My dad is an Oscar-winning actor. My mom is the top Hollywood agent. To help my boyfriend, I, someone who has never appeared on TV, joined him in a dating reality show. But I never expected to see him confess his love to another girl. “Mia, it’s all thanks to your uncle that I got the chance to join this reality show. I didn’t know you had such an impressive uncle,” Kyle said, beaming with excitement. As a C-list celebrity, getting to be part of Director Jacob Scott’s show was like winning the lottery. Seeing Kyle so happy made me smile, too. After all, I had begged my dad for this favor. Of course, I lied to Kyle—there was no uncle. It was my Oscar-winning father and top-agent mother who made a simple phone call to get me on the show. “Oh, and there’s something else,” I added. “Director Scott gave me two spots, so I’ll also be joining the show as a non-celebrity.” This was my first time stepping into the public eye. My parents had always protected me, so except for Uncle Jacob, no one knew my real identity. Kyle looked a bit stunned when he heard this. “Mia, don’t you prefer the quiet? Won’t this show be too much for you?” As a writer, I’ve grown used to working in peaceful surroundings. I shook my head and smiled. “It’s fine. I can’t stay in quiet spaces forever. It’ll be fun to try something different.” Kyle quickly recovered. “Mia, that’s great! Let’s go on the show together and let the entire country witness our love.”
This was the third season of the dating show, “Love & Paradise,” and since the first two seasons had great ratings, the third one was highly anticipated. Four couples, six of whom were celebrities, and two, including me, were non-celebrities. One of the stars, Chloe Baker, was a huge draw, with half the audience tuning in just for her. To help the contestants bond, we were taken straight to a boat upon arrival, heading to a private island for filming. Kyle, trying to avoid suspicion, didn’t speak to me much and instead laughed and chatted with the other stars. I felt a bit disappointed but understood. If it became known that we were already dating, the audience would definitely criticize us for not being genuine. I glanced over at another non-celebrity, Evan Riley. At 6’1″, tall and handsome, with a cool, distant vibe, he certainly stood out. But once the others heard he was just an office worker, their interest in him faded. After all, everyone here was looking for fame, and an ordinary office worker wouldn’t bring much buzz. It was summer, and the sun was brutal, even out on the water. The other stars, including Kyle, didn’t want to get sunburned, so they all planned to head indoors. “Mia, aren’t you coming inside? You’ll get sunburned out here,” Chloe said sweetly, though her eyes flashed with something less friendly. I caught it right away. I didn’t know why she had it out for me. I glanced at Kyle, but he didn’t even look my way, let alone say anything.
The show hadn’t even started yet, and the avoidance was already this extreme? Feeling more disappointed, I replied, “No, I’m fine. You guys go ahead.” “Chloe, you’re too kind. Some people just don’t appreciate good intentions. Best to ignore them in the future,” Sarah Bennett, another actress, chimed in. I looked at Sarah, a supporting actress who was pretty enough but whose calculating gaze made her seem less attractive. “Is that so?” Chloe said softly. “I was just trying to be friendly, but I guess I overstepped.” What on earth? I hadn’t even refused to go inside—how did this turn into a whole scene? Before the filming even began, they’d already pushed me and Evan to the sidelines, and Kyle hadn’t defended me once. Soon, we arrived at the destination. I was shocked as I looked around, recognizing the place immediately. If I wasn’t mistaken, this was my family’s estate. My dad loves traveling and has bought several properties on private islands, all designed by world-renowned architects. No wonder Uncle Jacob had insisted I come along—he wanted to use our estate for the shoot.
Chloe and the others were awestruck by the estate’s luxury. “This place is gorgeous!” “It must cover hundreds of acres!” “Waking up to an ocean view every day—what a dream!” While they were all buzzing with excitement, I stood quietly to the side. My dad had brought my mom and me here several times. The first visit was exciting, but after a few trips, the novelty wore off. My dad moved on to exploring other islands, so we hadn’t been here in a long time. Noticing my silence, Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Mia, why aren’t you saying anything? Not happy with the filming location?” “Chloe, I think you might be misunderstanding Mia. She’s probably just stunned, having never seen an estate this grand before,” Sarah said, attempting to sound witty but only coming across as smug. Sure, I thought. Even these stars hadn’t seen a place like this before. What were they expecting from me? I glanced at Kyle, expecting him to maybe say something, but he only looked annoyed. Wait—was he embarrassed by me? “Hah, it’s just an estate. My family has plenty. I’m not talking because I’m not like you—easily impressed,” I snapped back, my patience finally wearing thin.
