***"Are you crazy? Do you want to ruin your reputation if I expose this scandal?" Joseph asked."Scandal? The public will forget about it later. Isn't that what happened with Anastasia? She was blasphemed and exiled, but she soon shone again, and the public forgot about her scandal," Leon replied.Joseph let out a long sigh. "That's because she's Anastasia. She has great talent, and all her scandals disappear because she has the brightest star aura. Her talent is extraordinary. The public loves all her work.""The same will happen to me if Anastasia and I get back together," Leon said."This is crazy, Leon. You want to go back to Anastasia? Haven't you been using her all this time? You already have everything. Even if you quit showbiz, the Hale family is wealthy, and Elora is submissive. I think you'd be wasting your time trying to get Anastasia back. She's already married."“I’m pretty sure that man is just a hired husband. I know Anastasia well, and I'm her only male friend. She do
***"If you have time, I'll wait for you at the French restaurant. I have something I want to talk to you about."Anastasia stared at her phone, disbelieving. She had just received a message from someone who made her heart skip a beat: Rhett Noire, her rarely-contacting father, suddenly wanted to meet. It was a short message, but it made her uneasy."Why, Ana?" asked Maximilian, who had just entered the room. He noticed her unusual expression and immediately sensed that something was wrong.She handed him her cell phone wordlessly. Maximilian looked at the name of the sender. Although he was surprised, he tried to remain calm."Rhett Noire?" Maximilian pretended not to understand, hoping Anastasia would explain further.Anastasia sighed softly, her voice full of confusion. "He's... Rhett Noire—my father. You met him once before when he hit you that night. I broke off our relationship. I told him I would never use his last name again. But now he wants to see me. I don't know what to do
***Maximilian sat on the sofa in his apartment, staring at the nearly empty wine bottle in front of him. His mind raced as he continued reading the document about Anastasia's past, which was open on his tablet screen. His heart was in turmoil. Every word he read felt like a thorn in his chest. He never realized how hard Anastasia's life had been—abandoned, scorned, hurt, and treated cruelly by the world. How had such a small girl survived?He reached for the wine glass on the table and took a quick sip, trying to chase away the sudden pain haunting him. Seeing Anastasia's smiling face in public photos confused him even more. The woman he knew was so cheerful and vibrant, yet there was so much hidden suffering underneath it all."How can that be?" Maximilian muttered quietly, putting down his glass roughly. "How can she keep smiling when the world is so cruel to her?"His eyes remained glued to a photograph of Anastasia as a child standing alone on a school stage, hugging the micropho
***Anastasia was trying on dresses in a luxury boutique owned by Celine Idzes when her eyes accidentally met a familiar figure. Renata and Selene Kingsley were standing near the boutique's entrance, smiling at her. With graceful steps, they approached her."Anastasia, what a coincidence to meet here," Selene said warmly. "It's been a while since we had dinner together."Anastasia smiled and arranged her long, flowing hair. "I'm glad to see you, too. How about we have dinner together? Aunt Celine might be able to join us, too.”“Sure, dear,” Celine replied.After they agreed, they headed to a fancy restaurant in the city center. The restaurant's atmosphere that night was elegant. It was dimly lit by candles and decorated with white roses on every table. They sat down at the table Selene had reserved, and a waiter soon came with the menu."Anastasia," Selene said with a proud smile. "I heard your album is selling well and breaking sales records. Congratulations! I know you'll always be
***"So, then. Can you trust me and tell me everything? You said I was valuable, right?"Maximilian looked lovingly at Anastasia, a soft smile forming on his lips as he brought his face closer to hers. "Because you are precious, Ana," he said in a low, sincere voice. "I will definitely take care of you."Anastasia's eyes glazed over at the words of the man who had been filling her days. "You know," Maximilian continued, still looking deeply into her eyes, "in all my life, I've never felt this crazy about a woman. I'm scared that if you leave me one day, my life will fall apart."Anastasia was silent, listening to every word that came out of Maximilian's mouth. A sense of warmth ran through her chest, but a faint worry lurked behind all her mixed emotions.Maximilian swallowed, trying to formulate his next words. “Whatever happens in the future, please believe in my love. I'm just putting together the puzzle of my life. When everything is complete, you'll be the first to know, so don't
***Anastasia's new album showcase was a huge success. The large room was filled with fans who had been waiting for this opportunity to meet their idol and get autographs. The music that echoed throughout the room and the spotlights that danced on the stage created an atmosphere full of energy, along with the unstoppable enthusiasm of the fans.Anastasia sat at the autograph table, smiling gently each time a fan approached with a face full of excitement. She knew how important this night was for her career and as a chance to show her appreciation to her supporters.In the middle of the long line, a man wearing a black mask and hat was seen slowly moving toward Anastasia. He looked ordinary, nothing special, just like any other fan. However, Anastasia's gaze immediately fell on him; she sensed that she knew him.As he approached, one of the bodyguards moved to stop him, suspecting something was amiss. However, Anastasia quickly raised her hand, signaling the bodyguard to back off."Let
***Elora slammed everything on the table in an uncontrollable rage. Notebooks, pens, even a half-full cup of coffee flew and shattered on the floor. Her eyes blazing with hate, her voice shaking as she glared at Anya, who stood trembling across from her."You are completely incompetent," Elora shouted, her tone filled with anger that threatened to explode. "I've given you time, money and everything you need to make sure that Anastasia's latest album fails. But look what's happening now!"Anya looked down and tried to calm her increasingly labored breathing. "I... I did everything as planned, Elora. I paid everyone, from the technicians to the music journalists. They were supposed to ruin Anastasia's reputation. I was sure the album would fail!" Anya's voice was full of fear, her hands shaking as she tried to pick up the papers scattered across the table.Elora approached, her eyes narrowed. "Oh, really? Then how do you explain this?" She picked up her phone and showed the headlines o
***Anastasia looked at Lyra thoughtfully. Lyra's words echoed in her mind, shaking her confidence. However, she still wanted to trust Maximilian. "I trust him because I always feel safe with him," Anastasia finally replied, her voice soft yet full of conviction.Lyra looked deeply into Anastasia's eyes, searching for the truth behind her words. Despite the doubt on her face, Lyra chose to respect Anastasia's feelings. "If you feel something's wrong, it's better to talk to him from the heart," Lyra finally said, her tone full of tenderness and support. "If Max really loves you, he wouldn't be able to lie to you."Anastasia fell silent for a moment, trying to take Lyra's advice in. She knew that talking to Maximilian was the only way to find answers. However, a fear loomed over her heart. The fear that what she was about to discover might change everything. Still, she couldn't continue to live in uncertainty. She had just experienced being loved and treated gently by someone, and she h
***"Do you know Dr. Steven?" Anastasia asked.Lyra nodded. "You really don't know who he is? He's very famous.”Anastasia nodded. "As you know, I don't really get along with anyone in the entertainment world. I never go to parties or anything like that. Didn't Leon say that I'm socially inept?"Lyra nodded slowly. She had looked uneasy since they entered the apartment. Her eyes scanned the room, and she occasionally glanced at Anastasia with a doubtful look. Sitting on the sofa, Lyra finally took a deep breath and moved closer to Anastasia. She whispered in a serious tone,"Okay, I want to talk about something important, but not here," Lyra whispered. "We should talk face to face."Anastasia turned her head, surprised by the sudden request, but simply nodded. "Fine. Later, when things calm down, we'll talk," she replied, trying to calm Lyra down. Although she was curious about what Lyra wanted to say, she chose not to ask.Soon after, the bedroom door opened. Steven and Maximilian ca