Chapter 33
Max was curious about what his boss was staring at.
He turned his head.
A pink scooter zipped past the car.
The evening breeze caught Emma's long hair and the hem of her floral dress, sending both fluttering behind her beneath the streetlights.
For a moment, she looked almost unreal.
Max blinked.
"Emma?"
Then he looked at Leo.
"Were you waiting for her?"
Leo's brows drew together.
In all his years in the entertainment industry, this might genuinely have been the first time someone had ignored him that completely.
The car door shut.
"Drive."
Max wisely started the car.
Unfortunately, Emma didn't make it very far.
The entire area around the auditorium was packed.
Students.
Fans.
People holding phones.
A few entertainment reporters and local media crews had arrived after clips from the livestream went viral.
Others had apparently driven across the city just because they'd heard Leo Fontaine was on campus.
Emma slowed her scooter.
Her eyes widened.
Jesus Christ.
Did the entire city come here tonight?
She gripped the handlebars and started to turn around.
Then someone broke through the security line.
"Emma!"
Emma froze.
"Emma Carter!"
A reporter came sprinting toward her so fast the microphone nearly ended up in her mouth.
Before security could react, several more slipped through.
"Emma, do you know Leo Fontaine?"
"How did you two meet?"
"What exactly is your relationship?"
"Did you know him before tonight?"
"Have the two of you been in contact privately?"
Emma:
"......"
A black luxury van rolled slowly behind her.
Its heavily tinted windows made it impossible to see inside.
But from inside—
Leo could see everything.
Most of the crowd had originally been waiting for his car to leave.
Now?
Every camera nearby had turned toward the girl on the pink scooter.
Leo's expression cooled.
This was the perfect opportunity to leave.
Max knew that.
Leo knew that.
And yet—
Max's curiosity won.
His foot moved to the brake.
Leo didn't tell him to keep driving.
His eyes remained fixed on Emma through the tinted glass.
What would she say?
That was the problem.
Leo had realized tonight that he couldn't quite predict Emma Carter.
Near the auditorium entrance, Chloe watched the scene with clenched fists.
This should've been her moment.
She was the female lead.
She was the one who already had industry experience.
She was the one who had worked with Leo before.
Instead, reporters were chasing Emma Carter around a parking lot.
Why?
Whatever Emma said now would spread everywhere.
Chloe's nails dug into her palm.
Emma had never been surrounded by reporters before.
But she'd dealt with enough strange situations in her life not to completely panic.
After the initial shock, she quickly calmed down.
Several microphones were pointed at her.
"Emma, do you know Leo Fontaine?"
"Are you two friends?"
"Why did he know your name?"
Emma looked at them.
Then suddenly pointed behind them.
"Oh! Wait—is that him?"
Every head turned.
A black van.
Tinted windows.
Leo Fontaine's car.
The reporters reacted instantly.
"Mr. Fontaine!"
"Leo!"
"Mr. Fontaine, could you answer a few questions?"
By the time they realized they'd been tricked—
Emma was already moving.
She twisted the throttle.
The pink scooter shot forward.
A sharp turn.
And—
gone.
Everyone:
"......"
Did she just—
use Leo Fontaine as a decoy?
Inside the van, Leo stared after her.
Then, slowly—
he laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Well.
Maybe a little.
What exactly had he been expecting?
He'd already prepared himself for Emma to tell the reporters they barely knew each other.
Apparently, even that expectation had been too ambitious.
She hadn't answered them at all.
She'd simply redirected the entire problem toward him—
and escaped.
Security quickly restored order and cleared a path for the van.
Leo said nothing.
That was the smartest option now.
His PR team had already been trying to cool the speculation online.
If he suddenly started giving detailed explanations about Emma Carter, it would only make him look even more invested in whatever relationship the public had invented between them.
Better to say nothing.
The whole situation was absurd enough already.
Back near the auditorium, Chloe was staring too.
Was Emma insane?
That kind of attention had fallen directly into her lap—
and she'd run away from it?
No wonder she'd never become famous.
Emma knew Nance University well.
Very well.
So once she'd escaped the auditorium area, she took side paths through campus and quickly reached one of the quieter exits.
Unfortunately, there were people outside the university too.
A lot of people.
For the first time, Emma truly understood the scale of Leo Fontaine's fame.