Chloe and the others didn’t take it well, their faces stiffening. After all, they really had looked like people who’d never seen such grandeur before. “Wow, big talk! Your family owns multiple estates? Why don’t you just say this estate belongs to you, Mia? It’s daytime, you don’t need to start dreaming yet,” Sarah sneered, crossing her arms. I was about ready to drop my luggage and leave, if not for Uncle Jacob’s show. Seeing that I was upset, Uncle Jacob quickly stepped in as a peacemaker. “Alright, let’s move on and get ready to start filming. Everyone, head to the living room for a break,” he said. With that, the group reluctantly dropped the conversation and headed inside. Kyle, dragging his feet, waited until the others were inside before approaching me. “Mia, watch what you say. This is going to air nationwide, and you’ll be the one who looks bad,” he said, pretending to be concerned. “What do you mean I’ll look bad? Kyle, didn’t you hear what they said about me? I’m your girlfriend.” I stared at him, completely disillusioned. I never thought he could say something like this. “Mia,” he glanced around nervously. “We agreed to keep our relationship quiet, remember? Besides, don’t mess with Chloe. Her fanbase could bury you with hate.” Wow, the way he said “Chloe” sounded so affectionate. I gave Kyle a cold look. Maybe it was time to reconsider this relationship.
Once inside, Uncle Jacob announced the start of filming. The first game involved winning room assignments. We would pair up and play games to decide the room selections. If we were judging by physique, Evan Riley, tall and fit, would be the first pick. But since he was a non-celebrity, Chloe and Sarah passed on him. Chloe turned to Kyle. “Kyle, I want the first room on the left.” Kyle, oozing confidence, replied, “I’ve got it covered.” What a jerk. My usually mild temper was starting to boil over. I marched up to Evan. “Let’s team up. I want that first room on the left, too.” Evan raised an amused eyebrow and quietly agreed, “Sure.” Kyle frowned, clearly wanting to say something, but with cameras on him, he just gave me a frustrated glare. I ignored him and dragged Evan into the game. The first challenge was a ball-toss game. The guys had buckets tied to their waists, and we girls had to throw balls from two meters away. The pair that caught the most balls would win. Though I usually spent my time writing, my dad had built me a private gym. Between writing, I worked out regularly, so I was in pretty good shape. Chloe and Sarah, on the other hand, were fragile and ate almost nothing to stay thin. Their weak throws rarely landed in their partners’ buckets. It didn’t take long for Evan and me to pull ahead. We won the first round easily. “Yes!” I high-fived Evan, feeling elated. Evan smiled at me. “This is the first time I’ve seen you smile so brightly. It suits you.” Of course I was smiling—Kyle and Chloe’s faces looked like they’d just swallowed lemons. Wait, how did Evan notice I hadn’t smiled much before?
The next challenge was a balloon-popping game. We were both tied to balloons, and the goal was to pop them by pressing against each other. The pair that finished fastest would win. Because I wasn’t that familiar with Evan, I hesitated, and we ended up taking longer, finishing in third place. Chloe and Kyle won. They acted like a real couple, completely ignoring boundaries, practically glued to each other. I noticed Kyle’s hands wandering to Chloe’s private areas more than once, and she didn’t seem to mind, holding him tight. By this point, I wasn’t even fazed. My disappointment in Kyle had reached its peak. Evan, on the other hand, felt embarrassed. “Sorry, I slowed us down. I’ll make sure to win the next game.” “Don’t worry about it,” I smiled. At first, I’d been fired up to beat Chloe and Kyle, but now, seeing how things were, it didn’t seem worth it. Still, Evan won the next game for us. Kyle, meanwhile, lost his temper and took it out on Evan, accidentally injuring his face during the game. This man-child, I thought. I couldn’t believe I ever liked him. In the end, I chose the room Chloe had wanted all along—the one with the ocean view, the one I always stayed in when visiting the estate. No way was I going to let her have it. Evan picked the room across from mine. Since then, Chloe had been in a constant bad mood, and despite Kyle’s attempts to cheer her up, she barely acknowledged him. I have no idea what Kyle whispered to her at the end, but whatever it was, it brought a smile back to her face.
