436-440

*Chapter 436: A Piece of Good News*

The next day, the front page of The Hollywood Express featured a photo of him with Nora, standing together and talking, looking quite close. The article gave a brief summary of Luca’s past rumors, from Britney, Jessica, Bündchen, to Aniston, Scarlett, Lindsay Lohan, and now Nora.

This year, Nora had won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards with her hit single "Sunrise" from the album Feels Like Home, along with two other awards, becoming a popular star.

The newspaper didn’t directly criticize him, but between the lines, it implied that he was shameless, always getting involved with whoever was famous.

After reading the article, Luca shook his head. Yesterday, there was an old man next to them, but he had been mercilessly cropped out of the photo, leaving just the two of them and creating a space for endless speculation.

By noon, the entertainment news channel had released the same photo, suggesting that the two might be dating.

After the news aired, his MSN page was flooded with unfriendly comments.

Things like “Here comes the scumbag, Nora, run!” or “Scumbag, go back to Brazil,” and “Please leave my idol alone, she’s still just a kid. Come at me instead!”—some even directly cursing at him.

The online comments were too harsh, so he had to close the comment section.

"Luca, what's with the picture?"

Ed called to ask.

"Yesterday, Nora, Director Wang, and I were talking about a script and got caught by paparazzi."

Luca briefly explained what happened.

"Sigh, this kind of rumor seems easy to clarify, but the impact isn’t good. You have too much history, even if I immediately start damage control and say you were discussing work, people will still speculate. You’re probably going to gain more haters."

Ed said helplessly.

"It’s fine, just explain as best as you can. Worst case, we can use this to promote the new movie ahead of time."

Luca was also a bit helpless. Ever since becoming a B-list actor, he didn’t like getting caught in scandals. Too many rumors could lead to misunderstandings, like with Director Li An, who said Luca had potential but didn’t work hard enough, citing the frequent gossip as evidence. A serious actor doesn’t always get caught in rumors, right?

After hanging up with Ed, he made calls to Kate, Lima, and Britney to explain briefly. Kate and Lima didn’t care since they’d seen these kinds of stories so many times, they were numb to them. They just asked him to return to New York soon as the Victoria’s Secret show was about to start.

Britney also wanted him back quickly because she had some good news to share.

The next day, Luca returned to New York and walked into Britney’s recording studio.

"Hey, Luca, congrats on catching another one!"

At the studio door, he ran into Christina, who teased him loudly.

Luca shook his head. "Christina, congratulations to you too. I heard you got engaged."

Last month, Christina had gotten engaged to music producer Brett Mann.

"Thanks!"

Christina flashed the diamond ring on her ring finger with a smile. "Luca, when are you going to put a ring on Britney?"

"When the time is right."

"Such a lame answer, totally what a scumbag would say."

Christina pouted. "Good thing I didn’t fall for you back then; otherwise, I’d be as miserable as Britney. So, Luca, thanks for letting me go."

"No need to thank me; I never saw you as prey."

"What do you mean by that?!"

Christina glared up at him.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I’m not a hunter, so why would I see you as prey?"

Christina rolled her eyes, too tired to keep arguing with him.

"Luca, did you come to the studio to explain things to Britney?"

"No need, Britney knows it’s fake and doesn’t care."

"Hmph, Britney’s too naive, treating a scumbag like treasure. She’ll regret it one day."

Christina declared confidently.

Luca shook his head. "You’re not her, so how do you know she’ll regret it? You’ve never had me, so how can you know whether I’m a scumbag or a treasure?"

"I just know! For a woman to be happy with a man, she needs this." Christina waved her ring again.

"No, no!"

Luca wiggled his finger. "This doesn’t mean anything. Mark my words: one day, when you take off that ring, Britney and I will still be together."

"Impossible! Joe and I are truly in love, and we’ll never split."

Christina declared firmly.

Luca smiled. He hadn’t been sure how long her marriage would last, but hearing her say that, he felt it wouldn’t last long.

"Christina, I wish you and Joe everlasting happiness. Good luck!"

He gave her a fist bump and walked away.

"That jerk! Why do I feel so unsettled after hearing him?"

