After taking the picture, Charles muttered in mock jealousy, “Here I am, slaving away, yet I’m nothing but chopped liver.”
Austin, hearing Charles’s comment, chuckled warmly. “You’ve got a bright future, Charles. I look forward to meeting you at the top.”
Austin’s words carried sincerity. He could see himself in Charles—the same drive and determination to chase his dreams.
Charles cracked a bashful grin at the praise. “I’ll do my best!”
Skylar handed her phone to Natalie. “Nath, take a picture of Charles and me.”
Just as Natalie reached for Skylar’s phone, she realized she hadn’t given Austin the cookies yet. She quickly presented the box to him. “Mr. Powell, I made these myself. I cut the sugar and butter in half, so they’re definitely healthier than store-bought ones!”
Austin was surprised to receive Natalie’s box of cookies. Back when he was an up-and-coming actor, reporters barely noticed him during his tours with the other cast members. The hosts would ask questions to the main stars, then turn to him and say, “What about you, Austin? What’s your favorite food?”
At that time, he had answered, “Butter cookies.”
But as his career grew and he gained a manager, he learned to tailor his responses to be more general and diplomatic. He had assumed that Natalie’s claim of being a fan for years was an exaggeration. Now, it seemed she was telling the truth.
“Thank you,” Austin said, his tone more genuine this time.
Natalie beamed, clearly thrilled. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Mr. Powell. This is just a small token of appreciation for all the hard work you’ve done.”
Meanwhile, Joe, who had been playing golf, noticed a familiar figure nearby. He wasn’t sure it was Skylar at first, but after a second glance, he was convinced.
Paul, noticing where Joe’s attention was focused, commented in surprise, “Oh, it’s Ms. Sullivan! Is she a fan of Austin Powell?”
Joe’s expression immediately shifted when he heard the name. “Austin Powell?”
“He’s an actor,” Paul explained. “He’s won ‘Best Actor’ several times and has numerous awards. All of his movies have sold out. He has a massive global following. I’m a fan of his too—though I think he has more female fans. Even my sister and mother love him. He’s a walking heartthrob.”
Paul was genuinely curious. He hadn’t expected Skylar to be one of Austin’s fans.
Suddenly, a thought hit Paul like a sledgehammer. His eyes snapped back to Joe. Joe’s narrowed gaze on Austin made Paul’s stomach drop.
Was Joe jealous?
“One of the actors is Charles. He’s probably Ms. Sullivan’s brother. Maybe she’s here to visit him,” Paul said, trying to calm his own rising concerns.
Joe recalled that Skylar had mentioned earlier that she was visiting Charles. He was about to approach the group when a woman suddenly blocked his path.
The moment Joe saw who it was, his expression turned cold.
“Mr. Martin, please, can you give me another chance to explain? Even a criminal gets a shot at redemption! I’ve known you for years, Mr. Martin. We have mutual friends. I made a mistake when I bothered Skylar. Please, just hear me out!” Annie implored anxiously, trying to soften Joe’s hardened demeanor.
The Silver family had been in turmoil recently. Her father had been reprimanding her mother for not keeping a tighter grip on her, forcing Annie to beg Joe for forgiveness. In the past few days, she had made one mistake after another at work and had tried several failed attempts to meet Joe. Even Rowan had told her to come up with a way to calm Joe’s anger on her own.
After waiting patiently for days, Annie finally found out that Joe and Rowan would be playing golf together. Without hesitation, she abandoned the evening’s show to catch up with Joe.
Joe’s eyes were as cold as ever, his frown deepening as he absorbed her words. It was clear he was becoming more displeased.
Meanwhile, Natalie, who had just finished checking the picture she took of Skylar and Charles, noticed Joe nearby. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Joe?” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.
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