Someone had gifted Miyu a hundred Garden of Roses all at once. An entire million spent on gifts by one single person.It was shocking and totally unexpected.The notification appeared on screen like a thunderbolt, the digital flowers exploding across Miyu's stream in a cascade of gold and crimson. For a moment, the chat went silent. Then it exploded.It shook the entire streaming service. No one had ever received that amount in gifts in the history of Ourtube.The previous record had been seven hundred thousand dollars, and that had been spread over an entire year. A million dollars in a single transaction was unprecedented, almost impossible.The executives were immediately alerted thanks to an in-company mechanism that informed them when a high purchase was made. Alarms went off in the monitoring room. Supervisors rushed to their screens. The head of operations, a harried woman named Mrs. Chen, nearly choked on her coffee."Someone just spent a million dollars on a single streamer,"

When Leo Kang had gotten the message requesting a call between him and Lucas Scott, he had not been surprised in the least. In fact, he had expected it.The streaming war between Selene and Miyu had been the talk of the entertainment industry for the entire day. Everyone with even a passing interest in Ruby City's celebrity scene were focused on this budding rivalry, some people had even placed bets on how the spectacular showdown on Ourtube would end. And Leo Kang, as the founder and CEO of the platform, had been watching it all unfold with keen interest.He did not consider ignoring Lucas call. The Scott family was an important one, influential and powerful. They had connections that stretched across industries, from entertainment to real estate to politics. There was no way he could get away with insulting them by not speaking to Lucas. So he had allowed his secretary to arrange the call.The phone rang at exactly the appointed time. Leo settled into his leather chair, took a sip

I'm sorry, Annie, but you can't get in." The assistant blocked Annie's path to the Peach studio with a firm stance that left no room for negotiation.The Peach Studio was the best studio among all the studios in the Hitmaker building, it was also the studio which was usually reserved for Annie.Annie, whose nose had been high up in the sky, pulled off her designer glasses and looked down at the lowly assistant standing before her. The woman was dressed in a simple way, her hair pulled back in a no-nonsense bun. She was nothing. Less than nothing. And yet she dared to block Annie's path.'So because Marcus has abandoned ship, even these roaches think they can talk down on me, a whole Annie? Talked to by this cretin?'Annie fumed at the insult, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palm. This was unacceptable. Completely and utterly unacceptable. She was Annie. She had been at the top of Hitmaker’s Entertainment's roster for years. She had sold out concerts, released hit singl

As soon as Annie was out of the office, Miyu's bravado deflated like a punctured balloon. Her shoulders dropped, her chin lowered, and the fire in her eyes flickered into something softer, more uncertain. She tried to leave Reed's side, her steps quick and flustered, but he tugged her hand, causing her to fall into his lap.Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened as if shocked to find herself in Reed's arms. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe, forgot how to think, forgot everything except the warmth of his body beneath hers."Mr. Hawke," she protested, even though her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. She placed her hands on his chest, trying to push herself up, but her arms felt weak, useless."You were brazen and ready to tear Annie's face off just a minute ago," Reed said, unable to resist teasing her. "But now you've turned into a shy kitten. What happened to the fierce warrior who stormed in here to rescue me?"The result amused him. Colour leapt onto her cheeks and spre

Reed looked through the pictures on his desk, his expression unreadable. Even though the person's face was shielded by the hoodie and oversized glasses they had on, he knew who it was. The posture, the walk, the desperate energy, it was unmistakable.After her disastrous attempt at seduction, Reed had wondered what her next step would be. Apparently he was looking at it.The other set of photos showed a refined-looking young man in fine clothes stepping out of the same location as the person with the hoodie. Lucas Scott. The heir to the Scott family fortune, the man who had destroyed Miyu's career, the man who had slept with Selene. The man who thought he was untouchable."This is the video feed of the secretary's table," Lara said and placed a tablet on Reed's desk. Her movements were precise, professional, betraying none of the curiosity that burned in her eyes.Reed watched as Annie looked left and right before taking a photo of something on the secretary's desk. The footage was