Christina sighed as she watched him walk away.

"Luca!"

Suddenly, she called out.

"What’s up?"

Luca stopped and asked.

Christina hesitated for a moment. "Did you ever—oh, never mind. I’m leaving!"

"Goodbye!"

Luca waved and pushed open the door to Britney’s studio.

"Touch me

Won't you hold me close?

And then we kiss

Your love comes alive on my lips…"

The speakers played Britney’s sensual voice. The song was one she’d recently written, And Then We Kiss, inspired by a kiss they’d shared under the northern lights, surrounded by snow and ice.

After kissing for a while, Britney had suddenly pushed him away and run inside to write the song.

Luca, now the inspiration tool, felt a bit dejected and had immediately written Let It Go to get even.

Seeing Britney recording, he didn’t want to interrupt her—though to be fair, he couldn’t have entered even if he wanted to.

Ever since his last visit, there had been a sign on the door: "No Unauthorized Entry, Especially Luca Kelly."

He smirked and sat in the waiting room, reading the newspaper.

"Luca, you're here!"

Half an hour later, Britney walked into the waiting room, dressed casually in a white hoodie and jeans.

"I didn’t disturb your work, did I?"

Luca asked, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"No, I have some good news to tell you!"

Britney leaned against him, smiling brightly.

"What’s the good news?"

"Emm~"

Britney blinked but then fell silent.

"I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it."

"Your good news is my good news. If you’re happy about it, then I’ll be happy too."

Luca cupped her face and kissed her.

"Go on, tell me!"

"Emm~ I’m pregnant!"

"Pregnant? Really?"

Luca touched her stomach.

"It’s true. Last week, my period was late. Felicia noticed something off and had Dr. Liz check me. The results came back, and I’m pregnant."

Britney clung tightly to him. "Darling, do you like it?"

"Haha, of course! What could be more wonderful?"

Luca kissed her forehead, and they snuggled on the couch.

"Ahem~"

Felicia walked in with a stern look on her face.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 437: A Series of Surprises Catches Luca Off Guard

Cough, cough!

Felicia walked in, her face cold as she stared at the two of them.

"Felicia, is something wrong?"

Luca and Britney quickly sat up straight.

Felicia glanced at Britney before turning her gaze to Luca, staring at him for over ten seconds. Her eyes grew colder, like sharp knives, making him feel uneasy.

"Felicia, if you have something to say, just say it. Please don’t look at me like that."

"Hmph~"

Felicia crossed her arms and asked with a frosty tone, "Luca, are you happy that Britney is pregnant?"

"Yes, I’m going to be a dad. I’m happy. Shouldn't I be?"

Britney smiled slightly and held his hand.

Seeing the two still acting lovey-dovey, Felicia snorted coldly, "Can’t you both see how serious this is? Britney is pregnant out of wedlock. If this gets exposed, how will Britney face her family? How will she face the media? How will she face her millions of fans?"

This question gave Luca a headache.

"It’s okay. I can retire for a while and secretly have the baby," Britney said.

"Secretly?"

Felicia let out a chuckle. "Do you not know the paparazzi out there? They can figure out your menstrual cycle from your trash. Do you really think you can hide something as big as a pregnancy from them?"

Britney had no response.

"So hiding it won’t work. You two need to face reality as soon as possible," Felicia continued, looking at Luca. "Luca, you’re a man. This is the time for you to step up and take responsibility. Are you really going to make Britney secretly give birth and raise a child on her own, facing public criticism alone?"

"I won’t..."

Luca didn't know what to say. He couldn’t give a promise, and he had no perfect solution. He hadn’t even considered abortion—that wasn’t an option for him. He just regretted not taking precautions at the time.

"Luca, you understand how influential Britney is. If the news of her pregnancy gets out, the first person people will think of is you. How do you think the public will view you? Do you think anyone will still want to watch your movies?"

Luca started to sweat.

"The best way to solve this is for you to establish a relationship before the news breaks. Become Britney’s real boyfriend, or fiancé. If you can get married, even better. You can keep acting, and Britney can keep singing. Nothing will change."

"Marriage?"

