Stan watched Lily vanish into the flow of executives and performers before turning slightly toward Vivian.

Beside him, Vivian exhaled quietly through her nose, the controlled breath of someone forcing emotion back under restraint before it could surface publicly.

But internally, her chest felt tight. Painfully tight.

Her fist clenched harder at her side as she watched her sister’s retreating figure disappear deeper into the arena.

Because no matter how composed she acted, one fact remained impossible to ignore.

She couldn’t compare. Not really. Not to Lily. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Not to a senior talent acquisition executive overseeing Netflix’s Asia-Pacific division.

Lily operated at a level Vivian had spent years trying to reach and still hadn’t touched.

And the worst part was that Lily knew it but still felt inferior...

Stan glanced at her once.

"You okay?"

Vivian’s expression stabilized almost immediately.

"Yes."

A lie delivered professionally enough that most people would have accepted it.

Stan almost smiled.

"Come on," he said. "We have work to do."

Then the two of them stepped into the arena together.

Meanwhile, farther ahead within the illuminated arrival corridor, Lily Reeves continued walking with the same calm, composed elegance she had displayed throughout the exchange.

To outside observers, she looked perfectly unaffected.

Professional. Controlled and superior.

But the moment enough distance separated them from the primary camera focus, the expression in her eyes changed slightly.

Not softer. Sharper.

Her thoughts turned back toward Stan Harrison.

And for the first time that evening, genuine irritation flickered beneath her composure.

Because the truth was deeply unpleasant. She envied Vivian.

The realization alone annoyed her.

Star Entertainment.

The number one entertainment company in the world.

A company powerful enough that even Netflix approached negotiations with caution in certain markets. A company whose internal influence, production resources, and talent reach had reshaped entire sections of the global industry.

Despite her title, despite her reputation, despite the authority she carried within Netflix’s Asia-Pacific division...

Netflix still wasn’t Star Entertainment, it wasn’t even close.

It was not at the highest level. Not in the places where real influence shaped the industry itself.

And somehow, Vivian, her younger sister who used to recklessly throw tantrums over insignificant campus politics, had ended up attached to a man whose presence alone seemed capable of influencing Star Entertainment from deep within its upper structure.

Lily frowned faintly. There was more to Stan Harrison than appearances suggested.

Far more. His age didn’t match his composure. His behavior didn’t match his background.

And no university student should have been able to walk into an environment like tonight’s and remain that calm while being observed by half the industry.

Something about him felt... dangerous. Not physically. Strategically.

As though everyone else was still trying to determine the shape of the board while he had already begun planning several moves ahead.

That bothered her. A lot.

Without slowing her pace, Lily spoke quietly.

"Daniel."

The junior Netflix talent acquisition officer beside her straightened immediately.

"Yes, Director Reeves?"

"I want everything on Stan Harrison."

She kept her gaze forward.

"Family background. Financial movements. Corporate connections. University history. Business registrations. Production funding sources. Anything unusual tied to Ghost Signal or Unfinished Business."

Daniel blinked once. "Everything?"

Lily’s eyes narrowed slightly behind her frameless glasses. "I don’t like variables I can’t read."

A brief silence followed.

Then, very softly:

"And I especially don’t like the feeling that someone this young is hiding an amount of influence that shouldn’t logically exist."

Daniel nodded immediately. "I’ll begin now."

"Good."

Ahead of them, the main arena doors slowly opened as waves of executives, actors, performers, and acquisition teams disappeared into the heart of the event.

And somewhere behind her, Lily knew the cameras were still following Stan Harrison and Vivian Reeves.

For reasons she increasingly understood.

Meanwhile, Stan and Vivian walked into the arena together.

The interior was everything the exterior had promised: a vast, meticulously engineered space transformed from its standard convention configuration into something closer to a theatrical spectacle.

Tiered seating curved around a central stage while production lighting rigs overhead cast warm, precise illumination across the performance floor.

Industry tables had been arranged in concentric arcs around the stage access points, each marked with branding subtle enough to appear professional and visible enough to be intentional.

The room was filling with the particular kind of crowd that only gathered at events like this: executives wrapped in expensive restraint, talent scouts wearing carefully neutral expressions, performers balancing nerves beneath polished composure, and the operational staff of a dozen global companies moving between tables with the synchronized efficiency of people executing a well-rehearsed plan.

Stan took it all in quietly as they made their way toward Star Entertainment’s reserved section.

Netflix occupied the center-left. HBO had secured a front-row, stage-adjacent position, a placement that communicated confidence in their ability to move quickly when opportunity appeared.

Warner Bros. and Universal sat at neighboring tables, senior representatives already engaged in low conversation. Disney’s talent division had positioned itself near the stage access corridor, whether by strategy or simply by arriving early.

Amazon MGM’s acquisitions team occupied the back-right section, suggesting either deliberate restraint or a preference for observing the room before committing themselves.

And at the Star Entertainment table, their table, there was a perfect sightline to the stage and a position centered within the arc, neither aggressively forward nor modestly withdrawn. The placement of a company that did not need to announce its importance because its importance was already understood.

Stan was a step away from his seat when a familiar figure crossed his peripheral vision.

Xenia.

She had already spotted him and was weaving through the growing crowd with the controlled ease of someone thoroughly accustomed to navigating industry spaces without ever appearing rushed.

She was dressed appropriately for the event, wearing a red blouse, looking elegant, and camera-ready, polished without looking excessive.

Her hair was styled to a stylish ponytail, it had clearly been styled with live broadcasts in mind.

***

A/N:

Five Chapters will be released today. The first four will be released together, while the fifth Chapter will be released 1–2 hours later.