Urban System in America-Chapter 249 - 248: Be My Boyfriend

He stepped forward instinctively, unsure what he would say, when Monica suddenly turned—and their eyes locked.

For a second, her aloof persona remained aloof and elegant, and her expression cold and distant, the practiced mask of a seasoned actress. Screaming untouchable. But then her gaze subtly flicked behind her, to the small group of men watching her from the shadows, holding drinks and fake smiles.

She wasn’t naive or stupid. In fact, she was pretty sharp—had to be. She had survived in Hollywood long enough to know better. Only fools believed this industry was glamorous beneath the surface. And fools didn’t last. She’d heard enough horror stories, the whispered stories, the cautionary tales passed between young actresses like survival tips about these kinds of parties to know they were more than just glitz and glam.

That’s exactly why she usually avoided them. But this time, she hadn’t had much of a choice. It was a direct order from her agency’s CEO, and her agent had practically begged her to show up. Swore it would be safe. Reassured her it was just for appearances and would be good for her career.

That’s why despite her reluctance, she had to come here. But she came prepared.

She’d been cautious the moment she stepped inside. This wasn’t her first rodeo, and she knew better than to let her guard down—not in a place like this. She hadn’t touched the food, not even the cute little macarons on gold-plated trays. And she hadn’t sipped a single drink, no matter how many times someone offered to get her one. Not even water. Rule number one in these kinds of places: trust no one.

She kept her phone in her hand, stayed near exits, and avoided wandering into side rooms that seemed just a little too quiet. Most importantly, she hadn’t let herself get cornered or caught alone for even a second.

She knew exactly how tempting she looked—people reminded her of it every damn day. "Too beautiful for your own good," some casting director had told her once with a wink that made her skin crawl. Compliments always came with a catch in this industry. So yeah, she’d stayed sharp.

But after stepping away for five minutes. Just five. Just to check her makeup and take a breather in the restroom. The noise and fake smiles had started to get under her skin, and she needed a second to breathe.

When she came back, her group of fake, plastic friends gone. Just disappeared.

At first she thought that maybe they had just gone to get a drink or something, but even after waiting for some time, they didn’t come back and that’s when she felt it.

The eyes.

It was subtle at first, a shift in the air—like that moment in a jungle where all the birds stop singing and you just know something is watching you. Her skin prickled. The hairs on her arms rose, and a cold, invisible thread curled down her spine.

She didn’t need to turn her head to know it. She could feel them on her. Not one person. Multiple. Lurking from different corners of the room—men in tailored suits pretending to be engrossed in small talk, laughing a little too loud at things that weren’t funny, their drinks untouched.

But their eyes kept drifting back to her. Watching.

Not in the casual, flirty way she was used to. No. This was different. Calculated. Cold. Like they were waiting for something. Or someone.

As a hot new acting diva. Their smiles and conversations were too fake—too rehearsed, like they were all reading from the same script. Laughing at nothing, nodding along to things that didn’t deserve a response. And yet, behind all that plastic charm, their eyes never left her. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Whenever she shifted positions, they shifted too. Subtle. Coordinated. Like shadows. No one approached directly, but their presence clung to the air around her like static. One would tilt his head to check a watch that wasn’t even ticking. Another adjusted his cufflink with the kind of precision that only made sense if he was stalling for time.

She exhaled slowly and reached for her phone, her fingers moving with practiced calm as she typed a quick message to her manager:

—"Can I leave now? Things feel... off."

The response came back too fast. One word.

—"No."

She tried to text her agent again, asking if she could leave early, but the response was a firm no. Leaving now would apparently offend the host, who wasn’t just anyone—he was powerful. Too powerful to risk pissing off. So she had no choice but to stick it out.

And decided to head towards the main Hall, where most of the crowd was gathering.

That’s when she noticed the tall guy lingering nearby—Rex. She didn’t know much about him, but he looked sharp, carried himself well, and most importantly, he didn’t seem sleazy. A plan quickly clicked into place.

With a small smirk, she walked right up to him, took his arm like they were already a couple, and leaned in close. "Hey, babe. Took you long enough," she said sweetly, just loud enough for nearby ears.

Then, under her breath, she added, "Play along. I’ll explain later."

Rex blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You’re my boyfriend now," she whispered with a playful sparkle in her eyes.

Rex had just been trying to think of a casual way to approach her—something low-key that wouldn’t tip off the men watching her or piss off whoever was behind this whole setup. But this? This worked too. His brain short-circuited for a second, but he caught on quick.

He chuckled, and unceremoniously slipped his arm around her waist, and leaned in. "Sorry I’m late, darling," he said, then dropped his voice to a low murmur, "Okay, but I better be getting hazard pay for this."

Monica rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of gratitude in them. "Don’t flatter yourself. Okay. You’re just conveniently tall and ridiculously pretty."

(End of Chapter)