Luca’s head spun. He had never seriously considered marriage, at least not yet. Now, he felt trapped. He could either face the problem head-on or run away, but neither choice seemed ideal.

"Felicia, stop it. As long as I can be with Luca and our baby, marriage doesn’t matter," Britney said.

"Be quiet! You’re a superstar. Do you realize how big the impact of this will be? If this goes public, every media outlet worldwide will report it. Everyone will talk about it. It could even cause a media frenzy.

"So, you two have two choices: formalize your relationship or..."

"Absolutely not!" Britney interrupted, furious. "Felicia, I will never do that. My body, my soul, and my faith would never allow it. Even if I stop singing, I’m going to have this baby."

Felicia shook her head. "Then Luca, what’s your decision?"

Luca stayed silent.

Even after leaving the studio building, Luca hadn’t given an answer. He wandered down the stairs, across the street.

He had no idea how he left the studio, how he walked down the stairs, or crossed the street. His mind was entirely consumed by Felicia’s two options: marriage or abortion.

He wouldn’t consider abortion, but marriage?

Marrying Britney would mean breaking up with Lima.

He hadn’t planned on breaking up, and he hadn’t planned on getting married. But now, he had to choose.

Go left or go right?

He stood at the intersection, looking both ways. No matter which path he chose, someone would get hurt. And he didn’t want to hurt either of them.

What should he do?

It was a prisoner’s dilemma.

Honk! Honk! Honk!

A large truck roared toward him from the right, blaring its horn.

Luca looked over. The truck didn’t slow down. The wind howled as it sped forward. In five seconds, his body would fly, and all his problems would disappear.

"Get out of the way!" someone shouted.

Luca didn’t move.

Honk! Honk! Honk!

The truck raced forward, and the crowd gasped in horror.

At the last second, Luca stepped back. The truck whizzed past, brushing his nose, the gust of wind scattering his long hair.

Skreeeech

The truck screeched to a halt. The driver leaned out the window, cursing.

"Damn fool! If you want to die, go die somewhere else..."

Luca put on sunglasses, pulled out a folding cane, and tapped the ground as he crossed the street.

The driver blinked. "A blind man?"

"A blind man?"

The surrounding crowd was also surprised.

Luca tapped his cane along the road, walking slowly from the East Side to the Upper West Side. He walked for hours until the sun set, finally returning to 76th Street.

"Luca, you’re finally back!"

In the hallway, Miranda stood with her hands on her hips, looking annoyed.

"I was practicing my acting."

Luca took off his sunglasses and folded his cane. "I have a role as a blind man, so I needed to experience it."

"Fine, I’ll let you off. Come in quickly. There’s some good news to announce!"

Miranda smiled, showing off her dimples.

"What good news?"

Luca hung up his coat and asked.

"You’ll find out soon enough. Follow me!"

Inside the dining room, Kate and Lima were there, both wearing aprons and setting up a large meal. There was also wine and cake on the table.

"Is today a special day?"

Thanksgiving had just passed, Christmas was still a ways off, and it wasn’t anyone’s birthday, so Luca was puzzled.

"I told you there’s good news. Lima, you tell him!"

Miranda nudged Lima’s shoulder with a grin.

"Now?"

Lima bit her lip, clearly nervous.

"Go on, Lima!" Kate encouraged her.

"Say it!"

For some reason, Luca suddenly felt nervous too.

"Luca! I..."

Lima giggled behind her hand.

"Stop laughing and just say it! If you don’t, I will!" Miranda said impatiently.

"Stop talking!" Kate pulled her aside.

Lima laughed again, then, blushing, placed her hand over her stomach. "Luca, I’m pregnant. We’re having a baby!"

Luca froze. "Really?"

"Yes, during rehearsal today, Lima wasn’t feeling well, so we took her for a checkup. It turns out she’s been pregnant for over a month," Kate explained.

"Ha! Lima is so careless. She’s been pregnant for a month and didn’t even know," Miranda laughed.

"I’ve been so busy lately that I completely forgot," Lima admitted with an embarrassed smile.

"This... this is amazing!"

