The funkily-dressed crew member spat and coughed hard, not believing what he just heard. “You’re what?! Violent Violet’s husband?!”
‘Violent Violet?’
Peeep!
[Mission Objective: 1/100 people.]
[Time Left: 59 minutes.]
Shit.
Ryan hurried to correct himself. “Kidding,” he smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m her new manager. It’s my first day.”
The lie was easier to say and believe. The funky crew member’s shocked face slowly melts into a neutral face. “That’s not funny, sir.”
“My name’s Ryan Wilder,” he offered his hand to shake. “I guess you’re a crew here?”
“Yes. Matthew Sweeney from Costume and Wardrobe Department.” The funky crew member grasped it. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wilder. Nice watch.”
Ryan gave a small smile, but tried to hide his left hand, where a bright yellow watch circled his wrist, and Pikachu’s cute face greeted him. “Please don’t be too formal with me.”
“Well, hopefully you’ll enjoy working for Violet. She’s a piece of a fiery cracker, if you know what I mean.”
Ryan didn’t. “Do you know where she is? She asked me to bring her script from home.”
The funky crew nodded. “She’s in the make up trailer. I’m heading there, so you might as well. Come on.”
Ryan followed behind, noticing how hot it was in the shooting location. “You called her Violent Violet earlier?”
Matthew’s smile faltered, “Ah, yes. That. I didn’t meant to be rude. Just forget it.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes. “She didn’t hit you, did she?”
“Of course– I mean, she had, once. But it’s my fault, really. She asked me to bring her phone charger, but I was a little busy at that time and forgot about it. Then I lost her charger, so,” Matthew shrugged, “You get the picture.”
“I have known Violet for years, so I’m pretty familiar with her fist.”
“So you know.” Matthew chuckled and pointed to his own face. “She almost broke my cheek that time. I still remember how awful the bruise she left behind. Man… if ony she kiss it better.”
Soon, they arrived at the makeup trailer. Matthew knocked it once before pulling it open. The blast of ‘Call Me Maybe’ flooded from the inside, The makeup artists and their casts seemed to be having fun. And from outside, Ryan got a glimpse of Violet swaying to the music with a big smile on her face.
It was a first.
She looked so happy there.
“Matthew!”
“Come in, come in!”
They called him.
“Oh, who’s there behind you?”
“Hey, Sweeney,” he called the funky crew, “I think I’ll wait out here until Violet is done.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I kind of forget to get her special shake on the way here. Don’t let her know I’m here, okay?”
The crew, who dressed in a patchwork overall, nodded, knowing from his experience how Violet dealt with this clumsiness. “Good luck, then. We’ll film some scenes in studio 19.”
“Cool. I’ll be there then.” Ryan turned away from the makeup trailer’s door and headed to the nearest building from the park.
He didn’t know why, but seeing Violet so happy and carefree like that made his heart beat faster. He liked that smile on her face. It was neither forced nor fake. Not even once had she smiled like that because of him.
“Ugh…” he slid down the wall, crouching with his back against the brick.
Ryan didn’t like this unwarranted jealousy. It surely felt different than when he barged into Violet’s bedroom and found her with Ashton. He was not jealous back there, knowing full well that he truly did not deserve Violet. He knew he could never make her happy by being on his side.
He was not a lover she wanted nor a man she needed.
But, he witnessed how Violet could laugh and be happy by being with her friends, singing silly songs and dancing around.
Ryan was jealous that he was not the reason. He wanted to see her like that because of him.
Ruffling his hair, Ryan groaned to himself.
He was pathetic.
After lamenting to himself, Ryan stood up and took a deep breath. He had to get the script to Violet. Where was Sweeney said she’d film again?
Ryan looked up and found that ‘Studio 19’ was painted in bold letters above him. Such convenience.
Entering the building, Ryan was met with halls and wooden platforms. Long cables and shooting properties adorned the place. Even though it was indoors with full AC, the overhead lighting made the room feel hotter.
Soon, he found the shooting location after following some crew who dashed through the hall. The set was buzzing with activity. Cameramen and set crews swarmed the place while directors and casts stood in the middle, discussing something.
Ryan stood on the right side of the set, observing how the filming process would go. He had not seen Violet, so he figured she was getting a last touch on her makeup or costume. Looking at the old Pikachu watch on his wrist, he knew he had to give the script to Violet soon. It was almost eleven, and he didn’t want to be hit by his wife in front of these strangers.
