Felix stood in front of the large windows of the Greenwood Publishing office, looking at the setting sun with a slightly hoarse voice as he asked.

Standing in front of his desk was a man in his thirties with brown hair, wearing a suit and glasses, giving off an intellectual air. This was Felix’s assistant, Ned Hudders.

Ned shook his head. "No, I just called all the stores. Not only the 18 bookstores under our publishing house, but other stores haven’t seen any change in Twilight's sales either. As of four o'clock today, we've sold over 1,600 copies—slightly better than yesterday, but it's just a normal increase."

“No change?”

Felix frowned tightly, clearly disappointed. Yesterday, Luca had confidently assured him that there would be a change in Twilight's sales today.

He trusted Luca.

In the days they'd worked together, Luca had shown himself to be stable, intelligent, with sharp insight. He wasn’t someone who made careless promises.

Had Luca missed the mark this time?

“Boss, the printing factory just called. They’ve prepared the paper for the third batch of 50,000 copies. Should we proceed with printing?”

Ned spoke up again.

Felix thought for a moment. “Go ahead.”

Bang!

Before they could continue, the office door was kicked open.

Old Schwarz, leaning on his cane, stormed in with a furious expression. “Mason! Yesterday we agreed to scale back Twilight's distribution. Why didn’t you follow through?”

Felix frowned, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He waved his hand, and Ned quietly closed the door and left the room.

“Schwarz, although Twilight's sales have been turbulent this week, the overall trend is upward. We sold 1,200 copies the day before yesterday, 1,500 yesterday, and 1,600 today. Isn’t that an improvement?”

“Sixteen hundred? Ha!”

Old Schwarz threw his head back and laughed, his scraggly beard trembling with every chuckle.

“Mason, don’t forget your position. You’re the general manager of Greenwood Publishing. Is it really worth your time to care about a small project selling just over a thousand copies a day?”

Schwarz waved his cane, raising his voice in question.

Felix spread his hands. “Even if it’s a small project, it's performing better than most of our current ones, isn’t it?”

Despite Twilight's modest sales, it had sold over 20,000 copies in a week, which was better than most of their other projects. That spoke more to the poor state of the company than to Twilight's success. Otherwise, a general manager like Felix wouldn’t have paid attention to such a small project.

“Hmph!”

Old Schwarz knew the state of the publishing house all too well. He stomped his cane in frustration. “The reason the company is in such dire straits is because of your incompetence! In the year you’ve been running this place, all you’ve done is implement one chaotic reform after another. Look at the mess you’ve made! Are you satisfied?”

Felix sighed helplessly. The company’s situation wasn’t his fault.

When he took over, it was already in deep trouble, burdened with issues that were nearly impossible to resolve.

He had been forced to make drastic changes, laying off many veteran editors, trimming redundant departments, and cutting unnecessary expenses.

Only then had the company’s financial situation started to improve.

The reforms had made a difference, but they’d angered some shareholders, leaving him under a great deal of pressure.

Felix sighed again. “Schwarz, Luca made a promise yesterday that the sales of Twilight would pick up by tomorrow at the latest. I trust him.”

“Luca?!”

Old Schwarz gasped in frustration, displeased. “Don’t mention that kid to me. All he does is spout nonsense about the ‘internet age’ and the ‘decline of brick-and-mortar businesses,’ or about this ‘Internet of Things.’ Who knows where he reads these sci-fi ideas, but he treats them like gospel. And you, Mason—”

Schwarz pointed his cane at Felix. “I know you helped Luca publish Twilight as a favor, and I didn’t object. Selling the first batch of 10,000 copies was already impressive. But now you want to print another 50,000? What are you going to do with the 30,000 that won’t sell?”

As he spoke, Schwarz’s eyes fell on a contract on the desk. It was for the printing of another 50,000 copies of Twilight, already signed by Felix in the bottom right corner.

At the sight of it, Schwarz's expression darkened.

“Mason, are you out of your mind? The second batch of 50,000 copies hasn’t even sold out, and now you’re printing another 50,000? Have you lost it?!”

“Schwarz, calm down!”

Felix worried that the old man might have a heart attack. He gently placed his hands on Schwarz’s shoulders, trying to calm him.

“Let go!”

Schwarz swung his cane forcefully.

Had Felix not dodged in time, it would’ve hit his arm.

“Mason, are you out of your mind?” Schwarz’s beard quivered with anger as he glared at Felix. “What exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to bankrupt the publishing house?”

Felix shook his head, pulling out a report. “Schwarz, calm down. Based on our market survey of 500 readers, 85% of those who read Twilight said they were pleasantly surprised and very satisfied with it. The feedback on the novel has been overwhelmingly positive.”

