Love in the Limelight (Astrid and Elio)

Odell stood awkwardly to the side, feeling like a third wheel.

The rest of the crew in the studio shared his look of utter confusion. To them, Shirley had always been the epitome of grace and intelligence, but the Shirley before them now... she was a spitting image of a fangirl in full swoon.

Linda bit her lip and turned to leave, only to catch Mamie and others snickering at her expense.

Recalling the words she'd just exchanged with them, Linda's embarrassment deepened. She hadn't even stayed for the photo shoot; she just walked out.

That afternoon, Shirley tweeted, "Fangirl dream achieved with Astar," tagging Astrid, and sharing a selfie with the two of them.

Astrid tweeted back, also sharing the photo.

In no time at all, Twitter was ablaze, and comments flooded in,

"Nobody can resist Astar's charm, not even the venerable Shirley!"

"Thank you for your support, ma'am!"

"Astrid's just a newbie, grateful for the guidance!"

"Big thanks for letting us see Astar's selfie in our lifetime."

"Great minds flock together, it seems."

"Can't wait to see these two collaborate."

Bernice was sitting on her balcony, feeling a breeze, when the buzz hit social media. Her hand trembled as she gripped her phone, barely able to contain her emotions.

She thought she'd have an easy time taking Astrid down, but instead, Astrid's popularity was skyrocketing.

Shirley was a respected actress, with a good eighty percent of the industry referring to her as the mentor. Her public display of affection for Astrid was a bad sign for Bernice. Her phone vibrated with an unknown number. She hesitated before answering, "Hello?"

"Ms. Bernice, I've made contact with Aster," Jay's voice came through.

Bernice asked, "Are you sure? There's no issue with Aster's identity?"

Jay assured her, "No, ma'am. He's definitely male-voice, looks, gestures, all check out. He

removed his mask in front

of me, nothing strange."

Bernice pressed, "So, you've settled your business?"

Jay replied, "Yes, its all set. Plus, he

sent me an email today claiming et

he's

up some dirt on

Should we start prepping?"

Bernice, eyes glinting with ruthlessness, drained her glass of red wine and responded, "Don't disappoint me this time."

Jay promised, "There won't be any surprises." Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

An hour later, a notorious gossip blogger teased, "Hot reality TV starlet, bombshell scoop in hand, tune in at 9 PM."

This blogger had exposed numerous celebrity scandals before, only making a peep when there was something substantial. The teaser set the internet on fire, "Astrid?"

"No way, just as she's rising, she gets slammed?"

"My Astar, what could possibly be the scoop?"

"Given the clue, it's gotta be Astrid, right? Oh, the thrill!"

"Astar can't catch a break from these trolls, can she?"

Normally, Chad and his crew would be all over this, suppressing the gossip But at the moment, they were all lounging comfortably at Astrid's place, engrossed in poker hands.

"Full house!" Chad triumphantly laid down his cards, sure no one could beat it, when Astrid casually dropped a bomb.

Chad's face fell, "C'mon, Chief, you're not playing fair! Where's the fun if you keep cheating?"

Astrid, with a lazy glance, retorted, "Pay up!"

Reluctantly, Chad and Hank handed over the cash, and Hank asked, "Chief, did you get Jay's thing ready?"

Astrid arched an eyebrow, "Of course. To show my sincerity, I even recorded a little video."

Chad and Hank exchanged knowing looks, already mourning for Jay.