Aster didn't realize how much he missed this kind of chaos until he stepped into it again.
The top floor of Zephyr Entertainment's artist wing buzzed with activity—racks of clothes rolling by, stylists arguing over color palettes, interns chasing down last-minute call sheets. Everything gleamed: glass walls, polished floors, designer coffee machines humming in corners. There was a quiet kind of luxury here, nothing garish—just precise, professional, and powerful.
"Not bad for a start, huh?" Jace said as they stepped out of the elevator.
"It's a lot," Aster admitted.
But it wasn't overwhelming.
It was... right.
Like a puzzle piece sliding into place.
"Okay, first thing's light press prep," Jace said, walking beside him. "We're pushing you gently back into the public eye. Some variety show guestings, one or two product endorsements, maybe a talk show slot or two while your movie's still filming."
Yanna, who was already flipping through a binder of proposals, added, "You're being branded under clean-cut but charismatic comeback."
"I wasn't aware I had a brand," Aster muttered.
"You do now," she replied. "And it's expensive."
They started the day with a light shoot: new headshots, promo stills, and video clips for early media coverage.
The photographer, a meticulous woman named Lea, clicked her tongue as she adjusted the lights. "Lift your chin. Not that high. Softer eyes. Think daydream, not smolder."
Aster posed without thinking.
His body remembered what to do before his mind caught up.
It felt strange—like muscle memory from a life he hadn't lived in years.
Like someone else's dream, now wearing his face again.
Between shoots, makeup retouches, and a quick lunch with Jace and Yanna, Aster had a moment to himself in one of the glass-walled lounges. A gentle breeze rolled through the open balcony, and he stepped out, letting the quiet city sounds wash over him.
He looked down at the street far below.
In his first life, it was never this... grand.
He had stumbled into the industry half-blind—no plan, no protection. Just raw talent and a soft heart. And that heart had been picked apart piece by piece until nothing was left but bitterness and regret.
He didn't think often about the exact moment it all shattered.
But today, for some reason, he remembered the weight of that envelope—the hospital bill that should've saved his brother. Remembered the realization that the money meant for it had been drained.
Gone.
Taken.
By people he had trusted.
And in the end, only one man had shown up for him. Quietly. Unexpectedly.
Adrian hadn't owed him anything.
But he paid the bill anyway.
Back then, Aster hadn't understood why.
Now, he still wasn't sure—but at least he had the chance to repay it.
Even if the repayment came in the form of being someone's kept man for six months. If his body is what Adrian desires. Aster will serve it on a silver platter.
Even if his heart couldn't afford to want more than that.
Jace waved him over later that afternoon with a tablet. "We've got a shortlist of commercial shoots. You cool with a sports drink endorsement?"
"Do I have to pretend to jog?"
"You'll be standing by a fountain in dry-fit gear. Maybe doing a slow stretch. That's it."
Aster snorted. "Then yeah, I'm cool with that." God knows his thighs and butt are still a little sore.
"Also, two game shows reached out. The silly ones. With water balloons and trivia."
"Are they airing soon?"
"Next week. Quick turnover. Good exposure."
Aster flipped through the files. "You really planned everything already, huh?"
Jace smirked. "I had a head start."
It was all happening quickly. But not recklessly.
This wasn't like before.
Then, he was tossed into shoots with no rest, no prep, and no real support. His damned manager had shoved contracts into his hands minutes before curtain call and told him to just say yes. That was how he'd been tricked into a dozen soul-sucking roles, signing away rights he didn't even understand.
But now...
Everything had structure.
He had a team.
He had a name again.
Not just in the world—but to himself.
When the day ended, Aster was tired but not drained.
And strangely, he found himself smiling as he entered the car that would take him home.
Because for the first time in a long time, he wasn't pretending to be someone else.
He was just... Aster.
And somehow, that was enough.