He continued, “Considering the sales trend over the past few days, our marketing team unanimously agrees that Twilight has a lot of potential. Even printing another 100,000 copies wouldn’t be a risk.”

“Bullshit!”

Schwarz cursed loudly. “I don’t care about your market research. I’m telling you, this plan isn’t going forward, and there’s no reason to keep backing this project.”

“Schwarz, you can’t—”

“Hmph!”

Schwarz waved his hand dismissively, glaring at Felix. “Also, tomorrow I’ll be calling a board meeting. Mason, you’ve clearly lost the ability to lead. I don’t think you’re fit to be the general manager anymore.”

“Schwarz—”

“Hmph!”

Schwarz ignored Felix’s protest, turned, and began walking out of the office.

Bang!

Suddenly, the office door was thrown open again.

Both Felix and Schwarz froze in surprise. Was the general manager’s office open to anyone now?

“Boss, good news!”

Ned, who had just left, ran back in, breathless, his face filled with shock and excitement.

“What’s going on, Ned?”

Felix asked, bewildered.

“Hmph, Mason, look at your people—just as rude and uncouth as you!”

Schwarz grumbled, leaning on his cane, ready to leave.

“Boss, just now, 22 bookstores in Manhattan called, urgently requesting 1,000 more copies of Twilight each. Their shelves are empty, and there are lines of people waiting to place orders.”

“What?!”

Both Felix and the departing Schwarz stood there, stunned.

Twenty-two stores, 1,000 copies each, and lines of customers waiting?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 62: Britney’s Power

“BOSS!”

Suddenly, another department head rushed in, shouting, “BOSS, fifteen bookstores in Brooklyn are requesting an additional 1,000 copies of Twilight. They’ve completely sold out, and there are long lines of people waiting to order!”

“Fifteen more?”

Felix and old Schwartz were stunned. With 22 bookstores in Manhattan and 15 in Brooklyn, that made a total of 37 stores, each needing 1,000 copies—that’s over 30,000 books.

“BOSS!”

Before the two of them could finish calculating how many books were needed, someone else burst in. Every bookstore across the city had sent in restock requests, totaling more than 50,000 books.

“How is this happening?”

Felix, old Schwartz, and everyone in the office were baffled. Twilight had always been selling steadily but never explosively. What caused this sudden surge? It didn’t make sense.

“Felix, good news!”

While everyone was still in shock, Emily rushed into the office, her face flushed with excitement. She stopped at the door, suddenly noticing that the office was filled with people standing around in stunned silence. The atmosphere was odd.

“What’s going on?”

Emily asked, puzzled.

Felix shook his head, “Emily, do you have good news too?”

“Good news too?”

Emily asked, confused.

Felix nodded and explained the strange situation unfolding at bookstores all over New York.

“Wow, wow! What exactly is happening?”

Emily was astonished and, holding back her excitement, said, “Felix, do you know how many orders we just received on Amazon?”

“How many?”

“In less than half an hour, we received over 13,000 orders—all for Twilight!”

“13,000?”

Even Felix was starting to feel numb.

Old Schwartz stood frozen at the door, his mouth slightly open, breathing heavily.

“Felix, what’s going on? Why is Twilight suddenly blowing up?”

Emily asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Hmph!”

Old Schwartz suddenly snapped back to reality, sweeping his gaze across the room angrily. “You all didn’t hear that I was planning to fire Felix and decided to stage this whole act, did you? I have to admit, your acting is amazing. I think you’d have a better future in Hollywood.”

Felix rubbed his slightly numb face and laughed helplessly, “Old Schwartz, do you really think I’d do something that ridiculous?”

Old Schwartz furrowed his graying eyebrows slightly. In his impression, Felix was inept and always causing trouble, but he wasn’t the kind to pull such a brainless stunt.

“Boss, I’ve found out what’s happening!”

Ned, who had gone to investigate, walked in with a laptop. “I just got some important information from the bookstores.”

“What is it?”

Everyone turned to look curiously.

Ned opened his laptop and navigated to MSN’s website. “Around noon, pop star Britney Spears posted an update on her MSN personal homepage and blog. She strongly recommended the novel Twilight, saying it was really cool and that she stayed up all night reading it. She even posted a picture of herself with dark circles under her eyes.”

Ned clicked on Britney’s homepage, and sure enough, there was a photo of her lounging on a couch in casual clothes, reading Twilight, with noticeable dark circles under her eyes.

“Oh, so that’s what happened!”

“Britney recommended the book—that explains it!”

