Chapter 02: Blocked

Avery made her way to the living room and settled onto the couch. She tried to recount the events that had unfolded over the past two years.

It was two years ago when they first met. 

Mikael Jiang and Avery were introduced at a party hosted by the agency she was contracted with. As a VIP guest, Mikael Jiang was escorted by the agency president, showcasing their connection with the president of J Jewelry Corporation.

However, the turning point was that very night—Avery rescued Mikael Jiang from a potential dangerous situation when someone spiked his drink and attempted to take advantage of him. She rushed him to a hospital, where they engaged in a heartfelt conversation. And thus began what appeared to be a love story between a woman and a man.

After a few months of being friends, Mikael Jiang confessed his affection for her. Avery accepted his feelings, as she, too, had fallen for him. The two started dating, and after a year of being together, Mikael Jiang and Avery decided to take a step further in their relationship by getting engaged.

It had been six months since they got engaged. 

However, Avery couldn't fathom why there were suddenly rumors about him being romantically linked with a rising actress.

Avery trusted Mikael Jiang with all her heart. She believed he wouldn't betray her. He had reassured her too when she confronted him about the rumors concerning him and Miss Lin Yu.

"There's absolutely nothing going on between me and Miss Lin." 

"Don't let these rumors bother you. Stay focused on your career." 

"Miss Lin is simply an acquaintance I met through one of the films I invested in. Avery, there's no need for you to worry. I will stay by your side." 

That's what he had said.

But look at what happened now.

"Ha… hahaha…ah…" Avery began to laugh, but there was no joy in it—especially as tears started to trickle down her face to her chin. For the past three months, while Mikael Jiang was away, Avery had worked harder than anyone in her group. She aimed to better herself and avoid bringing any embarrassment to him. Avery aspired to secure a stable position in the entertainment industry, so their relationship could no longer remain a secret. 

At this moment, her phone, which had been lying in front of her, lit up. 

The phone screen displayed an incoming call. 

The name "Mikael" stabbed right through her heart. 

Raising a shaky hand, Avery contemplated whether to answer his call or not. Her index finger visibly trembled as it hovered above the phone. Yet, even after half a minute had passed, it never touched the surface of the phone. 

The phone dimmed for a few seconds before it lit up again.

This time, it was not a call but a message notification. 

The simple act of inhaling felt too painful as Avery gathered the remaining courage inside her to unlock her phone and see what the message was about. 

Mikael: [Are you sleeping?] 

Another message arrived. 

Mikael: [Don't look at the news. It's just media hype to promote the film I invested in. I'll be back in two weeks. Let's plan a trip to Castor City when I return.]

Avery stared at his messages in the dimly lit room, where no lights were turned on, and only the moonlight filtered through the windows. A solitary tear glistened in the darkness.

After a couple of minutes, Avery's fingers glided across her phone screen a few times before she gently placed it on the coffee table.

A new contact was added to her blocked list.

***

Inside a hotel room in Meteor City, a man with striking features stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. His straight eyebrows were furrowed as he stared down at his phone. Ten minutes had already passed, but no reply was sent to him.

'Is she really sleeping?' Mikael thought at first. However, he dismissed the idea that Avery was sleeping. He had contacted her agent before messaging her. Su Tang told him that Avery was still very much awake before she left the apartment complex. 

So, was she deliberately ignoring him?

Mikael didn't know what to feel. He was irritated that his messages were being ignored, but he thought this might be Avery's way of expressing anger, so he decided to give her space. He was sure it wouldn't take long for her to soften up and call him.

After contemplating for a brief moment, he started to tap his fingers on his phone. He sent a message that simply said, 'I love you'.

However, the red text on his phone screen informed him that he had been added to her blocked list. 

Mikael: "…" 

His face darkened. An anger he didn't know where it came from started to rise within him. How dare she block him?

No, she's just angry. After a few minutes, she will move him out of her block list. But even ten minutes have passed, the red text continued to become an eyesore to him. 

"Mikael?" 

From behind him, a sweet female voice sounded. However, Mikael's attention was so focused on his phone that he didn't even notice her until she wrapped her arms around his waist. 

Mikael then snapped out of his reverie, turning around to hug the soft body of the woman who had embraced him. 

"What are you looking at so seriously that you didn't even notice me?" 

Mikael shrugged and placed his phone down as he said, "It's from my secretary."

His eyes immediately swept over the woman, and he finally noticed the thin and flimsy nightgown she was wearing—a seductive sight no man could easily resist. 

The woman blushed as he continued to look at her through his lust-filled eyes, bashfully turning her head to the side. She shyly poked his chest and said, "Don't look."

Mikael swallowed and grinned. "Didn't you wear this for me to admire, Lin Yu?"

Lin Yu bit her soft lips as she nodded her head. 

Mikael chuckled, placing his hand underneath the back of her knees, and carried her to the bed. He then began to undress himself, successfully diverting his attention away from his phone. 

Soon, the room was filled with intimate sounds that made one blush.