Since I decided to let go of Kyle, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Whatever Chloe and Kyle did together was none of my business anymore. It had been a while since I last visited the island, so I figured I might as well enjoy my time here. I unpacked quickly since I knew where everything in the room was. After all, I had decorated this room myself. When I walked into the living room, it was empty. Everyone was still in their rooms, settling in, and I could hear occasional exclamations as they discovered various decor pieces. Most of the items in the estate were specially commissioned by my dad from well-known designers and included a lot of rare collectibles. Things you wouldn’t easily find anywhere else. I shrugged, not too impressed, and wandered into the kitchen. At this estate, everything was DIY—no staff to cook for us, so dinner was something we had to prepare ourselves. Even though I didn’t cook often, I could handle simple dishes. I pulled out some vegetables and started preparing a basic stir-fry. A few minutes later, Evan walked into the kitchen. When he saw me cooking, he immediately offered to help. After spending the day with him, I’d grown to like him more. He was easy to be around. “What do you like to eat?” I asked. “I’ll make something for you.” Evan smiled again, that calm and warm smile of his. “Anything is fine with me. I’m not picky.” He really was an easygoing guy. As we cooked, I heard the voices of Chloe and Sarah coming from the living room. “Chloe, there’s a painting in my room that’s worth over a million dollars! I looked it up!” Chloe nodded. “I have a porcelain vase that looks pretty valuable, too. The show’s producers really pulled out all the stops. I wonder who owns this estate.” “Obviously, it’s because of you, Chloe. The producers must have wanted to impress you! The estate’s owner probably jumped for joy when they heard you were coming,” Kyle’s voice chimed in from behind, his flattery making Chloe giggle.
“Oh, stop it, Kyle. You’re just teasing,” Chloe replied with a playful smile. “I’m serious! You’re such a star right now. The estate owner would be honored to have you here. Heck, they’d probably dedicate the room you’re staying in to you!” Kyle’s words brought out an even bigger smile from Chloe. She was clearly eating up his praise. “You know, people only get their rooms dedicated to them after they’re dead,” Evan remarked dryly from across the room, bringing their lively conversation to an abrupt halt. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Evan’s bluntness was perfect. “Mia, what’s so funny?” Chloe snapped, her annoyance immediately redirected toward me. “Oh, nothing. I just thought of something funny,” I replied innocently. “What’s so funny?” Chloe pressed, refusing to let it go. “Are you laughing at me?” “No, it’s just that…my dog had puppies,” I said, barely containing my laughter. Evan grinned, catching on quickly. “Yeah, my dog just had puppies, too.” I couldn’t hold it in any longer and laughed out loud. This guy was too much. Chloe’s face flushed with anger, her eyes reddening with frustration. “Mia! How dare you pick on Chloe? Apologize right now!” Kyle marched over, his face full of fake outrage, even throwing me a subtle look as if he expected me to cave in. I rolled my eyes and ignored him, turning to Evan instead. “Evan, how about I make some scrambled eggs with tomatoes? It’s one of my specialties.” Evan’s smile widened. “I’d love to try it.” “Mia!” Kyle shouted, clearly upset that I was ignoring him. He reached out to push me, but Evan was quicker, grabbing Kyle’s arm before he could touch me. “What? You want to hit a woman?” Evan asked coldly. “Let go of me!” Kyle snarled, trying to yank his arm away, but Evan held firm. “Listen up,” Evan said in a low voice. “In the future, you talk. You don’t touch.” He let go of Kyle’s arm, sending him stumbling back a step. Kyle’s face flushed with embarrassment. What a weakling.
Dinner was finally ready, and Evan and I dug in, enjoying the meal together. Sarah eventually wandered into the kitchen, looking around for food, but finding none, she pouted and approached us. “Mia, I want to eat, too. Make me a plate.” Then Kyle spoke up again. “Oh, and I saw ribs in the kitchen. Why don’t you whip up some sweet and sour ribs for Chloe? While you’re at it, you should apologize to her.” His request almost made me laugh out loud. The nerve of him! Just moments ago, he was angry with me, and now that he was hungry, he was acting all friendly? I wasn’t having it. “Are you guys serious?” I snapped. “What do you think this is? Do I look like your personal chef? I’m not your mom, so stop expecting me to cook for you.” Letting all my frustration out felt incredibly satisfying. “Mia, watch what you say! I’ll get angry!” Kyle’s face darkened. “Yeah, Mia! What’s with the attitude? Why would you cook for Evan but not for us? We’re all on this show together, yet you’re playing favorites!” Sarah screeched, hands on her hips, as if she had a right to boss me around. I looked at her in disbelief. “You’ve got some nerve. I’ll cook for whoever I want. Don’t act like you’re some innocent victim here. You’ve done plenty, and I’m not blind to it.” Then I turned to Kyle. “And you—why should I care if you’re angry? You want to kiss up to Chloe, go cook for her yourself. We’re not that close.” Kyle’s face stiffened, caught off guard by my response. “We’re not that close? Don’t make things up, Mia!” I gave him a cold smile. “Good. Now that we’ve cleared that up, you guys can figure out your own meals. I’m done playing nice.” With that, I grabbed my plate and walked away, leaving them speechless.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294722”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #校园School #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller
Leave a Reply