Chapter 1 A Scandal Waiting to Happen

• At four in the morning, I was squatting on the couch, munching on mac and cheese while aimlessly browsing Twitter when a private message suddenly appeared. "Hey there, do you take couple-themed adult content commissions? Can you deliver today? I’ll pay extra!"
• The words "pay extra" instantly caught my attention. I arched my brow and responded without hesitation, "Sure! Which pairing?"
• Ever since I chose to enter the entertainment industry against my parents’ wishes, my life had taken a sharp downturn. As a barely recognized actress scraping by, my pitiful earnings couldn’t even cover rent in this massive city. That’s why I started taking commissions under a pseudonym. As long as it was legal and paid well, I was willing to write anything.
• Thanks to my fast turnaround, good writing skills, and ability to adapt to different styles, I gradually gained a small reputation in the community.
• But when the client sent over the requested pairing, I knew tonight was going to be a disaster.
• "Lilith Turner and Ashton Barron!"
• I mean, come on. Could this be more shocking? Those names looked suspiciously familiar, it was identical to the ones on my ID! Oh, my real name!
• Still, I remained professional and asked, "Lilith? That D-list actress? And Ashton? The best actor? The international superstar?"
• "That’s right!" the client replied enthusiastically.
• I was too stunned to respond.
• Before I could react, the client sent over a flurry of images. They were photos from an event yesterday, showing Ashton from various angles. Every picture captured him glancing at my silhouette in a crowded room, his gaze deep and seemingly filled with emotion.
• Tch, those strategic angles and romantic filters. Even if you replaced my silhouette with a trash can, you’d think these two had been secretly in love for years.
• As much as I desperately needed the money, there was no way I’d take on such a bizarre commission. That would be career suicide.
• Ashton, after all, wasn’t just anyone. He was a world-famous actor with numerous international accolades to his name. Rumor had it that he didn’t even train professionally, yet his very first role earned him the industry’s top newcomer award. Overnight, his Twitter following grew by over a million, drawing in admiration from the very best in the business.
• His talent wasn’t the only reason for his success. He had the kind of face that could win over anyone, it was sharp, refined, yet warm and approachable. Not to mention, despite reaching the absolute peak of his career, he remained grounded and humble, just as he had been at the start, he had a near-perfect persona.
• But as composed as Ashton was, his fans were the complete opposite. They were crazy, fiercely loyal and intimidating. No one dared to tarnish his reputation, not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t. His fan base was too terrifyingly powerful. If I were foolish enough to stir up some couple rumors, my meager following of 130,000 wouldn’t stand a chance, they’d obliterate me in minutes.
• The fangirl on the other end, shipping the bizarre pairing, had no idea my legs had already gone weak. She was still passionately pitching her revolutionary discovery, with her theories becoming more absurd by the second. "With all my years of shipping pairings in the entertainment industry, I’m certain they’re real! If not, I’ll eat my keyboard!"
• Oh dear, there’s no need to drag the poor keyboard into this, it’s done nothing wrong.
• "I even think Mr. Ashton has a secret crush on Lily! Did you see the way he looks at her? It’s way too flirty!"
• Oh, for heaven’s sake, what even am I? How could someone like me possibly deserve to be the object of his affection?
• She didn’t stop, "Ah! He is outrageously handsome, and she is stunningly beautiful. Can you imagine how incredible their kids would look? Oh, and make sure you include that in the story. Ash has to be very good in bed! Hehe!"
• Hehe, my foot! Young lady, you shouldn’t have this dirty mind!
• Just as my fingers flew across the keyboard to firmly reject this commission, a notification dinged, "one thousand and one hundred dollars deposited into your bank account."
• The client messaged again, "Did you receive the payment? Let me know if it’s not enough. I’m so sorry to rush you like this, but I really need it quickly."
• I stared at the screen for two seconds, erased everything I had written, and typed, "Say no more! I am starting now! Hehe!"
• Come on, do I look like someone who's afraid of a little pressure? Nope! The story I wrote was pure creative genius. And hey, $1,100 is more than enough to cover my rent for a month!