By then, Holden had wrapped up most of his business and was planning to head back home the next morning.
That night, some visitors came over to see Holden. He stepped out to talk with them, and after he returned, he handed Sarah a small velvet box.
“Grandfather said he didn’t know you’d be here. Since he didn’t have a gift prepared for your first meeting, he had this sent over.”
Sarah blinked in surprise. “For me?”
Holden smiled. “For you.”
She glanced at Holden, uncertain. “Am I allowed to accept it?”
Holden gave her a reassuring look. “Of course.”
Sarah opened the box to find a beautiful little rose brooch inside. Delighted, she immediately pinned it onto her T-shirt.
Holden chuckled softly. “Most people only wear flashy brooches like that to special events.”
Sarah, completely unbothered, replied, “Well, I’m not most people!”
“Sure, sure.” Holden’s tone was casual, but there was an unmistakable fondness in it-something even he didn’t seem to notice. “You’re the cutest.”
Sarah grinned. “Since I’m so cute, let me feel your abs.”
Holden smiled but turned her down. “Nope.”
Later, Sarah checked the news.
The sudden announcement about her marriage had caused quite a stir. Although she was still a rising star, the news drew plenty of attention, with both fans and critics flooding the comment sections of entertainment accounts.
“She’s married already? Wow, these young actresses sure love dating.”
“I just popped into Sarah’s livestream out of curiosity, and I couldn’t leave. Her voice is so soothing, and she’s so sweet with her fans, answering every question.”
“Her husband hasn’t even shown his face, and people are already saying he’s hot. Some guys sound good but look awful.”
“Elisa’s boyfriend is the real deal. A total heartthrob who could sign with any agency-he doesn’t need to hide from the public.”
“I bet Sarah’s husband has money, but not that much. So many actresses these days marry fake rich guys.”
“Elisa’s boyfriend is from a really wealthy family. His parents run a huge company-you can look it up online.”
“…”
Sarah muttered to herself, “Alright then.”
She couldn’t believe people were doubting Holden’s looks. Fine, maybe they could question his looks-but doubting his wealth? That was pushing it.
Soon, Sarah’s fans began scrutinizing the livestream with a “microscope”. They noticed that the painting in the background looked suspiciously like an original painting of Dominic, a masterpiece worth billions. Not only that, but the setting in her livestream and her recent vacation photos suggested she might be staying at a castle estate.
That discovery left Elisa’s fans scrambling, but they weren’t about to back down. If Elisa’s followers had to eat their words, they’d do it with stubborn pride.
“A house and a painting worth a couple billion? Ha, maybe he blew his entire fortune on those.”
“Elisa’s boyfriend is the real rich kid-classy and humble. He doesn’t need to flaunt wealth like that.”
“I bet Sarah’s husband is some old guy. Sure, he’s rich, but probably ugly. Mr. Ronald already confirmed on Twitter that he’s dating Elisa. Now that’s a man-responsible and handsome.”
“…”
Sarah’s fans weren’t having any of it. They clapped back with no mercy.
“A couple billion? Please, Mr. Ronald would need to sell everything he owns just to come close.”
“Ronald’s mom told the media she didn’t even know he had a girlfriend.”
“And your responsible Ronald just caused a girl’s death the other day. Don’t even start with ‘she seduced him’-a fly only lands on cracked eggs. He’s clearly a player.”
“…”
Sarah’s fans were ruthless when defending her, refusing to let anyone talk trash about their favorite. But privately, they were a bit worried too.
To be fair, there were way too many beautiful women these days marrying rich but ugly guys who turned out to be complete disappointments.
In the past couple of years, there hadn’t been many real beauties in the entertainment industry who could make people stop and stare-so when someone like Sarah finally showed up, it turned out she was already married.
Her fans bragged that her husband must be super handsome, but deep down, they weren’t exactly confident about it. Still, no matter what, they couldn’t back down in public. Even if they ended up eating their words later, that was a problem for future them. For now, they had to act like they were sure.
The fans’ only wish was for Sarah’s husband to stay off camera.
Ronald, for all his sleazy vibes and fake sophistication, did have good looks. For an ordinary guy to look like Ronald? That was already a miracle.
The fans agreed that it was possible Sarah’s husband had more money than Elisa’s boyfriend. But better looking? That seemed like a long shot. As long as he didn’t show his face, they were happy to hype him up as a total hottie.
Some fans even insisted that Sarah’s husband had to be handsome. After all, his voice was smooth and charming, was so rare it could make their hearts melt.
And honestly, with Sarah’s great taste, how could she possibly end up with someone unattractive?
The next day, Sarah and Holden flew back home. While abroad, she had bought loads of the latest clothes and bags, all charged to Holden’s card. Holden didn’t care-he told her to spend as much as she wanted. But when Sarah tallied up the expenses later, the total came out to six million.
For Sarah, that was no small sum. As a new actress, she had earned $900, 000 for her first movie. The Mysterious Family paid a bit better, but not even two million.
She also made a decent amount from endorsements and ads. Compared to where she came from, it was a good start, and she was pretty satisfied with her progress.
But that six million? That wasn’t her salary from the marriage contract, nor was it the occasional tens of thousands Holden casually wired her for fun. That was six million, plain and simple.
As soon as her ad payments came through, Sarah proudly sent the full amount over to Holden.
“See? I’m not just good at spending-I know how to make money too. Just watch, I’ll be a big star someday.”
Holden gave her a teasing smile. “Changing your brand, huh?”
Sarah blinked. “What?”
“You used to be a spoiled sugar baby kept by a rich guy,” Holden said slowly, as if savoring every word. “Now you’re this stubborn flower who won’t let money insult your dignity.”
Thanks to Sarah, Holden had picked up all kinds of tropes from glimpsing the web novels on her phone.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Fine, just send it back. I wanna be the sugar baby again.”
“Not happening.” Holden chuckled. “A capitalist’s money only flows in, never out.”