Luca’s smile wavered as he reached out to touch Lima’s belly. His feelings were complicated. Just earlier, this same hand had been on Britney’s belly, feeling for another new life.

"It’s only been a month, what are you feeling for?" Miranda teased.

Luca shook his head. "Lima, it’s going to be tough for you."

"It’s no trouble. I love kids!" Lima smiled, holding his hand.

"I love kids too!" Miranda added.

"Alright, let’s celebrate!" Kate said with a smile.

Pop! 

Miranda sprayed champagne everywhere.

The dining room filled with laughter as the champagne flew. Everyone wore bright smiles.

Luca smiled too, but his mind was in chaos.

Standing at the crossroads, should he go left or right?

He still didn’t know.

Maybe not stepping back from that truck would have been the best choice.

Ring, ring, ring...

Later that night, while Luca was in his study, reflecting, his phone rang. It was a call from Miss Theron.

"Hey, Luca, I’ve got some good news!"

Thud! Luca dropped his phone. The battery popped out.

He scrambled on the floor to find his phone, sweat dripping from his forehead. This was the third piece of good news. Did she also...

He couldn’t help but think back to the night before the premiere of North Country in October.

Doing the math, it had been over a month. What if she was pregnant too?

He clutched his chest, feeling like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Sally, what’s the good news?"

He finally found his phone, his voice trembling as he asked.

(Chapter ends.)

*Chapter 438: No Fun If You Don’t Fight Back*

"Sally, what’s the good news?"

"Luca, why did you throw your phone just now?"

"No, it slipped. So, what’s the good news?"

"I forgot!"

"…"

"Haha, fine. The good news is… wait, why are you out of breath? What are you doing?"

"I just finished some push-ups."

"Pure push-ups?"

"What else?"

Luca smirked.

"Can a scumbag like you even do pure push-ups? I find that hard to believe."

"…"

Luca felt suffocated. "Sally, just tell me. Whatever it is, I can handle it."

"…You can handle anything? What’s that supposed to mean? I’m sharing good news, so why do you sound like a criminal waiting for a verdict?"

Ms. Theron chuckled.

Luca wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Alright, let’s get straight to it. Are you… pregnant?"

"…"

The phone went silent. Then, heavy breathing.

"Bastard! What nonsense are you talking about? Who told you I’m pregnant?"

Ms. Theron gritted her teeth as she spoke.

"Aren’t you? I just saw a news article online saying you’re pregnant, and then you called me right after…”

Luca silently patted himself on the back for being clever.

"You believe everything you read online? And even if I were pregnant, what does that have to do with you? Why would I call you?"

"Alright then, so what’s your good news?"

"I don’t want to tell you anymore. The only thing I want to do now is beat you up. Until then, I don’t want to talk to you."

Beep beep~ The call was disconnected.

Luca shook his head and called back, only to be hung up on again.

After thinking for a while, he opened his laptop to search for news on No Compromise.

No Compromise had been out for five weeks and had grossed $65.27 million at the box office. For an indie film, those numbers were pretty good news.

Ms. Theron must have called to talk about that.

Ding~

Luca received a message.

"Those two babies at Jenny’s place are yours, right?"

Ms. Theron asked.

Luca smiled bitterly. George did look like him, and anyone who had seen the babies could easily guess who the father was. It was a secret that couldn’t be kept for long.

"What’s going on, Sally?"

He neither confirmed nor denied it.

"Haha, so it’s true. I heard Jennifer had a hard time getting pregnant. How did you guys manage?"

"…I don’t know!"

It only took one try. What else could he say? Should he admit that time she had been the one to make the move, and it just hit the target?

"Alright, I believe Jenny’s story now. Catherine and George must be gifts from God. They’re so beautiful, like little angels. If I had such babies, I’d hold them all day and do nothing else."

"Hold them all day? That sounds like a horror story."

Bastard!!

At a party in Los Angeles, Ms. Theron, in high heels, had a dangerous glint in her eye.

"…Hey, when are you free?"

She gripped her phone tightly, angrily typing out her words.

"What’s up?"

Luca asked.

Ms. Theron gritted her teeth. "I miss you!" I really, really want to beat you up.

"No time lately, been super busy."

