All Chapters of My Superstar System: Rise To Stardom: Chapter 131
- Chapter 140
160 chapters
131
Compared to the others, this one had been smooth from the start.The moment Alex reached out, she agreed to jump on the record. No hesitation. No drawn-out negotiations. Her team worked efficiently, and with Anna handling the details, everything moved without friction.Barbie Sandra brought a different energy to the song. Something softer, more emotional, but still controlled. Her voice layered perfectly over the production, adding depth that the track needed.It balanced the intensity of the other songs.A moment to breathe.Finally, his attention landed on the last track.“Diamond.”This one had taken the most thought.For a long time, Alex wasn’t sure who belonged on it. The song had a certain weight, a presence that demanded the right voice. The wrong feature would ruin it completely.Then Anna stepped in.She had walked into his studio one afternoon, calm as ever, and asked him to send her the record. No explanation.Three days later, she came back. And everything changed.Draco
132
"I'm just doing some finishing touches on part two before moving on to part three," she replied."Can I take a look?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice."Sure. Come in." She invited him inside and led him over to her bed.Alex picked up the first book and opened it. He had barely read two pages before he was already hooked."I think I'm going to like this story. Can I take the first book with me? I want to read it in my room. I’ll bring it back once I'm done," he said."Of course, of course. You can even take both if you want," she replied, clearly excited that Alex was interested in her story."It's alright. I’ll just take one. Take care, and tell me if you need anything," he said before leaving the room.Alex went straight to his room. The moment he closed the door, he broke into a small victory dance before dropping onto his bed and diving into the treasure in his hands.A knock sounded at his door."Come in," he called out."It's me, Lulu. Miss Anna is here to see you," she
133
Alex didn’t think it through. If he had, he probably would have stopped himself. But in that moment, with her right there looking at him, all composed thoughts slipped away.He leaned in.Anna’s eyes widened slightly. Her hand came up instinctively, pressing lightly against his chest.“Alex—”But she didn’t push him away.Not fully.There was hesitation in her, a brief resistance, like she was weighing something. Then her grip loosened.And she didn’t move back.That was all it took.Their lips met.At first, it was uncertain. Careful. Testing.Then it deepened.Time seemed to stretch as the kiss lingered, neither of them pulling away. Alex’s hand moved from where it rested at her side, sliding slowly along her waist. His fingers pressed slightly, drawing her closer, closing whatever little space remained between them.Anna’s fingers tightened around his shirt, her earlier resistance fading, her body no longer leaning away.The kiss grew heavier.Warmer.Alex’s hand didn’t stop.It sh
134
Alex looked through the mails he had been receiving. Many of them were from studios inviting him to audition for their movies.He calmly archived them. He didn’t want to appear in any movie or series right now.His gaze shifted to the table, where Mandy’s book lay. He picked it up, stood, and walked out of his room.He reached her door and knocked.“I’m coming. Give me a few seconds,” Mandy’s voice called from inside. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing her bright smile.“Good morning,” she said.“Morning, Mandy. I read your book yesterday,” he replied.“Really? How is it? Do you like it?” she asked, her face lighting up with excitement.“Yes. Very much,” he said with a nod.Her smile widened, delight spilling through her expression.“Come inside,” she said, stepping aside. She closed the door behind him as he entered.Alex sat on the only sofa in the room while she hurried to pull a chair from her reading desk. She placed it in front of him and sat down, barely able to con
135
Anna couldn’t get a wink of sleep that night. The scene from earlier kept replaying in her mind.Did he really like her? For all she knew, it could just be infatuation. Anyone would assume that, given her feelings for him, she would accept his advance.But Anna didn’t see it that way. She would rather keep her feelings buried forever than risk him realizing that what he felt for her was only infatuation and walking away. She wasn’t young enough for that kind of drama. Besides, she had already accepted dying single. It was her fate, and she embraced it.The next evening, after collecting the necessary documents from the court, she went to his house with Alex’s private lawyer.The house help, Lulu, opened the door and let them in. After greeting Alex, Anna handed him the contract she had prepared.Alex flipped through it, nodding. “Great. This is solid. The upfront alone can change her life before the movie is even produced. And the backend deal too. Let’s call her.”“Lulu!”“Yes, Mr. A
