On the other end of the phone, Elder Prescott was scratching his head, unsure how to express the shocking conclusion he reached after analyzing their chess game.
His grandson likes Ashley.
Although his first reaction was happiness, he was mostly angry afterward.
Is that boy in elementary school? Liking someone but still playing that bullying game?
So when he heard about online investigations into Ashley Shaw, he immediately called, wanting to tell Ashley not to pay attention to his grandson (without any intention to insult).
But when the words reached his mouth, he found himself unable to speak.
"Grandpa Prescott?"
Elder Prescott cleared his throat and said, "Nothing, I just wanted to say... I hope you both take care of yourselves."
Ashley Shaw responded with a "hmm."
"Don’t worry, we’re doing just fine."
"That’s good... It’s getting late, I won’t keep you. Get some rest, and try not to go out for the next couple of days. I’ll push that boy to handle this matter quickly."
"Alright. Goodbye."
Ashley hung up the phone, feeling that there was more Grandpa Prescott wanted to say.
But since he hadn’t said it, she decided not to delve deeper.
In a blink of an eye, two days passed, and the situation indeed calmed down.
The reason wasn’t that netizens lost interest in Ashley Shaw’s identity, but because they found something else to focus on.
"The recently divorced movie star Owen Sinclair has announced he will join a matchmaking show on TV."
The lengthy headline dominated the top trending search, and Ashley Shaw, being a non-celebrity, saw her popularity drop instantly.
Additionally, with Warren Prescott stirring things behind the scenes, and the Lynch Family unwilling to see their daughter trending negatively, discussions about Ashley Shaw almost vanished online.
Ariana Grant, being a gossip enthusiast, was the first to share the news with Ashley Shaw.
"Owen Sinclair is really handsome. No wonder my mom used to like him. He still looks in his thirties; you can’t really tell his age."
"I’m so curious who his matchmaking partners are. Could they be young girls?"
"But it’s strange. Why would a movie star of his level join such a show to generate buzz? He doesn’t need the publicity!"
"Plus, he has a good character. When Lynch Group’s phones got exposed for having issues, he immediately announced terminating their endorsement contract."
Ashley Shaw also had a good impression of Owen Sinclair, and found his participation in the matchmaking show surprising.
She thought for a moment and said, "Maybe he really wants to fall in love? Because his last marriage was so unfortunate that he wants to start a new one?"
"But wouldn’t an unfortunate marriage make someone never want to marry again?"
"Seems so."
The two speculated all sorts of reasons, unaware that the night before, Owen Sinclair had actively reached out to Warren Prescott.
Saying he would be willing to join a show he initially didn’t want to, to create buzz and overshadow the trending topics about Ashley Shaw and Rosalind Lynch.
Warren Prescott was troubled.
He wanted to do something good for Ashley Shaw, but things spiraled out of his control.
Someone had already uncovered that Ashley Shaw was an adopted daughter of the Prescott Family.
If it was further exposed that he was the male lead, who knows if online discussions would start attacking Ashley, the victim.
After all, they’re nominally in a sibling-like relationship.
Especially after what happened with the Lynch Family, Lars Prescott specifically warned the PR department not to follow Warren’s lead recklessly. This had been a frustrating few days for him.
So, Owen Sinclair’s call was like a splash of water, dousing his burning emergency.
After a bit of discussion, the two seamlessly coordinated to secure today’s trending topics.
Of course, Ashley Shaw was destined never to know about this.
...
S&K Global Entertainment Company.
Owen Sinclair’s new agent rushed to his home in Westcroft.
Owen’s home was on the top floor of a five-star hotel under the Prescott Group.
Since his divorce, Owen had been living there, signing a five-year contract directly with the hotel.
For these five years, the presidential suite on the top floor was reserved for him alone.
Staying in the hotel meant having the staff clean, food was convenient, and the privacy was well maintained by the hotel.
Owen was holding a newly acquired script, making annotations, when someone used a room card to open the door.
He had an inkling of who the visitor was and didn’t even look up.
"You’re here?"
As if he’d been expecting them.
His agent, Gus, stepped in quickly. Seeing Owen’s attitude, he showed a helpless expression.
"Looks like you’re set on accepting this reality show."
"Yes."
Owen put down the script, glanced at the new agent the company assigned to him, and gave a slight smile.
"I’m sorry for the trouble. The show might cause you more trouble after it airs. If you feel overwhelmed, I can request the company to assign someone else."
Ever since being betrayed by his former agent, Owen has maintained a distant attitude towards the new one.
But he remained as courteous as he should be.
Gus rubbed his temples, then sat on the sofa opposite him.
"I’m not here to convince you to turn it down. I just want to hear you say why you’re suddenly taking this matchmaking show?"
Owen was taken aback, thinking the agent was there to persuade him against the show.
Before he could speak, Gage York said again, "Owen, I’m a newbie. Been here for over half a year, and no artist wants a rookie like me."
"A few days ago, the company said they’d terminate my contract early if no artist wanted me."
"You happened to come by then and suddenly asked for me... I know you were helping me."
"I’ll always remember that you lent me a helping hand, so unless you don’t want me, I won’t leave."
"So, please be honest with me so I know how to deal with potential situations."
Owen lifted his eyes and really took a good look at this young man who had recently graduated from college.
There was a clear determination in those eyes.
Owen picked up the cigarette pack on the table.
"Mind if I smoke one?"
"I don’t mind."
Only then did Owen light a cigarette and slowly began talking about his past.
He once had a girlfriend he deeply loved, but his family disagreed. His mother even threatened to die if he didn’t marry his ex-wife.
All because that girl came from an ordinary family and had an ordinary education, while his ex-wife was a top college graduate and his mother’s friend’s daughter.
In the end, he married his ex-wife.
Out of morality, he never contacted his ex-girlfriend again.
Until yesterday morning, he finally went to find his ex-girlfriend, only to be told that she had died from an illness last year.
Gage York didn’t quite understand why Owen was sharing this, but he patiently listened to Owen’s story.
The cigarette was finished by then.
Owen extinguished the cigarette and said, "She had a daughter, born out of wedlock, and I suspect that the girl might be my child."