Luca sighed, already feeling stressed again.

"Next time you’re here, call me. Over!"

Ms. Theron held back her anger and put away her phone.

"Okay!"

After replying, Luca leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and thought about the situations with Lima and Britney. It had become an unsolvable mess. How could he fix it?

If it couldn’t be solved, and he couldn’t delay it any longer, what should he do?

It was such a headache!

He should have listened to Ed and just been a faithful man. Then, he wouldn’t have this problem.

Knock knock!

The door was pushed open, and Kate walked in.

"What are you doing?"

Kate asked.

"Just thinking."

Luca rubbed his temples.

"You look troubled. Spill it, what’s bugging you?"

Kate walked over and pressed down on his head.

"Umm, how should I say it?"

"Just say it! Hurry up!"

Kate knocked on his head.

"Don’t hit me!"

Luca rubbed the spot where she hit him and hesitated. "It’s about the kids."

"Don’t tell me you don’t want kids. If you even think about hurting those kids, I’ll destroy you!"

Kate said coldly.

"Of course not, I love kids."

"Then what’s bothering you? Hurry up and say it. If you keep stalling, I’ll hit you again."

Kate impatiently clenched her fists.

"Okay, okay, calm down!"

Luca thought for a moment and finally said, "Britney is also…"

"Britney’s also pregnant?!"

Kate exclaimed.

Luca nodded, with a bitter smile.

"Both at the same time?"

Kate asked, curious.

"No, Lima was first. Britney must’ve gotten pregnant during our last trip. But I found out about both today."

"Two pregnancies at once? Are you some kind of stud?"

Kate grabbed his ear and muttered under her breath, "Now that they’re both pregnant, what are you going to do? You can’t marry them both, can you?"

"I don’t know!"

Luca said in frustration.

"You don’t know? Then why’d you go around causing trouble? You can’t put out two fires at once. Are you trying to burn to death? Ugh, you’re so infuriating!"

Kate suddenly pulled him up and kicked his leg. Caught off guard, Luca fell to the floor.

"Stop hitting me!"

Luca cried, covering his head.

"Why shouldn’t I? Don’t you think you deserve it? You mess with women’s bodies and feelings, and now that there’s a problem, you can’t even fix it. I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of all women!"

Bam bam bam~

Kate unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks on him.

"Kate, why are you hitting him again?"

At the door, Miranda blinked her big eyes at Luca, looking at his sorry state. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud, laughing so hard she squatted down.

"Kate, why are you beating him up again?"

Lima, dressed in a nightgown, walked in.

"Do I need a reason? We always said that for every scandal, he gets a beating. This time, he got involved in a rumor with Nora. Shouldn’t he be punished?"

"I was just talking business with Nora."

"Shut up!"

Kate kicked him again and pushed him down, rubbing him against the floor.

"Rules are rules. You know you attract scandals, so you should be more careful when you’re around women. But you weren’t. Now there’s a scandal, so don’t you deserve a beating?"

"He does! Hit him, hit him!"

Miranda cheered.

"Lima, join in. We should’ve done this earlier."

Kate suggested.

"It’s no fun if he doesn’t fight back."

Lima laughed.

Kate nodded. "Luca, how about you stand up and fight back?"

"…"

"Hurry up and get up!"

Luca had no choice but to stand up with a pained expression.

"Eww, Luca, are you really going to fight back? Lima’s pregnant. Are you planning to hit her?"

Miranda sneered.

"…I’m not!"

"Scumbag!"

Miranda snorted. "Kate, Lima, hold on. I’ll be right back!"

Thump thump thump!

Miranda ran off.

Thump thump thump!

Miranda came back, holding three baseball bats.

"Here!"

She handed two bats to Kate and Lima. "It’s less tiring with these!"

"…"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 439: Will You Really Become a Good Man?*

After getting beaten up, Luca woke up feeling refreshed the next day, though his troubles were still the same, leaving him somewhat depressed over the next few days.

“Luca, what's going on? You’ve been so down lately,” Ed asked, turning to him while driving down Manhattan’s streets.

Luca hesitated. “Maybe it's the bad weather affecting my mood.”