“Where’s Violet?”
Ryan perked up at the question, thinking the same. He looked up and found that the man who said it was probably the director. He got a thick script in his hands and round eyeglasses perched on his nose.
One of the crews answered, “She’s still in the makeup trailer. Do you want me to get her here?”
“Yes, we’re starting now. What is she doing there when it’s time already?”
Another crew responded, “She said she left her script home. Someone is supposed to bring it to her, so she’s waiting.”
“Seriously?” the director huffed, a hint of annoyance on his face. “That’s very unproffesional. If it wasn’t because of her fist, I’d recast her role already. How can an actress forget her script?”
Ryan didn’t like what he just heard. “I got her script here.”
He guessed his voice was pretty loud. All eyes turned to him at once. He suddenly froze, the urge to shove his head into the toilet bowl was overwhelming.
“Who are you?” the one who he assumed to be the editor asked, fixing his glass on the bridge of his nose.
“I’m–“
Peeep!
[Mission Objective: 1/100 people.]
[Time Left: 27 minutes.]
Ryan faltered as TEETS reminded him of the ongoing mission. He had to make a big decision here. One he needed quick before Violet appeared and all hell broke loose.
He looked at the people around the filming set, finding curious glances and some uninterested ones that soon diverted their eyes elsewhere. About twenty crews here. He still got a chance.
Making up his mind, he prayed that Violet wouldn’t just appear the moment he opened his mouth and said, “I’m Violet’s husband.”
Ryan felt his life drained at once as silence followed.
Peeep!
[Mission Objective: 24/100 people.]
[Time Left: 26 minutes.]
“Hahahahahaha!”
Several laughs broke through the spacious indoor set. Most crews made hushed comments with each other, while some of them sent doubtful looks towards the stranger who wore an oversized t-shirt and old jogger pants.
It was awful.
He had never felt this awful that he wanted to bang his head against the wall and pray that he had lost his memories.
Peeep!
[Mission Objective: 51/100 people.]
[Time Left: 25 minutes.]
Ryan’s eyes widened in shock. TEETS’ mechanical voice informed kindly, along with the floating transparent panel in front of him. Its white letters with golden frames did not change no matter how many times he reread it.
He didn’t see more than around twenty people there, and there was no newcomer too, but the number increased. From a second look, he found that some of the crews got their phones out, so it meant letting people know about his relationship with Violet indirectly also counted.
“You’re kidding, right?” the director asked again, still laughing in disbelief, right in Ryan’s face.
“Of course,” Ryan lied, sending the crews there an awkward fake smile. “There’s no way I’m her husband, right?”
“Hahahahaha!” the director laughed again. And then stopped a second later. “That’s not funny.”
“Sorry.” Then, Ryan added just because he can. “But, what if I’m really Violet’s husband?”
“Then, you must have lose your mind already.”
“Why?”
“Let’s be real. Even from directing, I know sex with her must be hella great, let alone doing it repeatedly, whenever you want. She’s a beauty, no matter how you look at her. But, she’s bossy as fuck. If you don’t listen to what she say, her fist will do the talking.” The director shrugged.
The sentence was closed with another laugh, followed by several chuckles around the director. They were laughing at Ryan, but TEETS’ made him quirk a smile.
Peeep!
[Mission Objective: 77/100 people.]
[Time Left: 24 minutes.]
The news spread faster than he thought. No joke, this was the entertainment industry. A simple gossip about a star would spread like wildfire in no time. Perhaps, even the government’s spymaster should learn from people here.
“Anyway, each to their own right?” the director concluded then. “She’ll be a perfect match to a maso.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear it.” Ryan smiled, looking quite satisfied with himself as the lie was smoothly voiced. “Violet and I are happily married, despite her insistence to keep it a secret.”
Peeep!
[Mission Objective: 98/100 people.]
[Time Left: 23 minutes.]
Only two more people and he’d complete the mission. Easy peasy.
… or so he thought.
