Anita Moore rarely discussed the dramas of the entertainment industry with her friends. Whenever they saw gossip in the news and asked about it, she would brush it off, saying it was a trivial matter that wasn't worth their attention.
To Anita, it truly was no big deal. If she were ever truly fed up, she could always quit the industry. It wasn't as if she didn't have options.
The two of them finished their meal, and when they stepped out of the restaurant, Anita instinctively glanced around. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed a few suspicious figures hanging around.
"No wonder people call them paparazzi. Their noses are sharper than a dog's," she muttered, observing a few figures loitering near the entrance. She'd seen them lurking earlier when she and John Lopez were still inside, and they hadn't left.
John had already noticed them, but instead of being bothered, he simply smiled. "They really are good at finding you. Even when you're wearing a hat and a mask."
Anita frowned slightly. "I'm guessing they've been following us since we left the set. How about this—I'll give you the key to my apartment in Rochester, and you can stay there for the night, or we can just stay in the same hotel as the crew?"
She wasn't concerned about the gossip. If it weren't for the fear of creating a scene in front of the public, she'd have simply taken off her mask and held John's arm right there.
The real worry was the potential disturbance to her sisters. She was afraid that if John were followed by the paparazzi, they might find their way to her home and disrupt the normal lives of Queenie Yeats and the others.
She handed him the key. "You should take the apartment key. If you can't shake these people off, just stay at my place. I have plenty of space, so it's not a big deal if one of my places gets exposed."
John raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his smile. "So you're acting like a thief, sneaking around with keys? Playing the cunning game, huh?"
She chuckled. "Heh, I had no choice. They're making it difficult."
"If I ever get the chance, I'll introduce you to Gianna Semel. She's a master at handling these kinds of situations. You two might enjoy swapping some tricks."
"Gianna?" Anita asked, intrigued.
"She's my master's junior sister. In other words, she's from the same generation as my master, Perry Moreno."
"Junior sister of Perry Moreno?" Anita's eyes widened slightly. "She must be incredible, right?"
"Well, she's extremely great," John said with a smile that seemed to carry more meaning than he let on. "I've never met a woman quite like her."
Anita missed the hint in his tone and smiled brightly. "I look forward to meeting her."
Eventually, John took the key from Anita, accompanied her back to the crew, and waved her off.
As expected, the paparazzi were quick to catch onto John's presence.
There were two groups of paparazzi. One was focused on the stars of the crew, including Anita, while the other was tailing anyone who seemed close to them, like John.
From the perspective of the paparazzi, the relationship between Anita and this young man was anything but simple. If they could uncover his background, it would make for an exclusive story.
John, of course, knew he was being followed. He could easily shake them off, but an even better idea suddenly crossed his mind. A sly smile crept onto his face.
He turned down a side street, leading into a narrow alleyway.
The alley had a half-drawn curtain, behind which sat a woman with heavy makeup, her legs wrapped in black silk stockings. She looked out at the street with a provocative air.
As John passed by, her eyes lit up, and she raised an eyebrow, whistling at him, clearly inviting him in.
Without missing a beat, John walked up to her and exchanged a few words.
Meanwhile, the paparazzi, still trailing him, reached the entrance of the alley and started snapping photos. They were thrilled. This young man, who had been seen walking with Anita Moore, had now entered a sketchy alley and was talking to a woman—a perfect tabloid story in the making.
The paparazzi, particularly one nicknamed Hater, was certain this would land him a promotion. This mysterious man, clearly connected to Anita, entering a place like this? This would be gold.
But Hater couldn't hide his contempt. How could someone of such apparent importance, so close to a star like Anita, come to such a run-down place?
With a sneer, he clicked away at the camera, his distaste growing as he saw the woman's appearance. "This is what a man of status is into?" he thought, judgment in his gaze.
Feeling satisfied, he stepped closer to the door for a clearer shot.
That's when John pulled him inside the room.
The moment Hater entered, he froze. There, standing before him, was John, his eyes narrowed, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Y-You—"
Before Hater could even react, John moved quickly, snatching the camera from his hands and turning to the woman with the wavy hair. "I told you my buddy was too shy to come in, so he asked me to check it out for him first."
The woman, who had been blocked from seeing John's actions, blinked in confusion but shrugged. "Got it, got it. Handsome, I'll make sure to take care of your buddy, no worries."
John nodded, satisfied with the response, and exited the room.
Once outside, he crushed the camera in his hand, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, is this the police? I'm a concerned citizen…"