“Haha, Twilight is going to be a bestseller! We’re getting bonuses this year for sure!”

Everyone excitedly discussed the news.

Felix leaned against his desk, clenching his fists tightly, trying to suppress his excitement.

Emily gently patted his shoulder, repeatedly saying, “This is amazing, this is amazing.”

Old Schwartz looked at the computer, then at the excited crowd. He pulled aside a young man and asked softly, “Is this Britney really that powerful? Why is her recommendation so effective?”

The young man, still buzzing with excitement, glanced at the old chairman and said, “Britney’s not just any celebrity—she’s a superstar, a global icon. She has over eight million fans on her personal website, and worldwide, her fan base exceeds 500 million. Last year alone, her third album sold 12 million copies.”

“She has huge influence among young people, even more than Michael Jackson or The Beatles. She rarely recommends anything other than albums, and this is the first time she’s recommended a book. Everyone’s curious, so of course they want to check it out.”

“Is she really that powerful?”

Old Schwartz muttered to himself. He couldn’t quite comprehend how a celebrity could spark such a massive reaction just by recommending a book online.

“Wow! Britney’s book recommendation just made it to CBS News!”

Someone suddenly pointed at the TV.

Everyone turned to look. On the screen, the CBS news anchor was joking about how it was hard to imagine Britney suddenly becoming a book-loving student.

The whole room erupted in laughter.

Clap, clap, clap~

Felix took a deep breath, trying to contain his excitement. “Everyone, the miracle has arrived. What are we waiting for?”

“BOSS!”

Everyone stood up, now serious.

“Ned, contact the printing plant. We need to print another 100,000—no, 200,000 copies.”

“Got it, BOSS!”

“Bob, start organizing shipments. We’ve only got around 30,000 copies in the warehouse, which won’t be enough. Tell the bookstores to wait two more days. We won’t run out after that.”

“Got it, BOSS!”

“Emily, your team will continue managing the online store and report any updates.”

“Got it, Felix!”

With Felix’s orders, the department heads quickly got to work.

Old Schwartz stood quietly to the side, watching this energetic group of young people. He suddenly felt that Felix’s previous methods had been right, and perhaps he himself was getting too old and out of touch.

“Felix, the company is yours now. I’m going home to fish.”

“Oh, alright, old Schwartz.”

Felix looked up from behind his computer, watching the old man’s aging back as he walked away. He sighed softly.

As annoying as old Schwartz could be, he had always supported Felix since he took over. Without the backing of the Schwartz family, Felix wouldn’t have had any room to grow within the company.

“Carl, take care of yourself. How about I join you for fishing this weekend?”

“Sounds good, Felix. I just hope you have the time.”

Old Schwartz waved his hand and laughed heartily as he left.

Felix chuckled to himself as he browsed the online news about Britney’s book recommendation.

Ever since Britney changed her image, she had shed her “good girl” persona, so it was a real surprise that she was now out here recommending books.

Felix couldn’t help but think back to the phone call he’d received the day before. Luca had sounded so confident on the phone—it must have been because he’d convinced Britney.

But how could someone like Luca, a small-time model, have convinced Britney to recommend the book?

“Hey, Luca, I’ve got great news for you,” Felix said after dialing Luca’s number. “Yes, today Twilight sold over 50,000 copies both online and offline. Your prediction came true, Mr. Big, haha!”

Felix joked, then asked, “Mr. Big, can you tell me how you convinced Britney? It’s a secret? Okay, okay, but no matter what, you pulled it off. Congratulations! And congratulations to Kate too—yes, yes, and congratulations to me!”

Felix laughed. His collaboration with Luca had turned out to be quite successful.

“What? Keep it a surprise from Kate for now? Oh, alright, alright—this is going to be a huge, huge surprise!”

(End of chapter)

Chapter 63: Kate Loses Her Cool

That afternoon, the weather shifted from cloudy to clear.

On the upper floors of the Fourth Times Square Building, the Vogue logo shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.

March had arrived, and the American edition of Vogue was preparing to shoot its new cover.

For this issue, Vogue had invited three of last year's top supermodels: Kate Kelly, Gisele Bündchen, and Karolina Kurkova.

“Alright, ladies, focus up! Show us your absolute best!”

In the magazine’s studio, renowned photographer Mario Testino aimed his camera at the stage.

The three supermodels were dressed in the stylish outfits they represented, each exuding elegance and uniqueness.

At the center was Gisele, who had already been chosen as the magazine’s Model of the Year.

To her sides stood the Ice Queen Kate Kelly and the Czech beauty Karolina Kurkova.