It felt like half of Nance City had shown up.
She really didn't want anyone else recognizing her.
So while riding, she pulled part of her hair across her face with one hand.
One hand on the scooter.
One hand holding her hair.
Head slightly lowered.
Maximum suspicious behavior.
If anything, she probably looked more noticeable now.
Still—
what exactly was she supposed to tell those reporters?
Leo was the one who had said her name.
Why was she supposed to explain it?
And Leo's fandom was enormous.
If she accidentally said something that could be interpreted the wrong way, she could wake up tomorrow to thousands of angry messages.
No, thank you.
There was no money in that.
Only risk.
Emma had just begun to relax when someone shouted,
"Emma!"
Her shoulders stiffened.
"Wait! That's Emma Carter, isn't it?"
"I think it is!"
Emma looked back.
Several people were running toward her.
Definitely not reporters this time.
Leo fans.
Their intentions?
Unknown.
Their emotional stability?
Also unknown.
Emma's scalp practically tingled.
Wonderful.
She hadn't become a celebrity, but apparently she'd unlocked the celebrity experience anyway.
Emma twisted the throttle as far as it would go.
The scooter—
did not go any faster.
"What?"
She looked down at the display.
Low battery.
Emma's eyes widened.
"You've got to be kidding me."
She'd forgotten to charge it last night.
Of course.
Of course this was when the battery decided to die.
Then—
"Emma!"
A familiar voice cut through the noise.
Emma turned.
Red sports car.
Blue hair.
There was only one person it could possibly be.
Adrian Mercer.
Adrian had never cared much about celebrity gossip online.
Ryan had been the one who told him what was happening at Nance University.
So naturally—
Adrian had dragged Ryan along.
They'd arrived just in time to see Emma being chased down the street.
Adrian slowed the car beside her.
"Get in!"
Emma looked at him.
"What about my scooter?"
Adrian stared at her.
Then looked toward the passenger seat.
Ryan followed his gaze.
"No."
Adrian pointed at the scooter.
"You ride it."
Ryan stared at him.
"Are you serious?"
"Very."
"Dude, I'm your wingman."
Adrian glanced at the crowd closing in behind them.
"Exactly. Do your job."
Ryan:
"......"
For friendship.
For loyalty.
For this idiot's disastrous love life.
Ryan would make the sacrifice.
The sports car stopped.
He climbed out with all the enthusiasm of a man approaching his own execution.
Emma quickly switched places.
Before getting into Adrian's car, she gave Ryan a grateful smile.
"Thanks. I'll buy you dinner sometime."
Ryan looked at the tiny pink scooter.
Then at Emma.
"I'm holding you to that."
Emma climbed in.
Adrian hit the gas.
The red sports car disappeared down the road.
Ryan stood beside the pink scooter.
Silence.
Then he looked down at it.
His dignity quietly left his body.
The scooter was still faster than running.
So by the time the fans finally caught up, Emma was long gone.
To be fair, none of them had actually intended to do anything to her.
Most of them had just wanted to see the mysterious girl from the livestream with their own eyes.
Instead, they found a grown man riding a tiny pink scooter.
Everyone slowed down.
Ryan looked at them.
They looked at Ryan.
Ryan:
"......"
One girl blinked.
"Wait."
Another stared at him.
"Is that Emma?"
"No way."
Someone pointed at the scooter.
"But that's hers!"
Another girl's eyes widened.
"Wait—is that Princess Vivienne?"
"What?"
"Was he wearing a wig onstage?!"
Ryan closed his eyes.
God.
Please.
Take him now.
About a mile away from campus, the crowds finally disappeared.
Adrian slowed the car.
At a red light, he turned toward Emma.
Then stopped.
For a second, he forgot what he'd been about to say.
He'd never seen her dressed like this before.
The floral dress.
Loose hair.
Barely any makeup.
Relaxed.
Effortless.
And somehow—
ridiculously beautiful.
Adrian stared.
Emma noticed.
"What?"
Adrian recovered.
Then grinned.
"Emma Carter."
He rested one hand casually on the steering wheel.
"How many more surprises are you hiding from me?"
He was in trouble.
Seriously.
Every time he thought he couldn't like her more—
she did something else.
Emma smiled.
"What you're seeing is branding."
Adrian blinked.
"Branding?"
