The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 246

Luke was practically pleading with him.

“Thank goodness it didn’t actually blow up, or your commercial value and public favorability would have been completely destroyed. We are in the era of the ‘fan economy.’ Your public persona is your life! You have to understand this logic!”

Seeing that Clive was still sulking and refusing to speak, Luke pushed his glasses up with his index finger and softened his tone.

“Clive, I’m not trying to lecture you. But think about it. That A-list star who got blacklisted across the entire internet last year for losing his temper in public-where is he now? He’s doing extra work in B-movies in the middle of nowhere! I bet he won’t last much longer before he has to pack up and go back to his hometown. Do you want to end up like him?” Although Clive came from a wealthy family, he genuinely loved being a celebrity. That was why he chose to enter the entertainment industry. His career momentum was perfect right now; naturally, he didn’t want to crash and burn.

Luke’s words struck a nerve, and Clive couldn’t find a way to refute them. He tugged at his collar in frustration.

Seeing this, Luke took a bottle of chilled mineral water from the car’s mini-fridge and handed it over, his voice softening even more.

“Drink some water and cool off. Since the issue has been resolved, I won’t bring it up again. just make sure you learn from it. For next week’s charity gala, I’ve secured the finale spot on the red carpet for you. Make sure you perform well then.”

This was Luke’s brilliance. He had been Clive’s agent for several years and knew that Clive’s personality responded better to the carrot than the stick. So, every time he scolded Clive, he would follow it up with a benefit.

Sure enough, after Luke said that, Clive was silent for a moment. Finally, he nodded reluctantly. “I know. It won’t happen next time.

He knew deep down that his agent was doing this for his own good. So, he didn’t blow up

at Luke.

However, after this incident, his resentment toward Leilani deepened. It was all because of Leilani that he had lost his temper in public and gotten scolded by his agent. If Luke hadn’t reacted quickly, he might have been trending online for all the wrong reasons by

now.

S

Clive stared at the scenery flashing past the car window, his gaze dark and sinister. “Leilani, just you wait.”

15:19

Leilani was unaware of Clive’s petty thoughts. After buying her gift, she took a rare day off. She didn’t go to the Pure Spring Clinic but went straight back to Celestial Heights. She parked in the underground garage and took the elevator, carrying the watch she bought for Callahan and the several shopping bags Micah had forced on her.

Leilani put the watch box in her pocket, planning to give Callahan a surprise. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the box.

The numbers on the elevator display kept changing. The 18th floor flashed by, but she didn’t press the button to stop. Instead, she let the elevator continue upward.

19th Floor, Callahan’s home.

She and Callahan were neighbors, but this was the first time she had gone up to the penthouse level since moving in.

Originally, Leilani had intended to go straight to her own place, dump Micah’s bags at her door, and send Callahan a message to come down and get them himself. But for some reason, she had pressed the button for the top floor on a whim.

“It’s on the way, anyway,” she told herself, finding an excuse.

After all, she had ruined Callahan’s mood during the movie yesterday. It just so happened she had a gift to give him personally. When giving a gift, handing it directly to Callahan seemed more sincere.

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open slowly. The penthouse corridor was empty and quiet. Through the windows, the city lights were visible, making Leilani’s heartbeat inexplicably faster.

She walked up to the dark gray door, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell.

*

あ

15:19

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