Peeep![Mission Objective: 98/100 people.][Time Left: 23 minutes.]Only two more people and he’d complete the mission.Ryan’s laugh broke the set. Everyone looked at him as if he truly had gone crazy. “So-sorry…” he chuckled, “I was lying.”“What?”“I was lying.”Everyone in the set sighed, grumbling to themselves. “You’re not Violet’s husband?”Oh, he really was Violet’s husband, Ryan wanted to say. He just chuckled and introduced himself then. “I’m Violet’s new manager.”He didn’t know why he said that specifically, but it was more believable to be honest. She had no manager for the last two months, and he got a reason to be here. But then again, he was actually afraid of Violet if she found out about his spontaneous announcement.The director cleared his throat, “I never see you
The bright yellow Pikachu watch around him showed it was nearing six o'clock. Today's shooting had ended about an hour ago, but Violet had yet to emerge from the makeup trailer after catching up with the other cast members.Ryan sat under a tree while keeping his gaze on the makeup trailer's door. He didn't want to miss his wife's departure.His phone's battery had run out hours ago before lunch. It was second-hand, he picked it up from the floor after the Crowne's youngest son, Florent, threw a tantrum and smashed his phone to pieces. Thankfully, after he repaired it himself, the phone still functioned, despite not to its maximum capacity.Either way, it wasn't like Violet would reply to his texts. She'd only text him if she truly needed him to do something.Almost half an hour later, the makeup trailer's door opened, and five girls emerged from it. He spotted a blonde beauty and rushed to meet her halfway in the parking lot. Violet pretended she didn't
In three minutes, the salesgirl’s dubious gaze had transformed into a surprised one. She handed the black, sleek car’s key to Ryan, face red with embarrassment. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you, sir.”Of course, TEETS had taken care of the transaction for him.Twirling the car’s key in his hand, the security finally took his leave. Like the salesgirl, he looked shocked that someone as badly dressed as Ryan could pay for such a fine car. The only difference was that he got to leave, so he didn’t have to be pent his embarrassment.On the other hand, the salesgirl was stuck here. Her red face and stiff shoulders showed that he wanted Ryan to leave the dealership. She treated Ryan rudely, despite not knowing what he was capable of.Perhaps, if Ryan had come to the dealership a week ago, the salesgirl would kick his arse, and he’d done nothing. It wasn’t his place. But with TEETS’ presence, he
A middle-aged married couple was waiting by the terrace on one fine night. Disgruntlement was clear on their face as they sat on the lavish wooden chair for almost an hour.Their attention was pulled to the gate. It was left open since their useless son-in-law left to bring their beloved daughter’s script to set. And since their lovely Violet was forced to marry that homeless scum, they had fired the security and maids. Thankfully, their house was pretty far from other houses, and the neighborhood was secured, with zero reports of criminal activity.Dashing through the open gate, a cold green sports car rounded the fountain in front of the house. It slowed down, letting both Marissa and Robert examine the vehicle. It was sleek and oozed luxury, with its race-car look, it would be a beast on the street.Robert wasn’t a car enthusiast, but he knew quite a lot that the car in front of him was Aston Martin’s newest product, Valkyrie Spider. H
Ryan was heading to his own bedroom, the one previously owned by the fired housekeeper, when someone grabbed his arm and tugged him in the opposite direction."Violet–"She didn't let him speak and just shoved him to the wall. He was surprised that he couldn't react fast enough as the blonde beauty pressed her hand around his neck, pinning him there. "Who are you?"Ryan tried to get her hand away, but Violet quickly circled his right wrist and pinned it too beside his head. He could push her away, or do some dirty tricks since he was taller than Violet, so he'd have longer reach. But he was not that despicable, so he just put his hand around the one she held his neck with. "What are you–""I'm the one questioning you. Answer me."Instead of doing as he was told, Ryan asked TEETS for some clarification. 'Is King's Aura no longer active?'TEETS didn't waste time. Its mechanical sound and floating transparent panel soon appeared.
