Chapter 227: Online Presence.
[General POV]
On the night Edward embarked on his mission to rescue Vanessa, an unexpected turn of events occurred. Edward's aunt, Camila, without informing anyone, had taken a trip back to Cuba. Upon her arrival, a black-dressed Latina woman with a white lily floral pattern came to pick her up at the airport.
Coincidentally, Wayne Bruce, a rogue FBI agent deeply in love with Camila, had decided to spend his days off searching for her in Cuba once again. He spotted Camila getting into a classic Bentley while reading his newspaper and waiting for his departure time.
"Wait a minute… I had almost given up hope, but just as I was about to head back to the States, I see her... right at the airport? This feels like fate," Wayne smirked and quickly rushed out of the airport to follow Camila.
"Taxi!" he shouted, waving his arms to catch the attention of a passing driver. However, as they entered the city, the driver lost sight of the car Camila was in, as the streets were filled with classic vintage cars. The country, seemingly forgotten by time, .
"Damn it! I lost her! Again!!" he muttered, disappointed.
Unaware of her "stalker," Camila was driven back to her family's house. The hallways were deserted, but traces of the opulence the family had could be seen. The marks on the wall where the expensive paintings used to be hung, the delicately sculpted door handles, the huge library that was filled with cobwebs, and more reminisce of an earlier era, scattered all over the mansion.
Camila made her way to a small room illuminated by soft white lamps. She had to pass through a plastic curtain before she could see what lay on the bed.
A group of doctors, dressed from head to toe in coverings, noticed Camila's arrival and quickly briefed her. "Her condition has stabilized for now, but she needs rest. She shouldn't go anywhere or engage in any strenuous activities for at least a month."
Camila nodded as she gazed upon Miranda, lying motionless on the bed, trapped in a deep coma. Edward's mother had descended into madness upon hearing the news of his capture, relentlessly hunting down anyone connected to their family's betrayer.
Her actions had drawn the attention of Castro's brother, leading to a pursuit by a formidable armed force, only to be intercepted and saved by the sisterhood at the last moment.
Camila asked solemnly, "Have she found the snitch yet?"
"No. Not yet." The lady with the black dress replied. Camila sighed helplessly and said, "Can we not escape this kind of fate? Will we all die here… for this… god forsaken country?"
While Camila was talking to the others, secretly, her conversation was secretly recorded and analyzed by Edward's assistant, Robin. Suddenly, Camila received a notification on her phone.
"Hmm?" She opened it and widened her eyes. Then, she quickly reached for her gun and pointed it at the doctor standing beside Miranda. "You… You're the source of the leak?"
The doctor raised his hands and sighed disappointedly. Miranda looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Why?"
"I'm just…so tired…of fighting… And I want it all to end…" The doctor replied.
…
[Edward POV]
"Where did you get a key?" I asked Maggie after pulling down the electrocution net away from her.
"Answer me first! Why, and WHEN did you weaponize your house?!" Maggie asked in disbelief after I helped her get up from the floor.
"I mean, the better question would be how." I chuckled as I saw her frustratedly walk towards Haley and hide behind her. It was funny to see the 5'7" tall girl trying to hide behind the 5'2" girl.
"How did you get this stuff?" Haley asked curiously as she touched the net. "Can you get one for me and put it in my closet? I have some valuables there I need to protect." She added.
"I can…But I can also foresee that your dad or your brother…or both, shaking uncontrollably on the ground, and getting tasered if I did."
Haley looked at me puzzledly, "Why would they go to my closet?"
"I'm not saying that they will try to get your stuff, but I can really see them getting trapped." I explained.
"Ahhh…" Haley exclaimed in realization while Maggie looked at the both of us in disbelief. Haley turned towards Maggie and asked, "You…Are you Maggie?"
"Hmm. Petite, gorgeous, cute as a button as people said, you must be Haley." Maggie said as she smiled at Haley.
"Aww… That's nice." Haley exclaimed before she furrowed her eyebrows in realization, "Wait, who said that?"
I quickly intercepted and said, "Ah, Maggie, why are you here?"
"I come to visit!" Maggie smiled and added, "You know, for your housewarming party!"
Haley and I looked at each other before I replied to Maggie, "I'm not having a…housewarming party."
