Good old Butler Ted might seem ordinary, but because he had Holden’s ear and could handle a million different tasks, he sometimes represented Holden in public matters. Most of the big names in the industry treated Ted with respect, worried he might say something bad about them to Holden.
Holden wasn’t fond of mingling with this crowd and preferred to stick to higher circles among the elite. As a result, people in the entertainment world were more likely to know Ted than Holden himself. Even if Holden showed up, there’d be maybe a handful of people who’d recognize him.
Crystal rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “He must have some serious connections. Better not cross someone like that. Sarah, if you want to make it in this industry, talent alone won’t cut it. It’s all about building the right connections and staying on good terms with the big shots.”
Then, lowering her voice, Crystal leaned in close to Sarah’s ear. “There was this one actress-she got blacklisted right when her career was blowing up. Refused to sleep with that bastard, and look what happened to her. She had such a bright future, and now? She’s out of the game.”
Sarah gave a small nod.
Upward Group had deep roots in both legal and underground circles, with solid ties in business and politics. Definitely not the kind of company to mess with.
A few of the industry’s top dogs were still chatting with Butler Ted. After exchanging some half-hearted pleasantries with the boss of the Upward Group, Ted excused himself and moved on to talk to others.
At that moment, the boss of the Upward Group made his way over to Crystal.
Though Crystal had her own backing, which made her hard to intimidate, the man’s status was undeniable. Privately, Crystal called him “bastard,” but in public, she had to play nice.
“Mr. Karl,” Crystal greeted with a smile, her tone polite.
Mr. Karl’s eyes squinted into slits, his smile seemingly friendly. “Crystal, congratulations! Looks like your new film is going to win another award. And this young lady beside you-isn’t she the new breakout star, Miss Sarah?”
Not wanting her friend anywhere near this sleazy guy, Crystal quickly handed Sarah the glass of wine she was holding, so Sarah now had both hands full and no way to shake hands.
With her hands now free, Crystal casually adjusted her earrings and smiled warmly. “That’s right. Sarah, say hello to Mr. Karl. He’s a major player in the industry. When he makes a move, the whole entertainment world shakes. I owe a lot of my success to his support.”
Sarah wasn’t stupid-she picked up on Crystal’s intentions right away.
If even a film queen like Crystal had to handle him carefully, a newcomer like Sarah knew better than to make any mistakes. She smiled politely. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Karl.”
Mr. Karl chuckled. “Oh, don’t flatter me. Crystal, you’re always so good at putting people on a pedestal.” Then he turned his attention back to Sarah. “So, Miss Sarah, have you signed with a company yet? Ever thought about joining ours? We’re looking to promote a new leading lady.”
Crystal immediately cut in. “No, she’s my cousin’s daughter. For now, she’s just tagging along with me.”
Mr. Karl had been sizing Sarah up, hoping to take advantage of her. But hearing that she was connected to Crystal made him rethink.
He didn’t want to push his luck with Crystal’s family.
Crystal was a powerhouse in the industry, with wealth and influence that didn’t quite match Mr. Karl’s, but her public image and reach made her untouchable in many ways.
Once Mr. Karl left, Crystal took one of the glasses of wine from Sarah’s hands.
Just then, her phone buzzed. Someone was calling, so Crystal stepped away to find a quiet spot to answer it.
Just then, Sarah spotted someone familiar-Holden had shown up, too.
He clearly wasn’t in the mood for small talk, leaving Butler Ted to handle all the socializing. Holden just played the role of an ordinary guest tonight. As usual, he kept it simple with a white shirt and black pants, leaving the top two buttons of his shirt undone. The soft lighting hit him just right, making him look like a refined gentleman with flawless features.
When Holden noticed Sarah, a subtle smile tugged at his lips, and he gave her a little gesture to come over.
Sarah quickly made her way to the biggest shot in the room, eager to hear whatever he wanted.
There were plenty of handsome men at the event tonight-throw a handful of stones, and nine out of ten would hit a good-looking star. But Holden stood out, not just because of his looks but because of the calm, commanding energy he carried. It was impossible to ignore him.
Sarah tilted her head to look up at him.
If she’d been paying closer attention, she might’ve noticed that Holden wasn’t as calm as he seemed. Beneath that polished exterior was a hint of something dangerous-like he was teetering between being a gentleman and unleashing total chaos. For Holden, mood swings that made him want to wreck the world weren’t uncommon.
Back in the day, whenever he felt like that, he’d lock himself in his lavish underground wine cellar, drinking alone while everyone else kept their distance.
But now he’d found something more amusing-so here he was.
Sarah, who thought her sugar daddy’s looks blew every other man in the room out of the water, wanted to do something special. As she approached Holden, she reached into a nearby vase and plucked out the only black rose-Crystal had mentioned earlier that it had just been flown in from Ecuador, still fresh with morning dew on its petals.
Sarah tucked the black rose into Holden’s shirt pocket. “Looks good, right?” she asked with a proud grin.
They say black roses symbolize, “You’re a devil, and you belong to me.”
But Sarah didn’t know much about the meanings of flowers. All she knew was that red roses meant love and lilies meant purity.
Holden glanced down at the black rose pinned to his pocket.
However, the dark bloom suited him perfectly-especially for someone with his kind of mature and magnetic presence.
Sarah, pleased with her own taste, felt a little smug. She even started daydreaming-if she ever pissed off the wrong people and got blacklisted in the industry, maybe she could go back to school and become a fashion designer with a unique eye for aesthetics.
She beamed up at Holden. “The only black rose in the whole vase.”
Holden chuckled softly. “Not bad.”
Curious, Sarah asked, “So, boss, why’d you call me over?”
Holden shrugged. “No reason. Just feel like biting someone.”
Sarah took two quick steps back.
If anyone else had said that, she’d assume it was just a joke.
But with Holden? He meant it.
Last time, he’d bitten her on the shoulder, explaining afterward that biting was just something he did during one of his “episodes.”
Sarah figured Holden probably had some kind of mental health issue-maybe bipolar disorder or dissociative identity disorder-but since it was personal, she never pried or asked too many questions.
To be fair, being bitten hard enough to draw blood hurt like hell.