Last year, Kate graced the Victoria's Secret runway and landed major campaigns with Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Her rising fame even earned her the nickname “Superwoman.”

At just 19, KK, Karolina, had won the prestigious “VH1 Model of the Year Award,” making her the youngest model to top the MDC website’s rankings. She was a force to be reckoned with.

However, both were overshadowed by Gisele, Leonardo DiCaprio's new girlfriend, who had secured numerous endorsements.

The tension was palpable as the three posed in front of the camera, each trying to outshine the other.

“Perfect, just perfect!”

Mario Testino was about to press the shutter when he suddenly frowned.

“Kate, please step back half a step.”

“What?”

Kate froze, glancing to the side, noticing that at some point, Gisele had slightly stepped back, making herself more prominent in the shot.

Cursing silently, Kate realized she had been outmaneuvered. Everyone was focused on posing, and she hadn’t noticed Gisele's sly move, which shifted the attention to her.

As she was about to step back, Gisele smirked and said, “No need, Mario. Kate’s a great writer, we should respect that, right?”

Boom.

The studio staff burst into laughter.

Everyone knew Kate's book, Twilight, had flopped, selling just a few thousand copies a day.

Rumors circulated that Kate had bought many of those copies herself, desperate for the “famous author” title, which fueled stories about her vanity and inflated sense of worth.

In this industry, gossip spread fast, and everyone knew about the rivalry between Kate and Gisele, making them all eager to witness the drama.

Hearing the laughter, Kate’s face turned from red to pale, her expression gradually freezing into an icy glare.

She had endured her fair share of mocking remarks due to the failure of Twilight, but they were mostly whispered behind her back.

This, however, was the first time someone had humiliated her so openly.

Kate raised an eyebrow slightly, then sneered, “Thanks, Gisele. Although I might not be much of a writer, at least I’m not someone who can’t even spell their own name right.”

“You!”

Gisele's face darkened. Years ago, she had made an embarrassing spelling error, and no one had mentioned it for a long time. Kate bringing it up now was a direct hit.

Furious, Gisele clenched her fists, ready to lash out, but then her eyes sparkled with a sudden idea, and she yelled, “Ah! Kate, what are you doing? Are you going to hit me?”

“What?”

Kate was caught off guard.

“Kate! What’s going on here?”

At that moment, a middle-aged woman with a plain face but exquisite makeup entered the room. This was none other than Anna Stewart, the editor-in-chief of Vogue’s American edition.

Since taking on the role in 1988, Anna had been a major force in the fashion world, often referred to as the “unofficial mayor of New York” and the inspiration behind the character in The Devil Wears Prada.

She glanced at the stage, noticing Kate’s clenched fists and icy demeanor, while Gisele stood there clutching her chest, looking startled.

Annoyance flickered in Anna’s eyes.

Everyone in the industry knew about the ongoing feud between Kate and Gisele.

Reportedly, Gisele had snatched a major opportunity from Kate early in her career, sparking a rivalry that had lasted for years.

Despite this, Gisele’s wit had always kept her a step ahead of Kate, who struggled to keep up.

Now, their feud had escalated right in front of her.

Anna let out a light huff, casting a displeased glance at Kate. In her eyes, a model aspiring to be a writer was nothing short of ridiculous.

“Kate, you’ll stand in the third position. Continue the shoot.”

“Got it.”

Kate responded, her eyes flashing with a hint of coldness.

Originally, she and Karolina were both considered second in line, but Anna’s words had pushed her down to third place.

This was a clear indication of Anna’s support for Gisele.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Stewart.”

Gisele smiled, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, greeting the editor.

Anna acknowledged her with a slight nod, giving Kate one last pointed look before exiting the studio.

“Mario, we’re ready to shoot,” Gisele said, a smug tilt to her chin.

“Kate, are you prepared?”

Mario asked.

Kate clenched her fists once more, then turned toward the camera.

Though furious, she knew she had to finish the job. In the fashion world, those who crossed Anna Stewart never fared well. She had no choice but to bear it.

Click, click.

Shooting a cover photo is relatively simple. Though they spent the entire afternoon posing, the crucial moments only lasted a few seconds.

Kate, however, wasn’t pleased with the results. Gisele’s earlier maneuvering had thrown off her posture and energy, and it showed in the photos.

Frustrated, Kate requested a reshoot, but her suggestion was coldly dismissed.

“Nina, cancel all future work with Vogue,” Kate declared as she stormed out of the studio, wearing a simple white suit and high heels clicking sharply against the floor.

“Kate, don’t say such things!”

Nina quickly tried to calm her down.

But it was too late.

This was Vogue headquarters, and a few people with staff badges happened to be passing by.

