Chapter 11: Out of Your League

The Intercontinental Hotel was one of the most luxurious in River City. Compared to the high-end places Reginald Lyson had visited with wealthy clients before, this one ranked even higher. That day, Rylie Norrell's company, Pearl Pictures, had reserved the best banquet hall in the hotel to host their guests. The Main Hall was already packed shoulder to shoulder. You could have tossed a pebble at random and hit either a celebrity from the Entertainment Circle or some prominent big shot from River City, even the surrounding cities. Outside the hotel, reporters swarmed the perimeter, cameras in hand. Flashbulbs popped as they craned their necks and stood on tiptoe. A line of hotel security formed a human wall, keeping them penned outside. When Reginald Lyson arrived, the crowd of reporters was so thick his Electric Scooter could not even get through to the entrance. He swept his gaze over the frenzy, puzzled. Pearl Pictures, for all its strength, was only a second-tier film and entertainment group in the Fire Nation. Yet a single cocktail event had been staged with such fanfare. Had some major figure shown up? Since he could not ride in, Reginald found a spot in the corner of the nearby parking lot and parked the Electric Scooter. Then he tried to enter on foot. But with the Intercontinental Hotel locked down like this, how could anyone just stroll inside? Especially not him. He had come in a simple casual outfit, and he was walking in from outside. The guards stopped him without hesitation. Only after Rylie had someone from her company come out to fetch him did he get in. The person who picked him up was just a minor clerk from Pearl Pictures, yet she did not seem the least bit intimidated by the husband of one of the company's artists. If anything, she looked down on him. All the way to the banquet hall, she carried herself like she was leading him through a palace. When they reached the doors, she pointed inside. "Well? First time at a place like this, right?" "Pearl Pictures booked the biggest banquet hall in the Intercontinental Hotel. It's over thirty thousand square feet. Besides our own artists, there are artists from other companies too, plus the upper crust from River City and the nearby cities." She narrowed her eyes. "Do yourself a favor. If you have nothing to do, don't cause trouble. Even for Rylie's sake, the company won't let you off." After that, she did not bother telling him where Rylie was. She flicked her hair and walked off. Reginald let out a quiet breath. Even a tiny clerk dared to throw her weight around at him, the family of a company artist. That said plenty. Rylie probably was not very well liked at Pearl Pictures. Still, he did not need anyone to guide him. He spotted her quickly. No matter how low her standing might have been, her beauty still shone like a bright moon, impossible to miss. By the cold buffet table near the side of the hall, Rylie stood in a form-fitting dress. Evangeline Heyland had arrived early and was at her side. The two of them, or rather Evangeline, chatted smoothly with two men. Rylie stayed beside them with a composed smile, elegant and gracious. One of the men looked to be in his thirties or forties, plump with a businessman's prosperity. The other was a striking young handsome man with an impressive presence. His eyes kept drifting to Rylie, again and again. "President Hauk, our Rylie has really been in your care," Evangeline said, clinging to the well-fed man's arm with a flattering smile. "You'll have to keep looking after her." President Hauk laughed heartily. "Rylie's talent is easily among the top under our banner. If it weren't for certain reasons, she'd make first-tier status sooner or later." Certain reasons? Wasn't it because of that useless husband, Reginald Lyson? Evangeline knew exactly what he meant. She could only force a bitter smile. "You're right. But since things are what they are, we'll have to rely on the company to push her harder." President Hauk grinned. "Of course. But there's an even better opportunity right in front of her. Sister Evangeline, let me introduce someone. This is Master Zorn from Vernal Capital. He's heard of Rylie Norrell for a long time. He came to River City this time because he wanted to meet her." He leaned in, voice full of emphasis. "Master Zorn comes from an entertainment family. His connections run through the entire Entertainment Circle. If he helps, Rylie going nationwide is only a matter of time." "R-really?" Evangeline's eyes lit up. She turned at once, beaming. "Hello, Master Zorn. You really are as impressive as they say." Master Zorn smiled faintly and nodded, then walked toward Rylie. Rylie had been listening from the side. Her brows knit slightly. Only then did she finally understand why the company had insisted she bring both her mother, Evangeline, and Reginald to this event. This had to be President Hauk's idea, and Master Zorn's. Master Zorn approached with a dazzling smile. Then, as if by magic, he produced a rose from behind his back and offered it with one hand. "Miss Norrell, hello. Back in Vernal Capital, I've admired you for a long time." Rylie did not want to take it. Refusing him in front of so many people, though, would look impolite. She hesitated, caught in the trap of manners, when a voice cut