The Crowne’s residence was strangely out of order today.Unlike before, no one had the initiative to clean the house or make breakfast. The task for it fell on Ryan. At least, before he stood up for himself and refused to do whatever his in-laws and wife told him to.Before hell broke loose – with Marissa screaming when she found yesterday’s trash and Robert calling for breakfast – Ryan had left the house pretty early in the morning. He was in no mood to deal with his in-laws.On the other hand, Violet would take the hint from yesterday and wouldn’t expect him to do the previous work. But it didn’t mean she’d just let him slip like that. She’d drag him to hell just because she could if he didn’t do anything. So, Ryan decided he’d search for someone to do the job his in-laws dropped on him.That being said, Ryan drove out of the city in his new green Spider.“TEETS, where’s the
The mad cook merely laughed. Lifting his hand, he pointed his gun at Ryan’s face again. “Stop interfering with my fight.”He said a strange thing. Could it be that Bill saw something else? Hallucinating, perhaps?“There’s no fight here, Bill. We’re in a restaurant, enjoying breakfast that you make.”“Lies!” Bill’s anger rose like a rocket. “There’s fights everywhere, you can’t fool me!”Ryan thought about how to solve this. It wouldn’t end in a good way if he didn’t solve this. The police would probably arrest the cook, and his life would spiral down even further. That wasn’t what the veteran needed. Help, he had to give it.“How about this,” Ryan shot an idea, “I bet I can take the gun from your hand in one minute.”“You’re weak. Impossible.”“Humor me, then. If I can do it, you have to
Heading to a place called Pink B!kini was not something Ryan thought he’d do someday. Let alone with the intention of looking for a runaway kid named Cinos.[Please turn left 100 yards from here.][The destination is on your right.]Ryan slowed the car, and didn’t want to miss it. Turning 180 degrees on this narrow road would be a pain in the neck. Indeed, he wasn’t in the middle of the city, so the street was not that big. It was two lanes, shared with the cars coming from opposite directions, but the junks littered on either side was a big hassle.Looking to his right, Ryan soon found the building named Pink B!kini. Covered by vulgar and sarcastic graffiti, it was hard to know what color the building’s paint was at first. Mostly, it was dominated by shades of pink, like its namesake. Two entrances in its front.The rolling door was closed, so he went to the rickety door after he parked the green Spider in front. The area w
Ryan struggled to stay awake as he stared blankly at one of the bare white walls around him.The hum of the bright fluorescent lights above him flickered occasionally, breaking him in and out of his trance. There were no windows except for the small one at the door, which barely showed into the hallway.He had long lost count of the hours he had been held inside this room since he arrived. He felt tired and broken in more ways than one, but he was managing, and that is all he could do right now.He just needed to hold out a little longer.Just a little longer.Shifting his gaze at the paper before him, it did not take long to realize that no one here was ever on his side to begin with. Telling the truth did not matter. Everyone believed he was a murderer. He was guilty the moment he was arrested, and they made that very clear after trying to repeatedly beat him into signing the confession, making sure to avoid his face. Anything that his prison uniform did cover, they beat until they
The interrogation room was well air-conditioned, it was supposed to be cold. Yet, Ryan couldn’t feel anything but stifling heat from deep within his chest. He felt rage, more than fear or puzzlement at this point.There was only one person who could and would frame him, but getting everyone to believe was hard. Almost impossible, even.Leaning back in his chair, Detective Pierce continued, "Let me tell you the short version of what I think happened. You murdered Jorge and left Edric for dead. You left straight from the party to the airport, trying to flee the scene of the crime.""That's ridiculous.""Why else would you leave Seattle in such a hurry? Were you planning to leave the country next?"Glaring, Ryan griped out a resounding, "No, I simply went home. If I wanted to run, I'd go anywhere but there, wouldn't you think?""It's not far-fetched for you to gather your things and prepare to disappear for good. You wanted revenge for your father's death and you wanted to take down the
Still in shock, Ryan asked the police officer who told him to step forward. "Can I make a phone call?""You're not allowed.""What about an attorney?""The police will contact one on your behalf once you've been transferred.""Transferred?"The officer sighed, pushing him to move forward after a moment. "To Seattle's police jurisdiction. Now stop talking and walk."Following the orders to move, Ryan was taken to a small check-in station where an officer forcefully dipped each of his fingers in black ink, printing each digit on a white paper document.Once they were finished, he was escorted into another area, which was equipped with a digital camera and a large backdrop against the wall that was marked with varying heights. He inwardly sighed as he was given a small blackboard with his name to hold up.An officer instructed him to stand up straight and look towards the camera. He flinched as the flash sounded and wa
