Chapter 19: Hidden Motives and Public Facades

Chapter 19: Hidden Motives and Public Facades

Emily sat silently, her emotions swirling. The Ethan she remembered was the epitome of a refined gentleman, a young man of impressive achievements and unparalleled talent. She knew well that many young ladies in their social circles harbored secret affections for him.

In the rare encounters she had with him, he was polite yet distant. But whenever those sculpted eyes turned toward her, Emily couldn't help but blush and have her heart race.

It was clear she had feelings for him. Over time, her affection had deepened into love, but Ethan's patience seemed to have run thin...

"Chairman Harrison, we have Director Li from the Alliance Hospital on the line."

"Put him through."

Ethan picked up the receiver, giving a curt acknowledgment. His face remained impassive, but a slight frown creased his forehead.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain. No signs of pregnancy," came the doctor's cheerful voice. "Our head physician personally conducted the examination. It seems Mrs. Harrison has been under a lot of stress recently, which might have caused some irregularities. She should relax and not worry too much. Don't rush things, Chairman Harrison. You're both still young. A child will come eventually…"

Ethan hung up the phone, eyes closing briefly. It turned out he cared more than he realized. Yesterday, when he saw the pregnancy test box, his immediate reaction was that if Emily were pregnant, it might save their marriage.

Rubbing his temples, Ethan's assistant, Jason, noticed the dark circles under his boss's eyes and tentatively asked, "Chairman Harrison, would you like to take a break?"

Ethan had indeed not slept well. Closing his eyes, he was haunted by memories of Emily's plaintive voice, "I didn't marry you to just find a man to foot the bill…"

Her face merged with that of a girl from five years ago in a bar, her beautiful face flushed from alcohol, leaning on him, crying, "I don't want to marry him! He doesn't even like me! He has several girlfriends. I hate men like that!"

"Brother Ethan, do you like me or not?"

"Wrong answer! You have to say it again! I'm a fairy; you have to like me, woo woo…"

Ethan blinked and sighed deeply. He motioned to Jason to continue.

"We're purchasing 60% of TrueArt Media's shares directly from them, at a total price of 240 million RMB. The remaining 40% will be bought by Creston Media if TrueArt Media's profit exceeds 210 million RMB in the next two years, at a premium price of 300 million RMB."

"Two years, 210 million?" Ethan mused, "That's quite a sum."

"Yes." Jason closed the file. "The only one making money for TrueArt Media is Ryan. The company initially lost money with him, but now they're profitable thanks to his recent rise to fame."

Ryan is known as a top-tier star, but to Ethan, such celebrities are merely tools for capital gain. His real opponent is the person behind Ryan who is making money off him.

Two years, 210 million. Ryan must generate that much through endorsements, films, variety shows, and so on. Top stars, after all, are just capital's profit-making tools.

Ethan thought of the fan sites Emily had built and scratched his chin uncomfortably.

"Is Ryan very popular?"

"Yes." Jason nodded. "Today is his birthday, and the live stream of his birthday party has already broken annual records. The server for comments has crashed…"

Jason typed on the computer and turned the screen toward Ethan.

The venue was packed with blue glow sticks and light boards, and the spotlight followed the young man on stage. Having just finished a dance performance, his jawline and forehead were glistening with sweat, exuding an intense, hormonal allure.

As Ryan finished his performance and removed his jacket, the venue erupted in ear-splitting screams.

Ethan frowned in confusion. He didn't quite understand the phenomenon of fan obsession.

As the camera panned to the audience, Ethan straightened up in his seat.

He saw a strikingly familiar face. The woman, absorbed in watching the stage, was smiling almost obsessively, her beautiful almond eyes shining brightly, outshining even the frenzied fans around her.

Ethan snorted in disdain.

No wonder she's a fan site manager.

As the concert neared its end, Ryan's friends came on stage to offer their birthday wishes. The atmosphere was lively, reaching a new high as the event progressed.

When Michael, the owner of TrueArt Media, came on stage, there were some boos from the crowd. Many fans were dissatisfied with Michael and the company. Although Michael discovered Ryan, the company had been exploiting him ever since his fame, squeezing him with overwork and poor scripts, which led to fan protests.

Michael felt the hostility and addressed the fans briefly before announcing, "On this occasion, I'm pleased to announce that we've established a new personal studio for Ryan. To support Lily Yan, the company will be collaborating with Creston Media Entertainment to jointly manage Ryan's new studio!"

The announcement caused a wave of excitement among the fans. Everyone knew Creston Media—an enterprise of the richest man. Despite being a relatively new company, it already had several popular and powerful stars, including the youngest triple crown actress who had recently joined.

Fans celebrated, exclaiming:

"Finally, Lily Yan won't be exploited by a small company anymore!"

"Ryan will get better resources now!"

Emily felt out of place amidst the celebrating fans. Her mind raced, fixated on one thought:

What is Ethan planning? Why is he extending his reach to Ryan?

As she pondered, the host announced, "Today, Chairman Harrison of Creston Media Enterprises is also here at our birthday party. Please give a warm welcome to Chairman Harrison!"

Emily's eyes widened in shock as she saw Ethan walk onto the stage, her light board falling to the ground with a thud.

He was dressed in a sleek gray suit, tall and broad-shouldered, his expression aloof and his presence a stark contrast to the party atmosphere.

Despite this, the fans applauded enthusiastically—after all, he was the big financial backer, and a handsome one at that!

Emily overheard excited whispers around her: "Wow, he's so handsome! He's really the richest man? Now I can imagine him as the domineering CEO from the novels!"

Some fans even flipped their allegiance, "So handsome! Different from Lily Yan's type! More mature!"

Emily sighed inwardly, thinking, "You young girls have no idea about old men's tricks."

Ryan, maintaining his polite smile, extended his hand to the new boss.

Ethan shook it, his gaze lingering on Ryan's face for a moment before he said blandly, "Happy birthday."

Ryan replied, "Thank you, Chairman Harrison."

Ryan felt a chill from Ethan's scrutinizing gaze.

Michael continued to flatter Ethan, who took the microphone and said a few words of courtesy before shifting gears. "Ryan might not know, but my wife is also a fan of yours."

Emily's eyes widened in disbelief.

The crowd erupted in astonishment and cheers. Nobody expected the usually low-key and mysterious tycoon to mention his wife.

Ryan, though surprised, quickly masked his reaction with a smile and responded, "Really? Do you and your wife follow these events often?"

"Yes," Ethan said with a straight face. "Since I'm here today, I wonder if Ryan could sing a song for my wife?"

He smiled slightly. "I believe she would be very touched."

Emily's mind raced with disbelief. "Oh, I am truly daring."

"Of course," Ryan agreed with a nod. "Which song does Mrs. Harrison like?"

"That one—" Ethan turned, his dark eyes pinpointing a specific direction, a slight arch in his brow.

"The song 'Not Well-Behaved.'"