Chapter 6

This incident instantly caused a stir among all the students on campus. Some of them even took pictures of the moment to gossip about it later in their WhatsApp groups.

"Rayyen, why are you suddenly here?" Velia asked, confused, as Rayyen's red Lamborghini sped away from the campus area.

"What do you think? Why else would I bother coming here? Obviously to pick you up!" Rayyen snapped, not taking his focus off the road.

Velia glanced at him, momentarily stunned. She didn't know what was going on, but why was she being scolded? What had she done wrong?

"Why are you snapping at me? I mean, why did you have to pick me up? I could have gone to Richard's office myself. That way, you wouldn't have been swarmed by people like earlier."

"This was all Richard's idea. He insisted I pick you up for appearances in front of the journalists and paparazzi. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have bothered."

Velia nodded, understanding. Seeing the frustration on Rayyen's face, she chose to stay silent. Better to keep quiet than say something wrong and get scolded again.

After about 15 minutes of driving, Rayyen and Velia arrived at the Star Entertainment building. They entered through the back door and were immediately escorted by several guards to Richard's office.

"So, when does the press conference start? It looks like all the reporters are already gathered downstairs," Rayyen said to Richard.

"In about 30 to 40 minutes," Richard replied, then walked over to Velia.

"Velia, come here. You need to change your outfit, and I'll brief you," he said, leading her to a makeup artist to change clothes and get a quick touch-up.

After a brief makeover, Richard approached Velia again and handed her a sheet of paper.

"These are some important points you need to read and remember. When the reporters ask questions, answer according to what's written here. Remember, don't deviate or improvise."

"What if they ask something off-topic?" Velia asked, worried. Better to ask now than make a mistake later.

"If they ask off-topic questions, you don't need to answer. Let Rayyen handle it."

Velia nodded in understanding. While Richard focused on Rayyen, she read the notes carefully, memorizing them to ensure she wouldn't forget when asked.

Exactly 40 minutes later, Richard gave the signal. He asked Rayyen and Velia to get ready and then together they walked to the meeting room where the reporters were gathered.

As soon as they entered the room, camera flashes went off. The media scrambled to take photos of Rayyen and Velia, who appeared very affectionate.

"Rayyen, can you explain the status of the girl with you?" one reporter asked.

Rayyen, already seated, happily responded, "The girl with me is Velia Sharon. She is the girlfriend I've been keeping private."

The reporters buzzed with excitement. The room erupted in chatter, surprised by Rayyen's statement.

Known as a handsome and private actor, Rayyen had never revealed who his girlfriend was. Rumors had circulated that he was involved with several actresses and models, including Veronica Smith.

Caught on camera attending important events together multiple times, the public speculated they were in a relationship. However, Rayyen and Veronica always denied it when interviewed.

A few days ago, paparazzi caught Rayyen getting cozy with Veronica in a car, causing a media frenzy due to their significant age difference.

"So, Velia is your official girlfriend? Not Veronica Smith?"

Rayyen shook his head, trying to convince the gathered media.

"I've repeatedly clarified that I'm not in a relationship with Veronica."

"Then what about the incident a few days ago at the mall parking lot?"

"At that time, Veronica and I happened to attend the same event at a mall. Her driver got stuck in traffic, and she needed to get to another show quickly, so I offered her a ride. When I was helping her with her seatbelt, paparazzi took photos out of context, making it seem like we were involved in a scandal."

The reporters nodded, understanding Rayyen's reasonable explanation.

"What about Miss Velia? How long have you two been together?"

"Not too long. Just over a year," Rayyen answered quickly.

The cameras then shifted to Velia, and the reporters began bombarding her with questions.

"Miss Velia, where did you two first meet and start your relationship?"

Velia smiled warmly, grateful Richard had prepared her. She easily answered, "I’ve known Richard for a long time, but we only got close and started dating a few years ago."

"What are you currently busy with, Miss Velia? Are you involved in acting like Rayyen, or do you have other activities outside the entertainment industry?"

Velia glanced at Rayyen. This question wasn't covered in the notes Richard gave her.

Understanding Velia's signal, Rayyen quickly took over. Thinking fast, he answered, "Velia is currently busy as a student. I intentionally started a relationship with someone outside the entertainment industry to maintain privacy. I also didn’t want us both to be too busy with work to spend quality time together."

"One last question," a reporter said. "Are you two in a serious relationship? Are there any plans for marriage?"

Rayyen smiled, holding Velia's hand tightly. "Of course, Velia and I are serious. But as for marriage, we haven't discussed it in depth yet. If we ever decide to take that step, we’ll definitely share the good news with the media."

After answering all the questions, Rayyen and Velia stood up, posing for a few moments while the media took more pictures. They were then escorted out of the room and back to Richard's office.

"Bravo... bravo..." Richard praised. "You two were great to work with," he said proudly. Then he turned to Velia. "The agency's money was well spent on you, Velia."

Rayyen, overhearing, scoffed. He then gave Velia a sharp look. "Velia, are you still working at the bar?"

Velia nodded immediately. "Yes. That's my only source of income."

"How much do you earn per month at the bar?"

Velia rolled her eyes, trying to remember her monthly earnings. "It varies. The base salary is about 3 million. If the bar is busy and sales are high, I can get bonuses up to 4 million."

Rayyen nodded, turning to Richard. "Nick, prepare about 24 million and give it to Velia as soon as possible."

Richard, puzzled, asked, "Prepare 24 million? For what?"

"To cover Velia's salary for six months. I don't want her working at the bar while she's pretending to be my girlfriend. I don't want the media to report that my girlfriend is a bar worker."

Richard snapped his fingers. Rayyen had a point. It could be problematic if the media found out Velia worked at a bar. "Okay, I'll give her the money right away."

"But, Ray," Velia interjected, "I can't just quit like that."

"Just go along with it," Rayyen said nonchalantly. "Or is the money not enough? If needed, Richard can cover your salary for a year. The important thing is that you stop working at the bar while we're in this relationship. If you disagree, return all the money you received."

Velia swallowed hard. Faced with this ultimatum, she didn't have the courage to argue. If she had to return the 500 million she received yesterday, she'd go mad trying to replace it.

"Oh, and Nick," Rayyen continued. "I think it's better if Velia moves to an apartment in the same complex as mine. Besides maintaining privacy, it’ll be easier for us to discuss things without needing to go out."

Richard nodded. Rayyen's suggestion made sense. Without waiting for Velia's approval, he agreed. "Okay, I'll arrange for an apartment for Velia tomorrow."

Hearing the discussion between Rayyen and Richard, Velia remained silent. Her head started to spin as she thought about how to explain to her mother that they needed to move with her.