"Of course."
She gestured at herself.
"Pretty dress. Nice hair. Cute smile. Carefully maintained public image."
Then she leaned back comfortably.
"The real me wears old sweatpants, hasn't washed her hair in two days, and goes out at midnight for greasy tacos."
Adrian pictured it.
Still cute.
Possibly cuter.
Emma didn't have to maintain the old devoted-admirer persona around him anymore.
Their arrangement was over.
Which meant, ironically, Adrian was now seeing far more of the real Emma than he ever had while she was supposedly in love with him.
Adrian tugged absently at the silver chain around his neck.
"You keep talking like you're some wise older woman."
Emma looked at him.
"I am older than you."
"By a few months."
"Still older."
"That doesn't count."
"It absolutely counts."
Emma pointed at him.
"Respect your elders, kid."
Adrian's face darkened.
"Don't call me kid."
Emma smiled sweetly.
"Sure, kid."
Adrian:
"......"
She was doing this on purpose.
Emma was quite pleased with herself.
Good.
Keep emphasizing the age difference.
Keep putting him in the younger-guy category.
Maybe eventually he'd get the message.
Adrian, meanwhile, was thinking about something entirely different.
A few months isn't even an age gap.
If anything—
dating an older woman sounded kind of hot.
Emma glanced out the window, completely unaware that her strategy had just failed catastrophically.
A few seconds later, Adrian asked,
"So..."
Emma looked over.
"Do you actually know Leo Fontaine?"
There it was.
Human beings were curious creatures.
Adrian was no exception.
Emma shrugged.
"Nope."
Adrian stared at her.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
His eyes widened.
"Holy shit."
Emma frowned.
"What?"
Adrian gripped the steering wheel.
"Does Leo Fontaine have a crush on you?"
Another rival?
Already?
Emma rolled her eyes.
"Do you think we're in a TV drama?"
Adrian said nothing.
That was not a no.
And he did not like that.
At all.
Emma had dismissed it easily.
Adrian couldn't.
Leo Fontaine wasn't some random guy.
He was rich.
Successful.
Famous.
Good-looking.
And apparently capable of remembering Emma's name after forgetting Chloe's.
Adrian's internal threat assessment increased dramatically.
He decided he didn't want to talk about Leo anymore.
So he changed the subject.
"I didn't know you could act like that."
Emma glanced at him.
"I knew you were an acting major, obviously. I just figured..."
Adrian hesitated.
"You figured I sucked?"
"I was going to phrase it more politely."
"No, you weren't."
Adrian grinned.
"Probably not."
He'd assumed she'd taken the internship because acting wasn't working out for her.
Apparently he'd been very wrong.
A new thought immediately appeared in his mind.
He should meet more people in film.
Producers.
Investors.
Studio executives.
If Emma wanted to act, he could introduce her to people.
Find opportunities for her.
Maybe even invest in something himself.
Adrian's mood improved.
Then another thought followed.
Where the hell was Lawrence tonight?
Wasn't he supposed to be Emma's boyfriend?
His girlfriend had just been surrounded by reporters and chased by fans, and Lawrence hadn't even shown up.
Pathetic.
Completely irresponsible.
Good.
That gave Adrian an opening.
He almost smiled.
Emma, meanwhile, was looking out the window.
Adrian glanced at her.
Then asked casually,
"Ryan told me something about Lawrence."
Emma turned back.
"What?"
Adrian rested one arm against the window, trying very hard to sound uninterested.
"He apparently has some woman he's never gotten over."
Emma immediately knew who he meant.
Isabelle.
Adrian continued,
"I mean, come on. A guy who's still hung up on another woman?"
He shook his head.
"Can't exactly be boyfriend of the year, can he?"
Emma immediately frowned.
"You can't say that."
Adrian nearly missed the light.
"What?"
Emma looked completely serious.
"You don't know the whole story."
Of course Lawrence needed Isabelle.
No Isabelle, no jealousy.
No jealousy, no $500-an-hour Emma.
This was basic economics.
Adrian stared at her.
He had just handed her the perfect opportunity to criticize Lawrence.
And she'd defended him.
Again.
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
"Emma."
"What?"
"Why are you impossible?"
Emma blinked innocently.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Adrian dragged one hand through his blue hair.
This woman was going to drive him insane.