Nina’s expression darkened.

If this got back to Anna, there’d be no avoiding the fallout.

Kate regretted her outburst for a moment, but it was too late to take it back. She shrugged, thinking, If things go south, I’ll just head back to Brazil with Luca.

Luca’s support had made her bolder, more fearless.

“Nina, don’t worry about it. Let them spread the word.”

Nina shook her head slightly, “When are you going to stop being so impulsive?”

Kate laughed, “That’ll never change—then I wouldn’t be Kate, would I?”

With a shrug, Kate stepped into the elevator, heading down to the parking garage.

But sometimes, rumors travel faster than bullets. As soon as Kate stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Gisele coming out of the adjacent one.

“Ha! Kate, I heard you’re planning to cut ties with Vogue. Wow, you’re really something!” Gisele laughed gleefully.

Her assistant and agents all wore smug, mocking smiles.

Crunch.

Kate slammed her heel down hard.

“Nina, I’m not holding back this time.”

But Nina was distracted, already thinking about how to manage the PR fallout from Kate’s earlier outburst.

Kate mistook her silence as permission and immediately kicked off her heels, ready to take on Gisele and her entourage.

Suddenly, a swarm of reporters burst in from outside, cameras and microphones at the ready.

“There she is!”

“Kate’s over here!”

*Chapter 64: Kate, the Bestselling Author (Fourth Update – Seeking Recommendations)*

When Kate saw the reporters rush into the building, she was startled. Had Bündchen planted reporters at the door? How cunning! Even more cunning than Luca!

Quickly, she hid her shoes behind her back, her cheeks flushing. If someone caught a photo of her holding a shoe to hit someone, she’d surely be labeled as "rude" in the future.

“Sorry, Ms. Bündchen is not available for interviews!”

Nearby, Bündchen’s assistants hurriedly surrounded her as reporters approached, shouting as they walked:

“Please make way, Ms. Bündchen is leaving!”

“Please move aside, Ms. Bündchen is not available for interviews!”

Bündchen’s bodyguards and assistants plowed through the crowd with great determination and bravery.

But when they reached outside, they raised their heads and—huh? It was so quiet. There wasn’t a single reporter. What was going on?

“Miss Kelly is over here!”

“Kate, I’m a reporter from The New York Times. May I interview you for a moment?”

Hearing the shouts from behind, Bündchen and her group turned around to see all the reporters gathered around Kate.

“Kate, congratulations on Twilight surpassing 100,000 in sales today! You’re officially a bestselling author. How do you feel about that?”

“Ms. Kelly, could you tell us about your relationship with Britney Spears? Why did Britney go out of her way to recommend your book?”

“Kate, as both a supermodel and now a successful author, what’s your secret to success?”

The reporters were jostling, hands raised, eager to ask questions.

In the middle of the crowd, Kate Kelly looked utterly confused.

Twilight selling over 100,000 copies?

I’m a bestselling author?

Britney’s recommendation?

What are these questions? I don’t understand a single one!

She blinked her long lashes and asked softly, “Can any of you reporters tell me what’s going on?”

“Wow, Miss Kelly doesn’t know yet? Starting the day before yesterday, Twilight's sales skyrocketed—from 50,000 copies a day to over 100,000. The numbers are still climbing! Based on last week’s sales, it’s predicted Twilight could break into the top 10 of the bestseller list next week,” one quick-talking reporter explained.

“Is it really that impressive?”

Kate was stunned. Over 100,000 copies a day? Top 10 this week? Is this a dream?

She discreetly pinched her long legs.

Ouch! It hurts!

Outside the scene, someone else was equally shocked: Bündchen. She clearly heard that the book Kate wrote had magically become a bestseller. How could this happen?

“Bard, go find out what’s going on,” Bündchen ordered darkly.

“Yes, Ms. Bündchen!”

A bodyguard quickly dove into the crowd of reporters to gather information and hurried back a moment later.

“Ms. Bündchen, I found out that two days ago, Britney Spears recommended Twilight to her fans online. Then the news made it onto CBS, and that afternoon, Twilight sold nearly 50,000 copies. Yesterday, it sold over 80,000, and today, it’s already surpassed 100,000.”

“How is that possible?!”

Bündchen and her group were dumbfounded.

“How could that trashy book sell so many copies?”

“Even with Britney’s recommendation, that shouldn’t happen, right?”

“Did Kate buy her way onto the charts?”

None of them could believe or accept that the book was a hit.

“It’s true!”

The bodyguard continued, “I just asked a reporter from The Times. They said the quality of Twilight is excellent. According to the publisher’s survey, Twilight has a positive review rate of over 80%, even higher than Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles.”

