[June 8] [Alex's Penthouse, New York]
Alex was running on his treadmill. His breath stayed even as the speed ticked along. Though he doesn't need to maintain his body thanks to the system, he sometimes wants to feel normal for a change.
The tablet in his hands, on the other hand, was doing its best to ruin his cardio.
The headline stared back at him in an aggressive font.
HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN PLAYBOY? INSIDE ALEX WILSON'S VERY BUSY LOVE LIFE
Alex raised an eyebrow, thumb scrolling without breaking stride.
Below it were photos arranged with the care of a conspiracy corkboard. There was the Oscars shot, the kiss with Scarlett captured under a thousand flashing lights. That one he had expected. He had practically waved at the cameras afterward. Then came the rest.
A blurry picture of him and Halle Berry on a side street, half-lit by a flickering streetlamp, the angle clearly chosen by someone hiding behind a trash bin and poor life decisions.
Another of him and Max in an airport parking lot in Los Angeles, her laughing, his hand at her waist, both of them caught mid-motion like criminals fleeing the scene of affection.
A pub photo with Evangeline, low light and warm tones, their foreheads close together, intimate enough to make strangers feel like they had walked in on something private.
And finally, the Bahamas. A kiss with Angelina that looked like it belonged on a postcard and absolutely did not belong in a tabloid slideshow.
Alex exhaled through his nose, a short breath that might have been a laugh if he had given it the chance.
The article did not waste time.
Sources close to the star suggest Alex Wilson may be romantically involved with multiple A-list actresses simultaneously, raising questions about the director's private life and carefully crafted public image.
He scrolled further.
Once known as Hollywood's Golden Boy for his discipline, focus, and almost mythic work ethic, Wilson is now being rebranded by fans and critics alike as Hollywood's Golden Playboy.
Alex increased the treadmill speed by half a notch.
He chuckled. "I kissed people, not robbed a bank. A jealous bunch."
The article quoted anonymous insiders. It always did. Anonymous insiders were apparently everywhere, like pigeons with Wi-Fi. According to one, Alex was charming but elusive. According to another, he was impossible to pin down. According to a third, who had clearly never met him, he was conducting some kind of elaborate romantic experiment.
Alex snorted softly and tapped out of the article, sweat barely forming as the treadmill kept humming beneath his feet. If tabloids were going to do cardio in his business, he might as well stretch first.
He opened Reddit.
That was mistake number one, two, and three rolled into a single red icon.
The front page had already decided this was a group activity.
r/movies
Title: Hollywood's Golden Playboy? Thoughts on Alex Wilson's love life?
Alex sighed, slowed the treadmill just enough to comfortably read, and tapped in.
u/CinePhile_92:
I genuinely do not understand why people are mad. He is not married. He is not lying about anything publicly. He is a grown man dating grown women. This is not a scandal, this is a Tuesday.
u/FilmSnobThrowaway:
Sure, but the issue is power dynamics. He is one of the richest and most powerful men in Hollywood. Dating multiple actresses at the same time feels… messy.
u/PopcornJustice:
Messy is crashing a franchise or abusing staff. This guy literally funds indie films, pays his crews well, and kisses people consensually. I fail to see the crime.
u/OldSchoolDirector:
Back in the day, directors were married five times and nobody cared. Now a guy dates openly and people act like he invented sin.
u/ScarlettHive:
Listen, I love Scarlett, but she is not exactly a shrinking violet who got tricked into anything. She can handle herself.
u/ConcernedButCurious:
I am not judging, I am just confused. Are they all dating him at the same time? Is it open? Are they aware? This feels like the start of a very expensive group chat.
u/IndieKid88:
Honestly, the most unrealistic part is him having time for relationships while running half of the entertainment.
Alex chuckled and increased the speed again, the belt whirring faster under his feet.