“Haha, you’re not some poet! Why so gloomy? But seriously, this seems dangerous. Is something wrong? If there is, you'd better let me know ahead of time. I’m not a fan of surprises.”

“Neither am I!”

But sometimes, surprises come too suddenly, leaving you unprepared. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Lima’s pregnant.”

“I heard. Isn’t that good news? Why are you so upset?”

“I’m just not ready to be a dad,” Luca admitted hesitantly.

“Don't worry. You don’t need to be prepared. You’ll figure it out in time. When Eve was born, I didn’t know what to do either. But after a few days, I had it all under control,” Ed said, smiling as he recalled the early days with Eve. “So, when are you guys getting married?”

“We don't have any plans to get married for now.”

“Maybe you should think about it. You’ll be 25 next year.”

“But I’m not ready to settle down.”

“You can still act after getting married. It’s not a contradiction. Look at Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Will Smith—they all managed.”

Luca shook his head. “It’s different for me. Once I get married, I’m retiring. It’s hard to juggle acting and family life.”

“Well, now I’m really looking forward to your retirement,” Ed joked with a grin.

“It won’t be long. My goal is to retire by 35.”

“Ten years, huh? I wonder what you'll be like after you settle down. Will you really become a good man?”

“Of course! You’ll see,” Luca said confidently.

Ed wasn’t so sure. Nina once said, "Luca’s like a dog that can’t change its spots," and Nina’s words were like gospel truth.

“Luca, when does My Blueberry Nights start filming?” Ed asked.

“I’m not sure,” Luca replied. Director Wang’s script was only about 50% finished, and sometimes he’d scrap it and start over. Filming would probably be delayed by at least six months.

“Try to push it back. Director Wang works at a slow pace. If it’s done by next year, that would be considered fast.”

To support the project, Luca had invested some money and became one of the producers of My Blueberry Nights. With plenty of time and money, Director Wang didn’t need to rush.

“By the way, auditions for Atonement and Becoming Jane are starting soon. Get ready. A lot of people are eyeing the lead roles, and it won’t be easy to snag one,” Ed reminded him.

“I understand,” Luca replied, though he wasn’t overly concerned about acting at the moment.

He had a bigger problem weighing on him. If he could solve it, he wouldn’t mind never acting again. But if he couldn’t, things could get very serious.

Resting his head in his hands, Luca stared out the window at the street, his mind jumping between thoughts of Lima, Britney, and their two kids.

“Luca, we’ve arrived at Victoria’s Secret!”

It was December 2, and the Victoria’s Secret show was being held at the brand’s Manhattan headquarters. Luca had been invited to attend. Checking his watch, it was 2:10 in the afternoon.

“Let’s wait a bit. Felix will be here soon, and I need to talk to him about something.”

“Alright,” Ed said.

They got out of the car and sat at a café on the first floor of the building. In less than half an hour, a hundred luxury cars had pulled up, and fashionable, glamorous men and women, many of them well-known, entered the building.

A short while later, Felix and Han Li arrived.

“Hey, Felix! Emily!” The four of them chatted as they walked.

Luca brought up the topic of Twilight’s movie rights.

After months of negotiations, Universal had offered the highest bid: $50 million for the rights to the entire series, with Kate receiving 3% of North American box office revenue for the first movie, along with 5% of global merchandise sales. Future revenue would depend on box office success, much like Harry Potter.

The only difference was that J.K. Rowling had a much larger share and greater influence over the films. She eventually became a producer and screenwriter for the Harry Potter series, while Kate would only serve as the screenwriter for Twilight.

“Luca, Summit Entertainment has also made a good offer. They’re offering the same revenue split as Universal, plus an extra $10 million for the rights. Should we consider Summit?” Felix asked.

“No, I don't trust Summit. Last time, they pulled out of a deal suddenly, just to get the Twilight rights. I don’t want to work with them,” Luca said, pursing his lips.

“I understand. Universal is a better choice anyway. They’re stronger, have better distribution capabilities, and can promote the novel more effectively,” Felix agreed.

“Exactly,” Luca said.

The Harry Potter films were produced by Warner Bros., a powerhouse studio with the resources to ensure high-quality films and effective marketing for the books.

