Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

Ever since she was a kid, Aubree had been called a lot of things, but ugly was never one of them.

"You're not just a few fries short of a Happy Meal, you've also got bats in your belfry. I think that big head of yours is just there to make you taller. Need me to find you an optometrist?" Keiran hadn't expected the folks at Stellar Stage Entertainment to be so blunt. Realizing he might have mistaken someone else for Brielle, he stormed out the door in a huff. Aubree let out a derisive snort. She hadn't been sitting for more than a few minutes before he barged back in.

"Brielle, I'm telling you, I'd rather eat glass than sign with Stellar Stage Entertainment. Get the media to retract that story, or I'm suing you."

The exact same scene had played out just minutes earlier.

Aubree's brow furrowed as she figured this guy might genuinely be a few cards short of a deck.

She got up without a word, intending to leave.

Keiran frowned. Why was Brielle ignoring him?

As Aubree reached the door and pulled it open, she came face to face with the real Brielle standing outside.

Brielle looked at Keiran with a familiar ease.

"Pack your bags, we're heading abroad in a couple of days. Now that you're here, it saves me the hassle of having to drag you out of your hidey-hole."

Keiran looked from her to Aubree, at a loss as to who the real Brielle was.

Brielle didn't bother explaining. This guy's face blindness could drive a saint to sin.

"Brielle, why should I listen to you?"

"I've seen the email your brother sent, and he instructed you to follow my lead."

At this, Keiran's previously pompous head dipped slightly, uncertainty creeping in.

"Wasn't that email lost? My computer got stolen, and my account hacked."

"Either way, it's been retrieved. You're not going to listen to your brother?"

Left without a choice, Keiran caved, "Fine, I'll travel with you."

Brielle worked quickly, having someone record a video of Keiran where he declared voluntarily signing with Stellar Stage Entertainment and that he was now part of their talent roster. Of course, this statement was coerced by Brielle using Dustin as leverage.

Keiran was the entertainment industry's hottest male star, having won numerous prestigious awards, and was notably unaffiliated with any agency.

Numerous companies had tried to sign him, some even resorting to dirty tricks, only to be sent packing with their tails between their legs.

The guy had a razor-sharp tongue, picking fights like a petulant child, biting whoever crossed his path.

In the cutthroat entertainment business, even the thickest skin couldn't withstand Keiran's blunt assaults.

It's like trying to sweet-talk him into a contract, and he'd bluntly tell you that your hair looked unwashed and greasy, sending you into a spiral of embarrassment.

Over time, no one seemed capable of dealing with this tough cookie.

So how did Stellar Stage Entertainment manage to snag him?

And Keiran, who never gave interviews, was suddenly willing to show his face on Stellar Stage Entertainment's official account.

The impact was immense-Stellar Stage Entertainment's stock soared.

Previously, Brielle thought the most absurd thing she'd seen was a soccer superstar moving a soda can out of frame during an interview, which instantly evaporated billions in market value for the soda company.

The power of celebrity influence was undeniable.

Keiran's addition sent Stellar Stage Entertainment's stock sailing high, with previously hesitant screenwriters now eagerly submitting their scripts.

Donny and his crew were over the moon, their hands cramping from signing new deals, their phones ringing off the hook with stars wanting to join the roster.

But Brielle reminded them, "Hold off

on signing new talent for now. Let's push our current artists into the spotlight. Once they've made a name for themselves, we can consider new faces."

Her decision on Keiran's matter had been abrupt, but necessary.

She couldn't afford to rush out of the country at such a critical juncture, or else the mastermind behind all this would immediately set their sights on her.

With Keiran slated for a Hollywood collaboration, it was the perfect excuse to travel abroad with him.

Throwing this smokescreen would at least throw off whoever was pulling the strings.

And for the next few days, she'd focus on company business instead of seeking out Dustin, relaxing the opponent's vigilance.

It was also casting a line.

A line only she knew about.

The more composed she appeared externally, the more the person who had fudged her identity would want to confirm her reaction. Whoever came knocking would be in contact with the puppet master, and all she had to do was wait.