He scrolled.
u/ParasocialPolice:
People are projecting hard. They liked him better when he was mysterious and unattainable. Now he is unattainable and visible, and that apparently feels worse.
u/TabloidBurner:
The media wants him messy because they cannot control him. He does not clap back. He does not explain himself. That drives them insane.
u/DramaAddict:
I will say this. If this turns into cheating or lying, then yes, that is bad. But right now, all we have are pictures and assumptions.
u/LegalEagleNY:
Important point. No contracts. No morality clauses violated. No accusations from any involved parties. This is not a scandal, it is gossip inflation.
u/HollywoodHistorian:
They did this to every male star who did not pick one woman and settle quietly. It always ends the same way. Either he marries someone and the story dies, or he ignores it and the story dies.
u/ChaosGremlin:
Counterpoint. He should lean into it and show up to the next premiere holding hands with all of them. Watch the internet short-circuit.
u/ActuallyWatchingMovies:
Can we please focus on the fact that this man is building a cinematic universe and comics multiverse that we never imagined a couple of years ago, and now apparently, the rumors say he's opening a game studio? His dating life is the least interesting thing about him.
u/ReplyGuy_007:
That is exactly why people are focusing on it. They cannot compete with his work, so they zoom in on his personal life. It is easier. I say reach his level before digging into his personal life. His choice of life is his choice. Who are we to judge him?
...
Alex slowed the treadmill to a stop and set the tablet down, wiping his face with a towel. His breathing was steady again.
He considered the screen for a moment, then shrugged.
"Humm... Should I make a tweet about the truth? Or, maybe it's better to let them speculate."
Alex was still toweling off when movement caught his eye.
He turned.
Max was shuffling toward him from the hallway, wrapped head to toe in a thick blanket like a very determined burrito that had achieved sentience. Only her face was visible, hair a complete disaster, eyes barely open. She yawned so wide it looked like it might dislocate something.
She stayed late last night, playing a game with Halle and Caroline. And she was the last one to wake up. Halle left early for a photoshoot and Caroline went to meet her dad. They finally got back all the items that had been auctioned off before. So, she wanted to check her old room and things out.
Alex smiled immediately.
"Good morning," he said.
She stopped three steps away from him, squinted at him with one eye, then the other promptly gave up and closed again.
"Hug me," Max mumbled.
There was no question mark in her voice. It was a formal request issued by a sleepy authority.
Alex dropped the towel onto the back of the couch and stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around her, blanket and all, pulling her against his chest.
She melted into him instantly, forehead pressing into his shoulder, arms emerging just enough from the blanket to hook around his waist.
"Mmm," she murmured. "You are warm."
"That would be the treadmill and the existential dread," Alex replied lightly, resting his chin on the top of her head.
She made a small, sleepy noise that could have been agreement or a threat. He rubbed her back through the blanket, slow and steady, feeling her breathing even out as if she had been holding herself together purely out of spite until this exact moment.
She shifted slightly. "Why are you awake like a responsible adult?" she asked. "It is illegal."
"I was running," he said. "And reading about my apparently scandalous life choices. And it's 10 in the morning."
That got one eye open again.
"Oh," she said. "Is it the article?"
"Yes."
She sighed, the sound long and unimpressed. "They are bored again."
"Very," Alex agreed. "Deeply committed to the bit too."
She tightened her arms around him a little. "Are you upset?"
He shook his head. "Not really. More amused than anything else."
Max tilted her head just enough to look up at him, eyes still heavy with sleep. "Good. Because I do not have the energy to fight the internet before breakfast."
Alex laughed softly. "That is fair."
She yawned again, then tucked her face back into his chest. "Did you make coffee?"
"Not yet," he said. "I was deciding whether to tweet or insta something sensible or let people invent a shared cinematic universe about my dating life."
"Twitter is stupid. And Instagram is Twitter for people who can't read," Max mumbled.
Alex chucked at her reply.
They stood there for a moment longer, quiet and comfortable.
...
[After breakfast]
The kitchen still smelled like coffee and buttered toast. Plates were stacked neatly in the sink, a rare miracle that suggested everyone had eaten like civilized adults instead of raccoons with bank accounts.
Max had, in fact, regained her stamina.
She was sprawled on the couch like a queen who had delegated life to others, legs stretched out and resting comfortably on Alex's lap. Alex sat at the far end of the couch, thumbs pressing methodically into the arch of her foot like he was defusing a bomb.
"Mhmm~Harder," Max said, staring at the ceiling.
Alex nodded. "You say that now, and then you complain later about too much orgasm and jelly legs."