136
The contract was signed. Everything settled.The money was transferred to Mandy immediately, paid in full without delay. The lawyer didn’t linger. He gathered his things and left. Mandy returned to her bedroom, leaving only Anna and Alex behind.Anna picked up her handbag. “I’ll be going now. I still have other things to do.”“Wait, Anna. We need to talk.” Alex stepped in before she could move.She paused, turning back to him. “Talk? About what?”“You know what I’m talking about. Yesterday.” His brows tightened.“Yesterday?” she asked, calm and blank. “What about it?”Alex let out a short breath. “Are we really doing this?” He shook his head. “Fine. I’ll be direct. What I said yesterday, I meant it. I’m not asking you to accept it just because I said I like you.”He took a step closer, voice steady but strained. “I know it might not be easy for you either. But don’t dismiss it like it’s just some random infatuation. That… hurts.”Anna watched him for a second, then nodded lightly. “Al
137
Anna felt it, the weight behind his words, the sincerity woven into them. Guilt crept in despite herself.The truth was, she wasn’t rejecting him because she didn’t feel anything.She was rejecting him because she did.But she wasn’t looking for something uncertain. She wanted something that would last, something that could lead somewhere real. And to her, Alex was still too young for that.She exhaled quietly. “Then tell me this… what made you walk away from Amber and Mara so easily?”Alex didn’t hesitate.“They’re not ready to build a family.”That answer alone made her look up.“I’m an orphan, Anna.” His voice dropped, raw this time. “I want to marry early. Latest, twenty. I want a family. Something real. Something that’s mine.” His jaw tightened. “I’ve never had that. Not once.”Silence stretched between them.Anna’s eyes sharpened slightly. “So that’s it? You want me because I fit that? Someone to settle down with quickly?”“What?” Alex frowned. “No.”He stepped forward, firm.“I
138
Thankfully, no car was behind them, so he turned easily and sped back the way they had come.The sedan didn’t hesitate. It followed.“They’re still on us,” Jude said, his voice tight as he twisted in his seat to look back.Alex didn’t respond immediately. His eyes stayed on the road, steady, calculating. “They were never trying to hide,” he said after a moment. “They’re confident.”As if to prove his point, the sedan suddenly accelerated, closing the gap fast.“They’re coming!” Jude snapped.“I can see that.”The road ahead split in two. One led back to the main highway, brighter, safer. The other dipped under an overpass, narrower, dim, barely lit.Alex took the second one without hesitation.Jude’s stomach dropped. “Alex…”“Relax,” he said calmly. “Just watch.”Behind them, the sedan followed them into the service road.“Perfect,” one of the men muttered. “No one around.”Alex’s gaze swept forward, scanning. Then he saw it.A large truck was slowly edging out from a side entrance ah
139
Alex smiled faintly. There was no real reason behind it. He hadn’t told anyone simply because he had been tired, and by the time he got back, it was already late, so he went straight to bed.“It’s alright. I was just tired yesterday, and it was already late, so I didn’t bother anyone,” he said calmly.Anna looked at him, her expression firm.“That’s not the point. If something like that happens again, you call. No matter what.”She didn’t stop there.“And I told you to stop going out alone. Why do you think we got two cars and hired four securities? You’re not supposed to move like that anymore,” she said, her tone sharpening slightly. “We’ll add two more cars. From now on, you’ll always have escorts behind you.”Alex remained silent. Her tone alone made it clear there would be no argument. He knew that once she spoke like this, there was no room for compromise.A few minutes later, the conversation shifted to other things, though the earlier tension still lingered faintly in the air.
140
Today in Grace Orphanage.The caretakers of the orphanage went about their usual routines, moving through the compound with practiced ease.Then the sound of engines broke the rhythm.Two sleek black cars pulled into the orphanage, their presence immediately drawing the attention of the orphans.The children froze for a brief moment, then excitement spread through them. Many abandoned what they were doing and gathered around.They had been conditioned to recognize expensive cars as a sign of more food or something better. People who arrived in such cars either brought plenty of food items or left behind the promise of better meals the next day, often with meat.It had been the pattern most of the time, though not always.Not far away, the Matron stepped out, followed by a caretaker. They had heard the disturbance in the compound and came out to see what was happening.When they spotted the two expensive cars, they chose to wait instead of approaching directly. It would be improper.Th