“Impossible!” Bündchen gritted her teeth, waving her hand. “Someone who didn’t even finish college? The quality of her book? Ridiculous! There must be something shady going on here.”

The bodyguards and assistants nodded in agreement; they had to stand united now.

After a moment of thought, Bündchen instructed, “Bard, look into this. I don’t care how much it costs, but find something shady.”

“Yes, Ms. Bündchen!”

“Hmph!”

Bündchen glanced at Kate, who was still playing the clueless act in the crowd. Her face darkened further. Pretentious btch! I’ll expose your true colors.*

“Wow, wow~! Kate’s really become a big-time author. I’m so jealous!” Carolina, who was nearby, stretched and praised loudly.

Bündchen’s face turned even darker. She glanced at Carolina, huffed, and left with her entourage.

“I really do envy Kate,” Carolina shrugged and said to her assistant. “Martha, go buy a copy of Twilight later. I’ll need to get Kate to sign it when I get the chance.”

“Sure thing, Carolina!”

“Let’s go too!” KK’s group also left.

“Please don’t push! Please don’t push!”

In the crowd, Nina and two assistants were protecting Kate, trying to make their way out. “We’ll be holding a press conference at the company shortly. Please hold your questions until then. Make way, please!”

It took them quite some time to squeeze into the car.

“Nina, what exactly is going on?” Kate asked as she fixed her hair.

“How would I know? You’re the author of Twilight, aren’t you?” Nina snapped. She was still annoyed about Kate misspeaking earlier, but this even bigger mess had left her completely confused.

Kate spread her hands. “You told me to focus on modeling and not to worry about Twilight. I followed your advice, so I have no idea what’s happening.”

“Hmph, you may not know, but I bet that troublemaker at your house does,” Nina said, a little annoyed.

Kate laughed, “Yeah, Luca definitely knows. He just shot a music video with Britney a few days ago. He must’ve convinced her to recommend the book.”

Nina nodded slightly. That was probably the only explanation.

“But how did Luca manage to convince such a big star?” she asked curiously.

Kate propped her chin with her fingers, pondering. She was equally puzzled. How could a rising male model successfully network with a big star like Britney?

Male model and big celebrity?

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile crept onto her lips.

“Nina, don’t forget that my Luca is Mr. Big,” Kate teased.

Nina paused, then burst out laughing.

“No, that can’t be true. Britney wouldn’t promote a book just because of something like that. Even if she agreed, her team wouldn’t allow it.”

“Hehe, well, we’ll know if we ask!”

Kate smiled slyly, leaning back in the spacious rear seat, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the bustling street outside. Her mood was growing lighter.

When she left the Vogue office earlier, she had been in a terrible mood. Looking around, she’d felt only frustration and exhaustion, even thinking about taking Luca and going back to Brazil.

But she hadn’t expected such a sudden surprise—Twilight was selling like crazy, and she had become a bestselling author.

Sigh~ Kate exhaled softly, whispering to herself, “Thank you, my dear.”

---

*Chapter 65: We Are Really Innocent*

“Poison on the sword? Fine, poison, go ahead!”

It was the afternoon in the small theater of Manhattan Academy of Art.

On stage, six student actors were performing the classic opera Hamlet.

Luca, wearing a blood-stained court outfit, was holding a sword and plunging it into the chest of the actor opposite him.

He was playing the role of the vengeful Prince Hamlet.

In this scene, Hamlet infiltrates the palace to assassinate his uncle, Claudius, who is also his father’s murderer.

But Claudius, being cunning, prepared a real sword, a poisoned sword, and poisoned wine. He ordered Laertes, the son of a minister, to kill Hamlet.

During the duel, Laertes wounded Hamlet with the poisoned sword. But later, Hamlet managed to stab Laertes in the chest with the same poisoned sword.

“Noble Hamlet, let us forgive each other. I won’t blame you for killing me and my father, and you shouldn’t blame me either.”

The actor playing Laertes clutched his chest as he spoke.

Luca frowned slightly, his dark, bright eyes filled with melancholy, pity, and a hint of sorrow.

He sighed softly and said, in the operatic style, “Laertes, may heaven forgive your sins. I will soon follow.”

The actor collapsed, signifying Laertes’ death.

Luca’s Hamlet was also poisoned and was nearing death.

Leaning on his sword and kneeling on one knee, he sang to his friend Horatio:

“I am dying, Horatio. Goodbye, unfortunate queen. You all are the mute witnesses of this tragedy, pale and trembling. If not for death, I could have told you more. But let it be, Horatio. I am dead, but you are still here. Tell those who don’t know the truth about my character and morals.”

