Behind The Spotlight Chapter 220
Two days later, not even a week, Jennifer received a call telling her she was cast as the host of a new morning show.
Her heart skipped, and for a moment she forgot to breathe. After fully understanding the call, she jumped in excitement and squealed happily. Tears welled in her eyes before she even realized it.
Immediately, she called Collin. She wanted to share the good news with him. He was the first person she thought of.
"Collin! Collin! I got the job!" Jennifer was so happy that her voice cracked.
"I know," Collin answered calmly on the phone, though he was smiling.
"Really!?"
"Yeah, I received the news from someone." Collin smiled and raised his voice to be heard. He leaned back in his chair, relieved that their plan worked. He was also happy. At last, after many years, they had found a starting point. It had been very tough for Collin to find this opportunity.
'I guess I have to thank Chairman Noah Nash for his help. Without his info, I'll never know about this. That connection was crucial.'
"Don't worry, Jennifer. I'll make sure the negotiation will be quick. We don't want this opportunity to disappear."
"I'm not looking for something grand, just make sure I won't get hungry," Jennifer said with a small laugh, wiping her tears.
"I'll keep that in mind."
It was a gamble that paid off well.
Collin ended the call.
"Who was that?"
"None of your fucking business."
"Come on, man. I thought we agreed that today is a rest day and no job."
"Rest day my ass. You invited me to a concert bar to watch Pulse Static's performance." Collin coldly stared at Arnold.
Today was supposed to be a rest day for Collin, but Arnold had invited him to a bar. He thought it was a wine bar where they could peacefully drink, but it turned out to be a concert bar instead, where rock bands and music artists played their songs in front of thousands of people.
"This is the biggest concert bar in Los Angeles, and it's very famous. A great place to gain fans," Arnold answered.
They were in the upper part of the bar, a private spot meant for VIPs. From there, they could see the whole stage and the audience on the ground floor.
"I can't believe I fell for your tricks."
"Well, congratulations."
"Tch."
"You're at the top of the game, you must help me too," Arnold added.
"You're also at the top. You're a fucking executive of ANT. You don't need my help at all."
Just like Collin, Arnold used the information he received from Chairman Noah Nash to get into this concert bar. The bar was actually not simple, a couple of rock bands found their initial success in this place, and it had a strong reputation. The venue could accommodate thousands of people, which made it easier to gain fans and massive exposure.
In a way, Arnold was setting up a plan for his clients. He successfully secured a performance slot every Sunday for Pulse Static, and the contract would last for a month, a valuable opportunity. It was enough for Pulse Static to gain a reputation if they performed well.
"Still, I agree that you're better than me. You're doing things behind the spotlight, and you're doing it well. Help me find more clients."
"Your tricks won't work." Collin didn't even budge, not falling for the flattery.
"Are you Collin East because you're behind the spotlight, or are you behind the spotlight because you're Collin East?"
"Arnold, what the fuck are you talking about?"
"Let me rephrase it. Are you Collin East because you're the hidden ace, or are you the hidden ace because you're Collin East?" Arnold doubled down.
"I'm starting to think that you're retarded. Are you sure this is the man you married and spent your life with?" Collin then turned to the woman who was gracefully sipping her cocktail, asking her to explain her husband's existence.
Jolyne Robs glanced at Collin and Arnold. Her gaze toward Arnold was endearing, warmth filling her eyes. No matter what Arnold did, she found him attractive, even when he was being painfully stupid.
"That's the reason I love him. He's not normal, and he never pretends to be."
"..." Collin was speechless. His mouth opened, then closed, unable to respond.
"Hehe." Arnold chuckled, slightly blushing. He raised his chest, proud of what he achieved. He was happy that his wife praised him. However, Collin looked at him with disgust.
The biggest reason he hated tonight's event was that he was the third wheel. He fucking hated the fact that Arnold and Jolyne were having lovey-dovey moments while he was just there in the background, existing, an unwanted extra in someone else's romance movie.
'I'm not supposed to be here. This is awkward. If they want to spend their time together, they shouldn't have invited me. Arnold, that bastard, is bragging about the fact that he's happily married right in my face.'
There were times when Collin thought about marrying a woman and living a fulfilling life, simple things he once believed he deserved. However, that innocent dream was shattered when he realized his fiancée was pregnant with another man's child. That charade even lasted for months before the truth came out.
Back then, Collin was so happy that he worked hard as a model to make sure his fiancée and the child would have a better life. He gave everything. Then, two months before the wedding day, Collin found out the kid was not his. That betrayal crushed him.
Since then, his view of romance had been badly affected.
He tried to start again. He courted Dee Ceitful, a woman he fell in love with at first sight. However, that feeling didn't last long as he was rejected by Dee because he was poor. She looked down on him.
Then, when Collin became successful, Dee showed up and tried to rekindle their relationship, but Collin was done at that point. He was not a fool, especially after he awakened his powers at that time. He could see through Dee Ceitful's intentions.
'Fortunately, Dee stopped harassing me after that. I haven't seen her anymore, which is a good thing. I just want to live my life without a hassle.'
At this point, Collin accepted the fact that he would never find love. Or perhaps he was traumatized by what he experienced and unable to trust again. He was too broken to risk opening himself up again. He just focused on his career and provided the best for his family and friends, pouring all of his love into them.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]