Ten minutes later, the four of them entered the Victoria’s Secret show venue. The hall was spacious, with seven rows of seating on each side, accommodating over a thousand people. The venue was lavishly decorated, with Christmas just around the corner. The stage featured giant Christmas gift boxes, snowmen, and colorful lights.

The show hadn’t started yet, but hundreds of guests had already arrived—mostly high society figures from the fashion, entertainment, finance, and media industries. Groups of people gathered together, chatting and laughing in a lively atmosphere.

“Luca, those people over there are from several major publishing houses. They’re very interested in you. Want to go say hello?” Felix asked with a smile.

“No thanks. I’m an actor. I wouldn’t have much to talk about with them.”

“You’re also Miss Demon! They all want to know who Miss Demon really is. Ready to reveal yourself?”

“Are you sure you want me to?”

“Just kidding,” Felix laughed before walking off with Han Li to mingle with the publishing crowd. Ed went to greet some old friends in the fashion world.

Noticing Victoria’s Secret CEO Katie Ford, Luca went over to say hello.

“Luca, it’s rare to see you around!” Katie said, smiling warmly. She was nearing fifty.

“Ms. Ford, I know you’re busy, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Or is it because you hardly come by the office?” she teased.

“True, I’ve been shooting four films this year. It’s been non-stop. I’ve missed everyone.”

“Ha! Well, let me introduce you to Curtis, our PR Director. Because of you, we’ve expanded our PR department by 30%, and the workload has increased by 50%. I hope you’ll keep giving them more work,” Katie said with a half-smile.

Her sarcasm made Luca blush a little.

“Mr. Curtis, please take care of me in the future!” Luca said with a grin.

“No worries. Thanks to you, my salary went up, and I have more staff now. It’s a win-win.”

“Maybe I should consider finding a new PR Director,” Katie sighed as she walked away.

Curtis’s face dropped as he hurried after her, trying to smooth things over.

Luca chuckled softly and headed backstage.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 440: My Sister Is Out of Your League Now*

"Hey, Luca!"

"Hey, Leon, Toby. Good afternoon!"

After returning from backstage, Luca ran into Leonardo and his close friend, Tobey Maguire, in the hallway. Tobey greeted him and went inside first.

"Luca, you went backstage again?"

Leonardo glanced at the badge on his chest and scoffed, "Still as lustful as ever, huh?"

"I went backstage to shoot some video footage, how is that being lustful?"

Luca shook the camera in his hand.

It was Miranda's camera, and she had asked him to shoot some footage of the event as well as record their runway show to post on YouTube.

Luca had no choice but to accept the honorable task.

"Video footage? Do you even believe that yourself?"

Leonardo chuckled lightly and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, lighting a cigarette.

"But it's true!"

Luca held up the camera. "Leon, can I interview you? The papers say you were filming Blood Diamond in Africa. Is the movie finished?"

"Stop filming!"

Leonardo waved his hand, blew out a smoke ring, and asked, "Luca, do you remember three years ago?"

"Three years ago?"

"Yeah, the 2002 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. We were chatting right here in this hallway. Three years have passed just like that."

Leonardo squinted, holding the cigarette in his mouth, gazing at the skyscrapers outside the window.

"Yeah, time flies. But why are you suddenly bringing that up?"

Luca smirked, standing beside him with his hands in his pockets.

Leonardo glanced at him. "I’ll never forget that fashion show. Back then, Kate and I hadn’t broken up yet. We were deeply in love."

"And it was all because of you, you conniving bastard. You sabotaged my relationship with Kate."

"If it weren’t for you, Kate and I would’ve been married by now, maybe even had a kid. We could’ve had a happy, beautiful family. But you ruined everything."

"You can talk all you want, just don’t get physical. You know you can’t take me," Luca said, blocking his punch.

"Hmph!"

Leon withdrew his hand and loosened his tie slightly.

"Leon, has your memory been tampered with? You were the one who cheated on Kate with Gisele, and I caught you. Kate was furious, that’s why she broke up with you."