in. "Rylie." Reginald strolled over. Without warning, he lifted his hand, snatched the rose from Master Zorn's fingers, tossed it to the floor, and ground it under his shoe. Then he looked up with a smile. "Sorry. My wife's allergic to pollen." "You!" Master Zorn's eyes flared. A heartbeat later, he loosened his expression, forcing his refined composure back into place. At the side, Evangeline's brows shot up the moment she saw her son-in-law. Her teeth clenched. "President Hauk, wait here. I'll throw this trash out right away. Is this a place he can show his face?" "Hold on." President Hauk caught her. "I told him to come." "What?" "Sister Evangeline, leave it to me." With that, he stepped forward, his gaze brimming with provocation as he faced Reginald. "Rylie, this is…?" "He…" Rylie had wanted to tell Reginald to leave. This was not a friendly place. If the company had demanded Reginald come too, it had to be President Hauk and Master Zorn pulling strings. But there was no way around it. She could only say, "He's my husband, Reginald Lyson. Reginald, this is Pearl Pictures' vice president, Langston Hauk. And this is Master Zorn from Vernal Capital." Langston had known Reginald's identity all along. Even so, after Rylie's introduction, he put on a face of delighted surprise and called out loudly, "Oh my, so you're the lucky guy from the rumors, the one who married Rylie Norrell? I didn't expect you to show up too. I've heard so much about you!" Heard so much, my ass. Langston sounded like he was praising him, but every word was a needle. Reginald's jeans and T-shirt already made him stand out among the crowd, out of place and drawing stares. Langston's loud exclamation dragged even more attention his way. The hall fell quiet for a beat. Then it erupted into chatter. People leaned together, whispering, pointing at Reginald like he was a spectacle. "So that's Rylie Norrell's useless husband, Reginald Lyson? Wow, I've heard plenty about him!" "Trash really doesn't belong on a stage. Look at the occasion and he shows up dressed like that. What was Rylie thinking?" Clothes made the man. Reginald was handsome and composed, far more striking than Master Zorn beside him. Yet the way he was dressed made people see him as nothing but a broke nobody, someone who could not even be mentioned in the same breath as Master Zorn. Snickers, mockery, ugly words surged toward him like a tide. Reginald remained calm, still as an old monk in meditation. But to Langston, that calm meant something else. He let out a cold chuckle and beckoned toward the distance. A server led a group of people over. "Rylie, let me introduce you," Langston said. "These are all friends Master Zorn called over from the Capital City." "This is President Warth from Rolling Stone Records!" "This is President Shirvinton from Apple Video!" "And this is Director Lapwood, the production director from West City TV! Those variety shows that have been blowing up lately were all his work!" Langston introduced more than a dozen in one breath. Master Zorn's network was no joke. Every one of them was a heavyweight in the Entertainment Circle. If you gathered that kind of influence in one place, making a star was as easy as lifting a finger. They also seemed to know Master Zorn had his eye on Rylie, and they played along with bright smiles. "Master Zorn, you've got great taste. Miss Norrell is delicate and captivating, one in ten thousand. She's born to be a star." "Master Zorn, you and Miss Norrell look like the perfect match. A pairing made in heaven." "Exactly, exactly. The two of you even look like a married couple… Speaking of which, West City TV is preparing a new show, Celebrity One-Day Couple. Why not invite you both as the premiere guests?" They volleyed back and forth as if Master Zorn and Rylie were already together. "You're all mistaken," Master Zorn said with a smile, but his eyes flicked deliberately toward Reginald. "Rylie and I can't be together yet." "Because Rylie is already married. Her husband is right there." "Miss Norrell is married?" The entertainment bigshots froze, their expressions turning strange. Evangeline panicked instantly. "Oh, everyone, you've got it wrong!" "Reginald and Rylie are married, yes, but it's a Sham Marriage! After the wedding, they always slept in separate rooms. There were reasons for it back then!" Explaining it like that in public was humiliating beyond words. The bigshots immediately looked at Reginald with open disdain. "Mom! Come with me!" Rylie's face burned red. Furious, she grabbed Evangeline and pulled her toward the exit. What Evangeline had done was too much. Rylie had reached her limit. After the two women left, Reginald remained under everyone's gaze. He stayed indifferent. If anything, once Rylie was gone, he simply walked over to the buffet, picked up a plate, and started eating as if none of this concerned him. Master Zorn watched him with contempt and gave Langston a look. Langston laughed and led the bigshots away to chat elsewhere. Master Zorn, however, walked over alone and stopped beside Reginald. In a low voice, he sneered, "Brother Lyson, inviting you here was my idea. Do you know why?" "I wanted you to understand something. You're not worthy of Rylie Norrell. Forget her. You're not even worthy of a place like this." "You and us live in two different worlds."