Opening the door, Ryan was alarmed at finding a couple of police officers standing on the other side. Glancing at the police car in the driveway, his face drained at wondering what the hell was going on."Are you Ryan Wilder?" one of the officers asked."…Yes."One of the men immediately took his hand and placed a handcuff around his wrist, pulling his other arm behind his back before adding another cuff.Another officer said, "Ryan Wilder, you are hereby under arrest on suspicion of murder."His mouth fell open in complete disbelief. "What?""You have the right to remain silent," the officer continued. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"His knees felt weak. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. If this really was a dream after
Everything was a blur as Ryan rushed down the hall and burst through the door where they had last left Violet and Edric.What he had found on the other side was his worst nightmare realized.Kneeling down as he pulled Violet limply into his arms, he shakily touched the side of her draining face and gently shook her, finding no response. Choking out her name through cracked whispers over and over, he couldn't stop the sudden tears blurring his vision.Never in his life had Ryan ever felt so hurt and broken as he did now."G-God, no…" he whimpered. "Violet, please… please wake up."Every silent second that passed felt like eternity as his chest began to heave with broken sobs. His throat burned and his eyes clenched in anguish.Weakly picking himself up to see her face, he brushed back her bangs and froze when her blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Everything around him grew still like he was viewing a dream
Violet was ready to fight him. She had trained in several martial arts and mastered them for self-defense against harmful men like him. Rendering Edric useless was an easy task. She had almost done that months ago, when he was still playing with his old dog. Come to think of it, where was that old dog of his again? Violet’s blue eyes were focused as she shifted into a defensive stance, her lithe frame ready for action. On the other hand, Edric appeared remarkably nonchalant, sitting at a table with a book and a wide grin on his face as if he knew something Violet didn’t. The first move came from the infamous actress. Her movements were swift and precise, as she had aimed a roundhouse kick at Edric’s head. The red dress with high open slit at her tight created a beautiful motion picture, if one were to enjoy it. Sadly, the circumstance was not fit for such approval. However, just as Violet’s foot was about to connect with Edric’s head, a stack of books toppled over, and he stumble
"Pick it up," Edric haughtily repeated. Violet couldn't believe what she had done - even if he did deserve it. Her reputation was already in the mud lately, so it wasn’t her concern. She just didn’t believe that she punched Edric because of Ryan, the fucking scum. To hell with people still watching her nude scenes. She had made that choice in her younger days, so she didn’t want to regret it right now. However, to insult and humiliate Ryan for having such wife, crossed her line. Oh, how her world had turned upside down because of him. Not responding fast enough for his liking, as she stood frozen in place, he roughly grabbed her arm and nearly pushed her towards the floor before Ryan had cut in between them. "Don't you ever touch her again," Ryan furiously spat. "You'll fucking regret it." Before Edric could retort, the Head Butler of the Ashford family, Jorge, wedged between them, gently pushing them back by the shou
Right after breakfast, Thomas knocked on the penthouse door and asked if they were ready. Once they were, they left with Thomas, who had been waiting in the living room. He had been instructed to chauffeur them around Seattle today to find appropriate attire for the company's black tie fundraiser tonight.Although they were being forced to attend, Ryan surprised himself by enjoying their time together shopping for the event. Maybe it was because he got to see Violet try on dresses, or maybe it was just nice to do something normal. Before they return to the penthouse, Violet wants him to buy her a car. She would never ask him for such a thing, because even with all the wealth he had acquired, Violet could afford a car herself. Besides, she was too proud to ask for one. So, when she did ask him, Ryan easily agreed, and they bought one. Too bad, Violet didn’t let him see what the car she bought either, saying it was a surprise for him. Once they returned back to his penthouse after t
Street lamps flickered on one by one as Thomas drove him about an hour south from the Ashford Gorup's building headquarters to the city's international airport.As the car rolled to a stop, Thomas turned back from the driver's seat and said, "I'll go wait for Ms. Crowne and escort her here, Mr. Wilder."Already unbuckling his seat belt, Ryan lifted a hand up for him to remain in place. Opening the door, he said, "Not necessary. Just stay here and wait for us.""But-"Slamming the door shut, he reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He felt like an idiot wearing them, but they had helped with shielding his eyes from any sudden camera flashes. He doubted it would somehow cover his identity, but it served as a kind of protection from meeting someone's eyes directly.Familiar with where to go, Ryan placed his hands in his pockets and walked towards the terminal she would be arriving from.Once he heard Vi