"That is future Max's problem," she replied. "Present Max is in pain and so close to having a great orgasm."
Nacho chose that exact moment to betray everyone.
The orange menace leapt onto Alex's lap with the confidence of a creature who paid no rent and feared no consequences. He circled once, kneaded Alex's thigh like it owed him money, and plopped down with a loud, satisfied purr.
Alex looked down. "Oh. Hello there."
Nacho responded by headbutting Alex's stomach and settling in deeper, tail flicking lazily like he had just claimed beachfront property.
Max's eyes snapped open.
She lifted her head slowly, dread creeping into her expression as she followed the sound of aggressive purring.
Max slowly turned her head.
She stared.
Alex noticed the silence and followed her gaze. "Is something wrong?"
Max pointed. "Why is my cat flirting with my boyfriend?"
Alex looked down at Nacho, then back at Max. "I think he has chosen me or probably sensed my greatness."
"That is not how ownership works," Max said. "I raised him. I bottle-fed him. I scooped things that should never be scooped."
Nacho responded by headbutting Alex's hand and purring louder.
Alex scratched behind the cat's ear. Nacho melted instantly.
"Oh, come on," Max said, sitting up slightly. "He does not even do that for me anymore."
Alex glanced down at her foot, still in his hands. "You are jealous of a cat?"
"Yes," Max replied flatly. "And I am losing?"
Alex smiled faintly. "To be fair, he has excellent taste, just like his mom." He winked at Max.
Max narrowed her eyes. "You are not allowed to steal my cat. You already have too many things."
"I am not stealing him," Alex said calmly. "He is clearly defecting."
Nacho rolled onto his back on Alex's lap, exposing his stomach like he was filing emancipation papers.
Max's jaw dropped.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "He never shows me the belly. I raised you. I cleaned your vomit. I paid for your vet visits. This is betrayal with whiskers."
Alex finally looked up. "To be fair, you also dressed him like a burrito that one time."
"I couldn't help myself," Max snapped.
She leaned closer and wiggled her fingers at Nacho. "Come on, baby. Mommy is right here."
Nacho flicked an ear and then hooked one claw gently into Alex's pants, like a warning label.
Alex froze. "Okay. We are escalating."
Max slapped a hand to her chest. "Did he just threaten me?"
Alex nodded slowly. "Yes. And I think he means business."
Max sat back, eyes narrowed. "I knew it. Ever since he moved in, he has been acting weird. He follows you. He sits next to you. He stares at you like you are a can opener."
"I do open cans," Alex said. "Responsibly."
"That was one time," Max said. "And it was tuna."
Nacho purred louder.
Max crossed her arms. "You know what. Fine. You can have him. Enjoy waking up at four in the morning to him standing on your bladder like a gargoyle."
Just then, the cat got up and jumped on Max's lap as if he just sensed a little bloodlust from Max and her inner thoughts about cutting his premium treats.
Nacho turned twice like he was reconsidering his life choices, and then flopped down with a dramatic sigh. He immediately began kneading her thighs, purring loud enough to qualify as a small appliance.
Max froze.
Alex froze.
They stared at the cat.
Then Max's face lit up like she had just won custody in a very petty divorce.
"Oh," she said softly. "Oh wow. Look at that. Suddenly, he remembers who feeds him."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Five seconds ago, he was filing a restraining order."
Max smirked and began scratching Nacho under the chin. The cat melted instantly, chin lifting, paws stretching, trust fully restored.
"That is because I have maternal energy," she said smugly. "And treats."
Nacho purred louder.
Alex leaned back against the couch. "I see how it is. I was just a rebound human."
Max looked down at the cat, then back up at Alex, eyes bright with victory. "You were the mysterious bad boy phase. He got it out of his system."
Nacho rolled onto his side and pressed his face into Max's stomach.
Max gasped dramatically. "Oh my God. He is cuddling me."
Alex crossed his arms. "I feel used."
She grinned. "Hehe! My cat."
She shifted slightly, settling back into the couch, one hand resting protectively on Nacho's back like a dragon guarding treasure. The cat stretched, yawned, and then fell fully asleep, snoring faintly.
Max sighed, content and warm. "See? Balance restored. The universe makes sense again."
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