The moment Ethan Quinn made his Weibo post, countless fans swarmed in, instantly catapulting the like count on *Fated Love*'s official account to first place. They left the other three pairs far behind, with only the duo of Anna Summers and Leo Bishop managing to come close.
Ruby Sawyer was so furious she smashed the cup in her hand onto the floor, her eyes glued to her phone screen. She never imagined Ethan Quinn would actually repost it!
He even added a caption.
Ethan Quinn managed his own Weibo account. He rarely posted, and when he did, it was almost always for business. Posts about certain events were usually handled by his studio's account.
Ethan Quinn was an artist under Linden Lore Studio. Since its founding, the studio had only signed two artists, but each one was a heavyweight in the industry. It was a testament to Silas Linden's wickedly sharp eye as a boss.
Ruby Sawyer bit her lower lip. An hour had already passed. She had been certain Ethan Quinn wouldn't post, which was why she'd hired a popular blogger to publish that slanderous screed. Who knew it would blow up in her face so fast!
"Miss Sawyer, is this your idea of Ethan Quinn being unwilling?" The blogger was furious, and he called her, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's not easy running my account, you know. I can't afford you messing me around like this!"
"Alright, drop the sarcastic act. Have I not given you enough tips? Who do you think is responsible for your account getting this big?" Ruby Sawyer was in a foul mood, and her tone was just as nasty.
"Of course, it's all thanks to your patronage, Miss Sawyer," the blogger replied, his own tone turning sour. "But what are we going to do about this mess? I told you we should steer clear of stories about Ethan Quinn. You're the one who insisted, remember?"
In their line of work, they relied on industry contacts to confirm tips before posting. While some of it was pure speculation, people loved to read it. Even if a story turned out to be fake, some were just for a bit of harmless fun.
But Ethan Quinn's record was squeaky clean. He'd also had a lucky break. After blowing away the competition in a new-gen singing contest, he was immediately signed by Linden Lore Studio. The three albums he released all sold out within three seconds. He then transitioned into acting and won Best Actor last year for the film *Wind Sound*.
Silas Linden lacked neither money nor resources. Ethan Quinn never had to network within the industry; someone was always clearing the path for him. As a result, he had no scandals or dirt on him. Combined with his massive fanbase, most people in the gossip business knew not to touch stories about Ethan Quinn.
It would just bring unnecessary trouble.
Ruby Sawyer knew she had been too hasty. Of course, her goal wasn't to provoke Ethan Quinn; she just wanted to drag Amelia Lockhart's name through the mud.
"How about this. I have another tip, but it also involves Ethan Quinn. We'll see if you have the guts to take it."
After two seconds of silence, the voice on the other end said, "Let's hear it."
"I have photographic proof. After filming for the romance show wrapped up, Amelia Lockhart stopped Ethan Quinn's car and forced her way inside."
"Miss Sawyer, do you have some kind of beef with Amelia Lockhart?" The blogger finally understood Ruby Sawyer's motive. 'This isn't just leaking a scoop; it's a blatant attempt to sling mud at someone!'
"You don't need to think about that. Just tell me, are you in or out? If not, I'll find someone else."
"If you have photos, of course I'll do it. But today's not a good time. I'll post it tomorrow."
After sending the photos to the blogger, Ruby Sawyer hired an army of internet trolls to smear Amelia Lockhart. Only then did she feel a sense of satisfaction.
Amelia Lockhart, oblivious to all this, saw the Weibo likes skyrocketing and went to bed in a fantastic mood.
The next day, she didn't have work, so she hadn't set an alarm. Instead, she was jolted awake by her ringing phone.
Amelia Lockhart fumbled to answer the call, mumbling listlessly, "What is it?"
After a two-second pause, a voice on the other end asked, "Still sleeping?"
A cool, aloof voice traveled through the phone, jolting Amelia Lockhart a little more awake. She dazedly pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the screen.
The screen was lit up. When Amelia Lockhart saw the two words "Ethan Quinn," she was so startled she shot upright in bed.
Usually, calls at this hour were from either Holly Yardley or her sister, so she'd answered without even looking at the screen. She never imagined a third person would call her.
'Wait a minute, how does Ethan Quinn have my WeChat?'
Amelia Lockhart's quiet mumble traveled clearly through the phone to Ethan Quinn's ears.
"My, Ms. Lockhart, you're quite the forgetful one. Already forgotten about yesterday?"
The memory came rushing back like a flood. Amelia Lockhart suddenly remembered what had happened in the car yesterday. Her brain had completely short-circuited over Ethan Quinn's "accidental" like, making her forget everything that came after.
'Didn't Ethan Quinn say something about getting me a new phone to make up for scaring me?'
'But didn't I turn him down?'
Amelia Lockhart didn't dare say that out loud. Confused, she simply put the phone back to her ear. "Mr. Quinn, is there something you needed?"
"Parking garage. Come down."
'So he really is trying to give me a phone.' But Amelia Lockhart didn't want to move. Just as she was about to refuse, the call was unceremoniously disconnected.
Amelia Lockhart stared at her chat screen with Ethan Quinn and, finally resigning herself to her fate, dragged herself out of bed to brush her teeth and wash up.
'I don't have the guts to call back and refuse. I'll just treat this as a chance to earn some brownie points!'
Yawning, Amelia Lockhart threw on a baseball cap to hide her uncombed hair and headed out. As she watched the floor number decrease in the elevator, she still looked half-asleep.
When she reached the first basement level, Amelia Lockhart circled the parking garage twice but saw no sign of a black Bentley. It made her wonder if she was dreaming.
She opened WeChat and confirmed that the voice call from ten minutes ago was real. In disbelief, she circled the garage one more time. Finally, she saw a car flash its hazard lights and hurried over.
She knocked on the window and heard Silas Linden's cheerful voice say, "Get in."
After getting in and closing the door, Amelia Lockhart realized Silas Linden was driving, with Ethan Quinn sitting in the passenger seat.
"Feeling more awake now, Ms. Lockhart?" Silas Linden was the first to speak, offering his "warm" greeting. "You walked right past us three times and didn't even notice us sitting here?"
'Two superstars like us were parked in a spot directly opposite her building's elevator. She should have seen us the second she stepped out, but somehow, she was completely oblivious!'
Silas Linden's words left Amelia Lockhart speechless.
'If you saw me the whole time, why didn't you call out? Was it fun watching me run around like a headless chicken?'
"I thought it was a black Bentley yesterday?"
"It was," Silas Linden said, mastering the art of the humblebrag. "But a black Bentley is too conspicuous. We usually take this white one for everyday outings."
Amelia Lockhart was rendered speechless.
'Silas Linden must be the personification of that irritating Lord of Fate, always leaving people speechless with a deceptively harmless smile on his face.'
Ethan Quinn shot Silas Linden a look before speaking, his voice flat. "The phone box is in the back seat."
Only then did Amelia Lockhart look beside her. Sure enough, a black gift box was resting quietly on the seat.