Otherwise, how coincidental could it be for him to end up in the room next door?
Ezekiel took out his phone in the adjacent room and dialed his assistant’s number. “Get me a spot on the red carpet for tomorrow’s Fashion Week”
“Mr. Weiss, are you also planning to walk the red carpet?”
“I’m taking someone with me,” Ezekiel replied.
After the passionate night between Catalina and Reuben in the luxurious confines of a five- star hotel, he devoted himself entirely to her as he lay in bed with her. Although he was merely deemed a useless man who had to use his body to climb up the ranks, he cared little for such judgments. Instead, he was driven solely by pursuing a promising future.
Catalina, somewhat content with Reuben’s performance that night, smiled and spoke, “Reuben, I can’t wait to see Harmony’s downfall. I have my Internet ghostwriters ready. Once her video gets back to Dansbury, we’ll spread it widely. With her ability, she won’t stand a chance against the public backlash, Let’s sit back and watch the entire Internet turn against her!”
Reuben, kissing her cheek, complimented, “You’re remarkable, sweetheart. Harmony is no match for you.”
“You should show some effort, too. Improve your acting skills so you can handle and won’t miss out on the roles I secure for you,” scolded Catalina.
Since Reuben was a gigolo, he had no choice but to endure her treatment with a grin. Even if he didn’t like hearing such words, he clung to Catalina playfully as he murmured, “Okay, I’ll improve my acting skills so I don’t disappoint my lovely wife.”
Catalina, a connoisseur of men, affectionately patted him with a smile. “Good. I’ll be waiting for the day you win the Best Actor award. On that day, I’ll be your true wife.”
The smile on Reuben’s face froze momentarily. The Best Actor award was still far from his reach, and he had no noteworthy works under his belt. On the contrary, Harmony had unexpectedly secured the Best Female award this year, casting him in the shadow of her apparent success. This made him look as incompetent as her boyfriend. This was one of the reasons Reuben held disdain for Harmony. She made him the subject of ridicule among those people who deemed him inferior to her.
Of course, he wouldn’t show these feelings before falling out with Harmony. However, when Harmony kissed and hugged another man in front of him that day, it was as if the darker side he had hidden all this while had burst forth.
He resented it all. He wanted Harmony out of the industry, forced back to the low-level status from which she had emerged, with no place to stand in this circle. Reuben fantasized about the day he would have a standing in the industry. Once that happened, Harmony, who was desperate for survival, would come crawling to him, much like a beggar seeking mercy.
Ever since she was orphaned and alone, she had no one in her corner with both parents gone. With a background like hers, wasn’t she practically destined to be a target for mistreatment?
As a second-generation star with parents of prominent status in the industry, Catalina initially had set her sights on clinching a prestigious jewelry advertisement. Yet, Harmony emerged out of nowhere, snatching the coveted brand from under her nose and turning her into a laughingstock within her social circles.
At this moment, Catalina’s viewpoint allowed her an unobstructed view of the colossal screen displaying the scrolling advertisement. As she observed Harmony’s graceful figure, Catalina tightly grasped her glass of red wine.
The spotlight of that advertisement, so dazzling in the eyes of the public, should have rightfully belonged to her. Reuben, emerging from the bed to encircle her waist, rested his face on her shoulder. “Let’s go to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep,” Catalina replied with a touch of indifference.
Reuben lifted his head to check her expression in response. His gaze followed hers to the distant advertisement screen, where Harmony’s silhouette appeared. The intense surge of passionate emotions he had just vented on Catalina rushed back. Reuben harbored a complex mix of love and unfulfilled desire towards Harmony.
Over the years, Harmony had firmly held her ground, refusing to give in. She insisted on reserving her first time for marriage. Now, Reuben couldn’t help but feel that he had been played for a fool. Why had he shown her so much respect?
Now that he had lost her, he realized that the platonic love affair they had had for five years was too much of a loss. Of course, he hadn’t been idle privately and had pursued several young models while she was busy with her career.
At that moment, Reuben silently contemplated, One day, I’ll make you beg to return to my side, Harmony.