"That’s a lie! Gisele and I were just friends back then. We only hugged, nothing inappropriate happened. You framed me, otherwise, Kate would’ve never left me."

"Really? Then why, less than two weeks later, did you and Gisele officially become a couple? And you even went out of your way to target Kate and me. Doesn’t that explain everything?"

"I only did that to make Kate jealous, hoping she’d come back. But thanks to you meddling, Kate didn’t give me a single chance."

"Jealousy? You think that would win Kate back? Hahaha... Sorry, I usually don’t laugh, but sometimes I can’t help it."

"You!"

Leonardo’s face turned dark.

"What? Am I wrong?"

Luca wiped the corner of his mouth, his expression suddenly turning cold. "If you loved Kate, you’d understand her. She’s strong and independent. Do you think she’d ever bow down to you after being treated like that? No, never. If she did, she wouldn’t be Kate. How can you say you love her if you don’t even understand that?"

"I was impulsive back then, but I’ve realized over these three years that Kate is still the one I love most. I’ll never forget her."

"Enough! That’s too sappy; I don’t want to hear it."

Luca waved his hand dismissively. "I heard you’re getting engaged to Gisele?"

"Yes, but I still can’t forget Kate. Luca, can you help us get back together? I swear to God, if Kate and I reconcile, I’ll love her forever, and I’ll reward you. Just name your price!"

Luca looked at him, frowning.

"Leon, you know, suddenly I find you disgusting. You’ve been with Gisele for three years, and yet you say such shameless things. Do you even deserve Gisele?"

"People call me a scumbag, and I won’t deny it, but at least I’d never play with someone’s feelings like you do. You treat others' emotions like they mean nothing. You’re the real scumbag here."

"Even though my sister and Gisele don’t get along, do you know who Kate respects the most? It’s Gisele. She admires how focused, professional, smart, and resilient she is."

"Back then, it was more about competition and jealousy, but now that Kate’s left the modeling world, she has no hard feelings toward Gisele. And Gisele’s my friend, my hometown buddy. Do you really think I’d help you betray her?"

Leon’s face turned red, then pale, then dark again. Suddenly, he burst into laughter and said smugly, "Luca, do you remember what you said three years ago by this very window?"

Luca raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I remember. That day, you pointed at those women outside and said that, in terms of body and looks, they weren’t much worse than Kate. They just weren’t lucky. You said that with the right opportunity, they could easily replace her. You also said Kate would only become a top model by staying with you."

"Hahaha, I told you back then that even without your help, Kate would do just fine. She’d become a top model, enjoy wealth and fame."

"Now, three years later, Kate is a world-class author, top model, and renowned designer. She sells books, clothes, and invests in stocks. She’s probably richer than you now."

"Back then, you thought Kate was lucky to be with you, always acting superior."

"And now, you want to get back together? Do you think that’s possible?"

"Hahaha!"

Luca laughed heartily.

"Shut up!"

Leon raged, grabbing his collar, his face contorting.

"Leon, did I say something wrong? Didn’t we have that conversation three years ago?"

Luca smiled faintly.

Leon stared at him coldly. "That day, you also said you wanted to become a big star like me, to replace me, even surpass me. Well, I’m telling you now, it’s not going to happen. You’re dreaming!"

"Did I say that?"

Luca thought for a moment. It was actually Kate who had said that. Leon said the women outside could replace her, and Kate said she could replace Leon.

He smiled lightly. "Okay, fine, I said it. You debuted in 1990, and in 1997, you became an A-list actor thanks to Titanic. I became a B-list actor in just over two years. Surpassing you is only a matter of time."

"Surpass me? Hahaha!"

Leonardo laughed heartily, just like three years ago, wagging his finger.

"It’s never going to happen, Luca. You’ll never catch up to me!"

"I don’t believe you."

Luca smiled.

"You will. You will!"

Leon snorted and walked into the main hall.

Watching his back, Luca shook his head and smiled. He hadn’t even overcome the challenge ahead of him, and now he had to deal with Leo. The pressure was intense.

He straightened his suit and tie, then strode into the main hall.

"Sigh..."

From a distant corner, a shadow flitted by, letting out a soft sigh as they left.

(End of chapter)