"Wait. Really?" Maggie acted confused, but her shaky eyes betrayed her anxiousness. I sighed and asked, "Did my dad plan a housewarming party today?"
"NO! Not today– Wait–" Maggie was taken aback by her own blunder and nervously said, "You didn't hear that from me!"
"Of course I heard that from you. Who else would I hear it from?" I looked at her and scoffed disdainfully while she was pleading for my mercy, "NO! Uncle Ted will hate me!"
"No he won't." I replied casually. Then, I turned to Vanessa who was standing in the corridor and observing the whole thing from a safe distance. "You can stay here for a while if you have no other place to go. If you need anything, ask Maggie."
"Wait. You didn't even ask me–" Maggie tried to protest, but I only needed to say one short sentence to shut her down, "200,000 dollars in debt."
If it had been a long time since I returned to my hometown and met Maggie again, I might have treated her better. However, since she came to LA, she would frequently stop by my house to do her laundry and have dinner with my family, so I didn't make any special effort.
Maggie hurriedly approached Vanessa and said, "Hi! I recognize you. You're the girl from High School Musical. I'm Maggie. Nice to meet you. If you need anything, just ask me."
Haley looked at Maggie in disbelief and grabbed my sleeve before whispering, "Does she always change her attitude like that?"
I nodded and replied, "Yup, she's basically spineless. Oh, right, I have a live session today. I might even sing. Do you want to stay or go back—"
"I'm definitely staying!" Haley interrupted excitedly. Maggie glanced at us and noticed Haley's hand touching my arm. She snickered to herself before continuing her conversation with Vanessa.
Later, Max and my dad arrived simultaneously, with Vader nestled in Max's arms. As soon as Vader saw me, she leaped from Max's arms and ran straight to me.
"Hey! I gave you premium cat treats! You traitor!" Max felt betrayed. I chuckled and said, "Love cannot be bought."
"Love costs 20 bucks an hour next to the tattoo place I used to work at," Max retorted with a disdainful look on her face. I shrugged and gently stroked Vader's fur before asking, "Do you have my stuff?"
"Your Batman pajamas? I sure do," Max replied playfully. My dad chimed in, "But she made me carry them."
"Hey, we traded! I hold the princess, and you hold Batman!" Max playfully retorted to my dad. Some staff members from the company also arrived with the equipment. They set up a stage next to the pool, with the ocean as the backdrop. Drums, a synthesizer, a guitar, a microphone stand, and some speakers were arranged.
"Wait, I'm not trying to hold a concert though. It's just one song," I said in disbelief as I looked at the staff member. He seemed taken aback and replied, "But Mr. Saltzman asked us to do this."
"Peps? But he's coming today," I said, feeling confused. "Max, you know about this?" I asked the brunette girl who's trying to coax Vader from leaving my arms.
"Huh? Oh, right. Peps said it's been a while since he heard you sing. So he wants to enjoy it. I think the band members would come too."
"Chris– I mean, Coldplay is preparing to release their album. He didn't bother them did he? I'm not really sure how many people will watch the live session, so it's better for them to practise their own stuff than to join in."
"Nah, they wanted to jam with you too. So they are coming." Max replied.
I sighed and said, "The whole thing is going to be all blown out of sorts again."
…
An hour after the staff had finished setting up and adjusting the audio, my house was suddenly filled with people from all over who had come just to watch me perform. I looked at Pepper, who was smiling and waving, in disbelief and asked, "What is all of this?"
My friends Billie, Finneas, Jacob, Jenna, Elsa, Enid, and Alex were there, along with Maggie, Vanessa, Selena (for some reason), the football team and their girlfriends (those who had them), Entertain staff members, Harvey, Pepper's gay friends, and many more people who had been arriving one after another.
"Oh, don't worry about it. None of the people here will tell anyone else where you live," Pepper said casually.
"No, that's not my point. I was just going to show off my costume and sing a song, you know. That's all I had planned for today's live session," I explained carefully.
Pepper suddenly realized his mistake, and his face turned ashen. He pulled his cheek down in horror and said, "Right! You were doing everything yourself. Did I just throw you into the pit and ask you to improvise everything?"