Luca then fell dramatically on his back, spreading his limbs wide. Hamlet was dead.

The actor playing Horatio knelt beside his ‘corpse.’ “Oh, a noble heart has broken. Good night, sweet prince. May choirs of angels sing you to rest.”

The performance concluded, and the curtain slowly descended on the small theater.

Applause!

The audience of a few dozen people stood up and clapped.

The lights in the theater came on, and all the actors walked to the front of the stage.

In the front row sat four performance teachers, who began to critique the students’ acting.

“All of you performed quite well. You’ve made significant progress since the last performance,” said a stern-looking middle-aged female teacher.

“Thank you, Ms. Nia!”

Luca and the other five students bowed slightly to express their gratitude.

“Luca!”

Ms. Nia looked at him. “Your performance was full of spirit, and your emotions were spot on.”

“But…”

At that moment, a middle-aged man with a beard, Luca’s acting teacher, Ross, spoke up.

“Ross, shut up! I’m the one giving feedback here!” Ms. Nia said, displeased.

“Haha, alright, alright.”

Ross raised his hands in surrender.

“Hmph!”

Ms. Nia shot him a glance and then turned back to the stage. “Luca, there’s a big problem with your performance. Do you know the importance of body language?”

Luca nodded. “Body language can complement the dialogue and help convey emotions.”

“Yes, but your body was too stiff, and your body language was lacking. This caused your emotions to fall flat. As a result, your performance lacked impact and power. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Thank you, Ms. Nia!”

“Good.”

Ms. Nia nodded and glanced at Ross. “But this isn’t entirely your fault. You chose the wrong acting teacher. I suggest you switch to Mr. Albert. He’d be a better fit for you.”

“Hey, Nia, you can’t say that,” Ross complained.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Ms. Nia looked at him with disdain before continuing her feedback for the next student. “Kyle, your issue is with your lines. They were terrible. You’re lucky you didn’t choose Ross as your teacher, or they’d be even worse.”

Ms. Nia continued her sharp critique, while Ross’ face turned sour.

Luca smiled quietly. His acting teacher was great in many ways, but he did have a big mouth, and now he was paying the price.

After the performance, Luca went to the rehearsal hall to find Ross.

“Hey, Mr. Ross, I won’t be able to attend your classes for a while.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

Ross asked in surprise. “Is it because of what Nia said? You shouldn’t listen to her. Albert may be Italian and have expressive body language, but his teaching skills are mediocre.”

“No, no, Mr. Ross, you misunderstood. I’m not changing teachers.”

Luca smiled, raising his hands.

“Oh, then why?”

“I’m heading to Hollywood this weekend for an audition. I’m confident I’ll land an important role.”

“Is that so?”

Ross breathed a sigh of relief, patting Luca on the shoulder. “Luca, you’ve got great looks. Hollywood might suit you better. I hope you become a big star soon.”

“Haha, thanks!”

“But when you come back to New York, you should keep taking acting classes. I’ve still got plenty of tricks to teach you.”

“Uh, sure, Mr. Ross, I’ll remember.”

Luca smiled, waved, and left the school.

It was already past 5 PM, nearing rush hour. Traffic on Manhattan’s streets grew dense. After half an hour of stop-and-go driving, his Ford finally reached the quiet 76th Street.

“Kate, I’m home!”

Luca opened the door to the apartment and walked into the main living room.

The room was brightly lit, with a faint fragrance in the air—a mix of rose and ylang-ylang, fresh yet sultry.

The 55-inch TV on the counter was playing the news.

With the U.S.-Iraq war looming, an anti-war movement was spreading across the nation. Field reporters were capturing footage of anti-war protests in major cities, documenting the chaos.

“Luca, you’re back!”

Kate, wearing a cartoon apron, came out holding a white tray. The room was suddenly filled with a spicy aroma.

“Wow, beef noodles?”

Luca asked, surprised.

“Yes!”

Kate set the tray on the dining table.

On the tray was a steaming bowl of beef noodles, with red chili peppers, green celery, evenly sliced beef, and spiraled Italian pasta.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “I noticed you really like noodles, so I made you some black pepper beef pasta. Try it and tell me what you think.”

“It looks delicious, so I’m sure it’ll taste great!”

Luca didn’t even bother to take off his jacket. He picked up a fork, twirled some noodles, and took a bite. The noodles were tender and chewy, with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness.

“How is it? Does it taste good?”

Kate rested her chin on the table, batting her long eyelashes, waiting for his response.

Luca nodded and gave her a thumbs up. “It’s amazing, Kate! Your cooking is on par with a Michelin chef.”

