Chapter 56 – Good Friends

(just don't forget to keep voting while you're at it…)

It was an ordinary weekday morning. On the sunny shores of Paradise Cove in Malibu, a crowd of entertainment reporters had already gathered. Word had gotten out that the central figures in the recent, much-hyped dating rumours—Matthew Horner and Britney Spears—were going to clarify things publicly today.

Honestly, most of the journalists didn't believe that this country bumpkin, Matthew Horner, was really dating Britney Spears. But no one was about to write the truth. That wouldn't sell.

"If they come out and clarify things…"

As they queued up outside the beachside restaurant, Elena Boyar overheard two reporters chatting behind her.

"Our whole scoop loses value," one of them grumbled.

The other laughed. "Come on, this is the City of Angels. Hollywood is crawling with celebs. There's always more gossip. And anyway, even if there's nothing, we'll just make it up! Which star has the time to sue nobodies like us? Worst case, they send a legal notice and we print an apology—doesn't cost us a thing. No one loses sleep over it."

Elena glanced back at the man. Clearly, he understood the tabloid business inside and out.

Once inside, the reporters were ushered to rows of seats. Elena had arrived early and secured a spot near the front. She began setting up her gear, getting ready for the upcoming interview.

She was particularly curious about Matthew Horner. She'd met him a few times before—an interesting fellow, to say the least.

The rumour itself had been her idea, crafted carefully to grab attention and cash in on clicks. Of course, a made-up story needed the right ingredients. If it weren't for that photo—Matthew holding an injured Britney, with her looking up at him like she trusted him completely—her article would've been nothing more than a joke.

"That guy's got something," she muttered to herself. As someone who covered celebrity news for a living, Elena had heard plenty about Britney's diva attitude. She was known to be prickly, like a porcupine. "But he managed to get close to her. That's not easy."

Meanwhile, in the temporary dressing room set up for Matthew, Helen Herman was giving him her final instructions.

"I'll be standing right behind you," she told him. "If you're asked something tricky or you're not sure how to respond, don't speak right away. I'll signal you."

Matthew nodded. "Right, I'm counting on you."

He had zero experience dealing with the press.

Helen pulled up a chair and sat beside him. "That's what a publicist is for."

Matthew spread his hands helplessly. "Yeah, but I don't have one."

With his current status and bank balance, hiring a PR manager would be a joke.

"Just make sure you don't mess this up," Helen said calmly. "You don't know when you'll get another press conference like this."

Matthew understood very well—Helen had fought hard to arrange this whole event. The idea was to use Britney's team's desire to shut down the rumours to boost his own visibility and ride the wave of attention while he still could.

Speaking of publicity, something popped into his head. "Didn't you say you'd use this buzz to get me a new job?"

Helen nodded but didn't elaborate.

"So?" he prompted.

"You've got an audition lined up," she said at last, her tone like she was squeezing toothpaste out of a nearly empty tube. "But you'll have to wait a bit."

"Can I know what it's for?" Matthew pushed again.

Helen finally relented. "A soldier in a World War II movie. We'll talk more once you've finished filming this music video. Stay focused."

Matthew let it go, though the back of his mind was already turning. What WWII films are in the pipeline this year?

Just then, a staff member knocked and called them out. He and Helen stepped out of the dressing room and entered the restaurant's main area. Once Britney arrived, they would face the press together.

Matthew took his seat, a little nervous.

"Relax," Helen whispered behind him. "These are just gossip mongers. Why be scared of liars?"

He thought about it for a second and realised—she was right.

He relaxed noticeably. When Britney glanced over, he even managed to flash her a smile.

This wasn't a formal press conference, just a casual clarification to clear up the gossip. After a few opening lines from the host, the mic was handed to Matthew—after all, he was the "male lead" in this rumoured love story.

He'd memorised his statement thoroughly and delivered it like reciting lines from a script, smooth and natural.

"During the MV shoot, Britney got injured by accident. I carried her to the car so she could get medical help quickly… We worked well together, but we're not dating—just colleagues, not a couple…"

The entire statement was aimed at squashing the baseless rumour.

Camera flashes went off nonstop. Matthew knew this was his chance to stay in the public eye a little longer.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the era of social media. In the end, actors needed proper work to build a career.

Once he finished, the mic went to Britney.

"I'm currently single. Not seeing anyone."

Clearly written by her PR team, her statement was restrained. "There was a misunderstanding earlier. Thank you to all the fans and media friends for your concern."

After that, a short Q&A session began. Britney's agency had already coordinated things with the organisers, and with both parties denying the rumours together, there was little room for gossip to thrive. Most of the reporters stuck to asking about the music video.

But of course, not everyone played nice.

Elena Boyar wasn't one to let a juicy story die quietly. Following protocol wouldn't get her the kind of headlines she wanted.

When the mic reached her, she stood up and asked, "Britney, are you and Matthew Horner close?"

Matthew recognised her immediately and felt a chill. He knew this wouldn't end well.

"Of course," Britney replied, not seeing any need to deny it. "We're friends."

Behind her, her manager nearly smacked her own forehead. What is this girl thinking?

Each reporter was only supposed to ask one question, but Elena didn't care. No one stopped her, so she carried on. "You're friends now—any chance you'll become something more in future?"

Britney's manager quickly whispered, "Don't answer that."

But Britney wasn't listening. She looked at Matthew, then replied casually, "Who can say?"

In her mind, it was simple. Right now, she and Matthew weren't romantically involved, but ever since they met, he'd left a great impression on her—keeping her company at the hospital, chatting with her… Calling him a good friend didn't feel wrong at all. As for the future—who knew?

"Mr. Matthew Horner," Elena turned to him before the staff could take away her mic. "Do you think you might date Britney someday?"

Helen had seen it coming. She'd already prepared for this. As soon as Elena asked the question, she whispered from behind, "Say you're good friends."

Matthew might've acted like a clueless rookie earlier, but he wasn't actually stupid. He knew better than to improvise. He stuck to Helen's advice. "Britney and I are good friends."

He even looked at Britney as he said it. She smiled back at him sweetly, clearly approving his answer.

That moment was caught perfectly by the photographers.

Britney didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, what Matthew said matched how she felt. In her mind, they really were just that—close friends who clicked in a way few people did.

The staff finally reached Elena's side. She realised she'd gotten all the juicy bits she needed and calmly handed back the mic.

Matthew had a sudden revelation. I was wrong about her. Elena Boyar isn't some journalist with principles. She's just as shameless as the rest—maybe even worse.

As he was thinking this, he saw Elena glance over—and wink at him.

He didn't respond.

With the press conference wrapped up, he followed Helen Herman back to the dressing room to prep for the MV shoot.

"That reporter knows you?" Helen had caught the wink.

Matthew scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh… sort of. Not exactly a close friend."

Helen narrowed her eyes. "You two planned that question, didn't you?"

The leading question, Britney's ambiguous answer—it all made for perfect gossip fodder. Britney's camp definitely wouldn't be happy, but from Matthew's perspective, it only helped.

"No!" he denied quickly. "Not at all! I didn't even know she'd be here."

Helen frowned. "What's going on then? Let me remind you, Matthew Horner—I'm your agent. We're supposed to trust each other."