Under His Rule ✔

Chapter 1 POV Elsie

At the end of the interview, I sigh deeply, feeling exhausted. It's not the interview that tires me out, but the host keeps asking me one love-related question after another, making me a bit weary.

The nearby staff nods at me, saying, "Miss Elsie, thank you for your hard work!"

I smile and ask, "Did you see Bryan?"

Bryan is my agent.

"Yes, I saw him. He's just smoking on the balcony."

I nod and walk towards the balcony. As I approach, I see Bryan still smoking, holding his phone and speaking in a hushed tone.

"I fought hard to get you this opportunity... What? You want to spend two more hours with your boyfriend? Do you think the big boss has nothing to do, buying you for the night and still having to wait for you for half the night? His bed is always in demand!"

Bryan sighs. "Well, I'll ask someone else."

Then he hangs up the phone.

"What's going on?" I walk over.

Having worked in the entertainment industry for years, I know exactly what Bryan is talking about.

Such things are not uncommon in the industry, with film and television resources being exchanged for the beauty of youth and agents playing the role of intermediaries.

But what puzzles me is Bryan's attitude. When he saw me, he hesitated for a moment, subconsciously hiding his phone behind him.

"Is the interview over?" Bryan clears his throat, changing the subject. "The vocation starts tomorrow. You haven't rested in two years. Take these ten days to relax."

I nod, probing, "Who were you talking to just now?"

He pauses, mentioning a name: "You don't know her. She acted in a web series last year and then disappeared. She's been asking for my help recently. She wants to join a better crew."

I purse my lips and ask, "Who wants to hire her?"

I've known Bryan since I was 18 and work part-time as a model. In the seven years since, our relationship has surpassed the typical star-agent dynamic. So he never hides things from me.

But now, Bryan, holding his nearly burnt-out cigarette, seems very uneasy. "It involves some privacy; I can't tell you."

I guess the name he mentioned on the phone: "Is it Vincent Cove?"

...

His silence is confirmation.

My heart pounds violently. After a few deep breaths, I say in a low voice, "Bryan, I want to go."

"No, you can't," he interrupts.

"I want to go," I insist.

"Are you crazy, or am I crazy?"

I fall silent but block the door to the balcony, not letting Bryan leave.

Two staff members are saying goodbye to us as they move the filming equipment.

"Goodbye!" Bryan smiles at them, then immediately pulls me onto the balcony, closing the door behind us.

"Elsie, in all these years, have you heard of any female stars in the industry being with Vincent for a long time?" He earnestly says, "Even if you go, there won't be any results."

"Bryan, I'm begging you." I hold Bryan's hand.

"..."

"If you don't let me go, I'll find him myself." I unconsciously tighten my grip.

"Regardless of whether he'll want you or not, do you know your career is on the rise now?"

Bryan is getting frustrated. "Meeting Vincent now will only put your career at risk if caught by the paparazzi."

"Bryan, please." I look up, my voice determined. "If you let me go, I can skip my vacation, and you can arrange any endorsements for me."

Bryan begins to anxiously run his fingers through his hair. "What has Vincent done to bewitch you like this?"

I stare at him in silence.

After a while, he asks, "Do you really like him that much?"

"Yeah."

"..."

"...The one who came to find me is not Vincent Cove but his business partner. He knew Vincent's taste, and then specifically asked me to arrange a woman for him, just for one night."

Bryan's expression is almost twisted in knots. "At 7 PM, Four Seasons Hotel. You can get the room key from this phone number."

"Thank you."

"Alright, alright," Bryan waves at me. "Hurry up, or I might regret it later."

"I'll be careful not to get caught..."

"You must not get caught!"

---

At 7 PM, in the presidential suite of the Four Seasons Hotel in London.

I'm in the bathroom, showering and doing my makeup, making sure everything is in order.

When I step out, Vincent is already here, sitting at the desk, checking work emails on his computer.

"Mr... Mr. Vincent." I look at his back, squeezing out a sentence from my throat.

Vincent doesn't turn around.

"David sent you?" His gaze still on the computer screen.

David is the name of his business partner.

I nod. "Yes."

"Sorry, I didn't plan to have someone accompany me tonight."

He stares at the computer screen while opening his briefcase on the table. "How much did he pay you?"

I'm stunned.

"I'll give you more." Vincent takes out a check.

Suddenly, my throat feels sore.

Vincent opens a pen. "How much? Just say, it's okay."

"...I don't want money."

"Or maybe you have your eye on some film resources?"

The room falls into silence.

In the quiet, I hear myself saying, "I've received enough money..."

My whole face is burning, and my tone is a bit unstable. "You don't need to give me more."

Vincent puts down the pen, stands up, and turns to me. "But I have nothing else for you..."

Before he can finish his sentence, our eyes meet in the air.

I don't know how long it's been, but he suddenly speaks, "What's your name?"

"Elsie," I say softly.

"Okay, Miss Elsie, it's cold outside today." He points to the balcony, where the trees are swaying in the wind. "Maybe you'd like to stay here?"