“I’m glad you like it!”

Kate smiled. Watching him eat made her feel content. After a while, though, she noticed his eyes were tearing up.

She blinked. “Luca, I know the noodles are good, but you don’t have to get that emotional.”

Luca wiped his eyes, laughing through his tears. “Kate, I’m not emotional. Did you perhaps put in a bit too much chili?”

“Did I?”

Kate took his fork, ate some noodles, and even a piece of chili.

“It’s not spicy at all.”

“Well, alright then.”

He had forgotten that Brazilians could handle spicy food, just like people from Sichuan.

“Do you want me to make another batch?”

“No need. I think I can handle it.”

Luca, eyes still watering, continued eating, enjoying every spicy bite.

Kate smiled with satisfaction and poured him a glass of water.

“Luca, a lot of reporters came to interview me today. Can you guess what they asked?”

“Oh? So the media found out?”

Luca wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth and smiled. “Kate, forgive me for not telling you about Twilight. I just wanted to surprise you.”

“Thank you, it really was a big surprise!”

Kate cupped his face in her hands, squeezing until his cheeks were distorted. Then she chuckled softly.

“Quit it, Kate. I’m trying to eat,”

Luca said, brushing her hands away.

Kate smiled, then leaned on the table and asked, “Luca, Nina and I are both curious. How did you convince Britney to help with Twilight?”

Luca shrugged. “It was simple. We’re friends. I asked her to help promote Twilight, and she agreed.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s all there is to it,”

Luca said honestly.

Kate stared at him for a moment before asking softly, “Luca, have you ever slept with her?”

Cough cough!

Luca choked on his noodles, startled by the question. His sister was really blunt.

"Haha~ Did I guess right?"

Kate gently patted his back and handed him a glass of water.

Luca took a sip before finally catching his breath.

"Kate, stop jumping to conclusions. Britney and I are just friends, nothing more."

"Really?"

"Yes, I swear to God!"

"You don't believe in God."

"Then I swear to you, Britney and I are innocent."

Luca said seriously.

Kate looked at him quietly for two seconds, just about to believe him when a sudden entertainment news report about Britney came on the TV.

"Wow~ We've got some juicy news today, straight from the music world queen, Britney!"

FOX Entertainment News anchor Tom Fred said in an exaggerated tone, "This is some really, really hot news, and I can’t wait to share it with you all!"

Luca and Kate stopped talking and turned to look at the TV.

"Last month, Jive Records announced that Britney’s fourth album MV would begin filming this week. We’ve learned that Luca, the new CK underwear spokesperson, was invited to take part in the filming."

"Luca, they're talking about you!"

Kate said in surprise.

Luca froze for a second, suddenly feeling a bad omen.

"Sources say that on set, Britney and Mr. Big, Luca, got along very well. After filming wrapped up, Britney invited Luca into her car, and they spent more than half an hour alone together inside."

"Wow~ Luca, is this true?"

Kate stared at him in shock.

Luca wiped the sweat from his brow. "Yes, but we were just singing and dancing, I swear to God!"

"Singing and dancing?"

"Yes!"

Luca nodded seriously.

"Haha, do you all want to know what Britney and Mr. Big were really doing in that car?"

Anchor Tom Fred chuckled and said, "I don’t know either, but we’ve obtained some very interesting footage from a fan photographer."

Click~

The camera switched, and a new scene appeared on the TV.

It was a shaky video from the corner of soundstage 17 at the HELM photography studio. In the shot was a Mercedes van, and Britney and Luca were seen getting into the vehicle one after the other.

Soon after, the van began to shake slightly.

"Wow~"

Kate was covering her face in shock.

Not just Kate—everyone watching the broadcast was stunned by this steamy footage.

Luca’s face turned bright red, and he hurriedly tried to explain, "Kate, don’t misunderstand, we were just dancing."

"Wow, wow, the car’s shaking now."

In the video, the photographer gasped softly, "And I also heard clapping and Britney’s voice—things were really, really intense. Mr. Big sure lives up to his name."

"Haha~ Luca,"

Kate covered her mouth, laughing. "How are you going to talk your way out of this one?"

Luca wiped the sweat from his forehead, completely embarrassed. He never thought they’d be filmed, let alone that the situation would look so... suggestive.

Leaning on the dining table, he weakly tried to defend himself, "Kate, I swear, nothing happened."

"Haha, no need to explain to me. You should be thinking about how you’re going to explain this to Lima."

Kate folded her arms and smiled lightly.

Luca froze, his face slowly turning from red to black.

Now what?

(End of chapter)