Hearing Luke's response, Taylor's eyes sparkled.
What woman doesn't love a confident man?
Most guys come off as cocky, not confident.
But Luke? His track record proved he wasn't just boasting—sometimes he was even too humble.
If he says he can snag the year-end chart-topper, he probably means it.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it," Taylor said with a grin. "But if it doesn't happen, I'll be crushed, and you'll have to make it up to me!"
She smirked to herself, feeling like she'd already won either way.
Would it fall through?
Luke mentally ran through the 2003 Billboard Hot 100. The competition was stiff—plenty of songs from that year were still iconic BGM by 2024.
Like:
"Far Away from Home" by Groove Coverage, landing at #7 for the year.
Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love", #6.
"Just One Last Dance" at #5, "Cry on My Shoulder" at #3, "God Is a Girl" at #2.
And Linkin Park's "Numb" taking the #1 spot.
In his previous life, Taylor, as a music industry newbie, had her second album Fearless. Its standout track, "You Belong with Me", hit #2 on the real-time charts and #11 for the year.
That kicked off her "Taylor Curse"—always just missing the top spot.
But this life was different. Luke was confident that with his superstar boost, Taylor could claim the year-end #1 and dominate the charts ahead of schedule.
"Don't worry," he said with a smirk. "If you don't hit #1, I'll personally bankroll some chart-padding for you!"
Taylor playfully swatted his arm. "Win by cheating? No way I'd do that!"
But she giggled right after. "You're messing with me, aren't you? Would you really do that?"
Luke shook his head. "Won't need to. My star power's just too big!"
His smug attitude was annoying, but Taylor had to admit he was right.
"Your album's dropping early next year," she said. "Once it does, I'll be raking in enough cash to help you out even more."
"You could help me out right now, you know," Luke replied.
"Huh?"
"Once this album's done, I'm taking you to meet someone," he said.
Mr. Eisen had been hounding him to bring his chosen candidate.
After mulling it over, no one was more perfect than Taylor.
That kind of power could only be entrusted to someone he absolutely trusted.
"Rain falls, my tears fly in the sky…"
"Who understands, true devotion traded for goodbye…"
His phone cut through the moment.
Luke glanced at it: Mr. Eisen.
He picked up right away. "Hello?"
"Bob's in trouble…"
…
…
When Luke arrived at Bob's New York apartment, he found him slouched on the floor, surrounded by empty liquor bottles.
Bob looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "You're here."
"Yeah," Luke replied.
"She's pregnant."
He spat out those four words through gritted teeth.
Luke knew "she" was Bob's wife.
He also remembered Bob saying they were a DINK couple—no kids, by choice. To prove it, Bob had gotten a vasectomy over a decade ago.
He was sterile.
(See Chapter 82.)
Luke had once teased him for being a "tough guy who cut his own line."
But now, his wife was pregnant. There was only one explanation.
Faced with a man's deepest humiliation, words of comfort felt hollow. So Luke just sat beside him, gripping his shoulder tightly.
"She went to the hospital behind my back," Bob said. "If I hadn't found out, she would've kept it from me."
"Yeah, we only see each other every few months. She could've had the kid, and I wouldn't have known!"
Luke felt a pang of guilt. Bob had been with him on set, working non-stop, even harder than Luke.
The crew gave Luke special treatment, prioritizing his scenes.
Once his parts were done, he could move on to other things.
But Bob, as the head action coordinator, was there from start to finish.
His job wasn't just action scenes—he was also in charge of shooting safety.
Bob was meticulous and reliable, Luke's right-hand man and an indispensable partner.
After collaborating on several films, they'd become a perfect team. Luke would outline the action scene concepts, and Bob would flesh them out into detailed, executable plans.
It was like a CEO setting a vision and a project manager making it happen.
During those high-risk Dubai Tower scenes, Bob's oversight gave Luke confidence.
Luke had worried about Bob's home life catching fire, even urging him to spend more time with his wife. Turns out, his fears were spot-on.
"What do you want to do?" Luke asked. "I've got your back. Dump the guy in the ocean?"
"I already broke his legs," Bob said. "Eisen took care of the cleanup."
"That's it? You're letting him off?" Luke asked, confused.
"He's not the real problem," Bob said.
"You mean…"
"My wife's the one who's responsible."
Luke got it. Bob was right.
When a partner cheats, most people lash out at the "other person," as if they're the mastermind.
But the real culprit gets overlooked. If the spouse didn't want to cheat, the "other person" wouldn't have had a chance.
Not that the third party's blameless, but they're not the root of the issue.
Someone who wants to cheat will find someone else if not this person. The problem starts with the partner.
Luke was surprised. Most people would lose it in this situation, consumed by rage and revenge.
But Bob, even after drinking himself into a stupor, was still clear-headed. That was beyond ordinary.
"She insists on keeping the baby," Bob said.
"Divorce her," Luke said. "I'll get you the best lawyer. She won't get a dime. And if you're still pissed, we can make her life hell, slow and steady."
"No," Bob shook his head. "I'm not getting a divorce."
"What?"