Chapter 69

Winnie flipped through the contract, which stipulated that she must meet Van twice a week, with each meeting lasting no less than two hours. Given her job nature, where she could potentially be on set for several months at a time, the contract allowed for flexibility. Any missed days could be made up during her time off. It really did feel like a labor contract... When Winnie pushed open the door and returned home, she found Julia and Wendy snuggled in the corner of the couch, fighting over a magazine. Julia jumped up excitedly and asked, 'How did you come back? Did Mr. Marlowe send you?" 'You think he's as free as you?" Winnie wasn't in the mood to entertain Julia. She turned to Wendy, 'By the way, Wendy, has Mr. Marlowe always been someone who keeps to himself?" Wendy was in an awkward position. On one hand, Van was her cousin she had admired since childhood. He had always kept his distance from the playboy, rich young men who chased after celebrity women. Now, however, he was dating a celebrity, and the image Wendy had of him was crumbling a bit. "...Oh well, it's fine. Adults do what they need to do," Wendy reassured herself silently. 'Mr. Marlowe just got to L.A.. Apart from Eric, who came with him from Las Vegas, and his housekeeper, he doesn't have anyone he's close to here, which makes him seem more like a loner. Plus, he travels a lot, attending forums, summits, and things like that. So he doesn't really have a social life here," Wendy explained. 'Then, with him being so busy, doesn't that mean he won't have time to spend with his girlfriend?" Winnie blurted out. Wendy laughed and replied with a question, 'Are you worried he won't have time for you?" Winnie immediately blushed and sat up, moving away from the couch. 'No, of course not. I'm not his girlfriend." 'Don't worry, he has time. And if he doesn't, he'll make time," Wendy reassured her. 'I wonder what Mr. Marlowe is like when he's in a relationship?" Yulia said, resting her chin in her hands. Wendy remembered something. "Oh, right! His ex-girlfriend loved fireworks. The year before last, during the grand New Year's Eve fireworks show in London, it was the most beautiful and extravagant display ever. That was actually for his ex-girlfriend." Winnie stared blankly at the water glass on the coffee table. "What's wrong? Actually, it wasn't that expensive, just a few million," Wendy said gently, glancing at Winnie. Winnie shrugged casually. "Yeah, how silly. Why bother with fireworks? If it were me, I'd just want gold and money." Yulia quietly felt relieved and stood up to pull Winnie. "You should go to bed." Winnie allowed herself to be pulled up and obediently went to take a shower. But once she was in bed, she couldn't sleep, her mind full of thoughts of the fireworks in London. She hadn't mentioned earlier that on New Year's Eve the year before, she had been in London for a fashion show, and she had gone to see the grand fireworks show. Standing by the hotel window, the fine lines around her eyes sparkled in the reflection of the fireworks. The colorful displays blossomed above the Thames, lighting up the sky so vibrantly. She had been admiring his love even back then, and at that time, she was just one of the millions of strangers witnessing his romance. Winnie tossed and turned in bed, and after two hours, she called her agent, David. David, half-asleep, answered the phone groggily. "What's going on?" "I'm in a relationship." "Jesus!" David sighed tiredly. "Please tell me it's not Wyatt." Winnie nonchalantly responded, "It's not him, it's someone else, a non-celebrity, not in the industry." "A non-celebrity?" David slapped his forehead. "Oh my god, you pissed off Wyatt and found yourself a regular guy? You really know how to make decisions!" Winnie let out a soft laugh, playfully teasing him. "Come on, be more understanding." While Winnie was talking to David, Van was also on a phone call. Wendy was shocked when she received a call from Van in the middle of the night and quickly scrambled out of bed. Van asked, "Asleep?" Wendy, curious, replied, "Who?" Van wasn't amused by her teasing, saying, "Don't try to be clever." Wendy quickly stopped joking, "Yes, yes, I was asleep." Van acknowledged her response and said, "Don't tell anyone about me and her, for now." "Okay, Okay, I understand, I won't tell anyone," Wendy hesitated before asking, "about the fireworks in London the year before last, you set those off, right?" "How could that be?" "Oh," Wendy was confused. "Wasn't it? I heard... Never mind, I just helped spread a romantic rumor for you..." Van was silent for a moment. "It's fine, right?" Wendy tried to cover for herself. "After all, Winnie is just playing along with you, she won't get jealous." "What did she say?" Van asked calmly. "She said it was silly, fireworks are just gone after they're set off. If it were her, she'd just want money and jewelry." Van nodded, his lips faintly curling upward, but he didn't speak for a while. "She's smart," he finally said.