"Kinda!" I replied honestly. "I mean, I can do it, but it won't be as smooth as the ones I had planned. Not unless I get some help. At the very least, some help for the final part."
With Lex Luther's Image Management, which included public speaking skills, I wouldn't have any problem handling the entire thing myself. However, this would be a great opportunity to showcase Coldplay or any other label artist during today's show.
"We're starting in... 5, 4, 3, 2..." The staff members counted down to the live session while standing behind the professional-grade camera.
The video was being broadcasted live on the Entertain website and my own fan page, as well as my live session on Instagram. The Instagram session was recorded in a portrait ratio, while the others were recorded in the 16:9 ratio, which would become the standard for movie ratios in the future.
As the live schedule was posted beforehand, thousands of fans crowded the chat as soon as the live session started.
[9,000 viewers watching!]
Lily: Yeay It's Edward! 😍😍
GirlXX: 😍😍
Jeanette: 😍😍
"Hello everyone!" I greeted them while standing lazily inside the first location of the shooting today– The kitchen. Wearing a brown cardigan over my white shirt, I pair it with a custom made cargo pants that Haley designed for me.
Lily: You look so handsome!😍😍
Havana girl: Ed! HI! I bought your extended album! I love it so much! You should do more songs in Spanish!
[15,000 viewers watching!]
I saw the message and responded, "Thank you so much for your support." I bowed slightly before saying, "Today's show will be recorded and posted on my Vlog, so don't worry about missing anything."
Lily: Yeay!
"For today, initially I wanted to show off a few things for you guys, first and foremost my outfit for Halloween. But, some news came out that made me a bit depressed." I said playfully.
Annie: Why are you sad?
Jenna: Who bullied you?!
Annie: Are you okay? (A/N: lol)
"Bullied– You know what? I WAS BULLIED! By my stylist. She said that I'm too old to be trick or treating anymore."
The chat group spammed the laughter emojis as they heard it. Haley chuckled as she watched it from the camera-man's side and mumbled, "I didn't know he's going to be that depressed when he realized it."
"What did you guys think would be my choice for Halloween? Or what will suit me?" I asked.
The chat exploded, both on my Instagram and on the Entertain web broadcast.
JacobPeralta: John McClane!
RDJ: Liam Nelson's daughter in Taken.
Lily: Romeo.
TexasGirl: Cowboy!
Camila: Joker!
There were tremendous suggestions about what I should wear for Halloween. Romeo and Joker kept repeating quite a few times, which depressed me a bit.
"So, it's either a teenage heartthrob or a villain. Can't I be something else?" I said jokingly to the chat. They spammed the laughter emoticon again before suggesting other things.
Annie: How about Percy from the Percy Jackson books?
I responded to the suggestion as it intrigued me, "Percy Jackson? He's like…12! I've never read the books before, but I know about that particular thing. Hmm, maybe I should read the books." The chat was continuously trying to convince me that the book was great.
In my previous life when I was watching the movie, it gave me the feeling that the whole show was a parody or something similar. The second one was even worse than the first one. So I had no interest in the books at all. But recently Enid, and even Alex had read the books and said it was great, so I may check it out later on and see how different the movie actually was from the books.
"So far no one actually guessed what outfit I had planned for Halloween." I said cheekily. "I wanted to show it to you guys if you guessed it right, but no luck I guess." I shrugged.
Lily: NOOO!!!! Umm, Spiderman!!
Annie: Someone from Harry Potter? Draco Malfoy maybe?
Texasgirl: It isn't Romeo right?
Pablo: Hi! Love from Chile! You are not planning to do concerts here?
"Hi Pablo. It's not that I don't want to do concerts there, but we're still in the negotiation process with some countries and now there are some concerns over the different venue security. So any international or world tour would have to wait until that's done. Earliest we can do it is at the start of next year, if everything goes well." I explained a bit.
Pablo: Sad.emoji
Annie: Darth Vader. If this is wrong, can we get a hint please?
[25,000 viewers watching!]
Lily: Hint please!
Jenna: Hint Please!!
"Alright then. The hint; RDJ won't like it." I said jokingly.
The chat exploded once more with people typing: BATMAN!
"Finally!" I exclaimed in relief after they managed to guess it. "Am I not Batman material? What took you guys so long?" I asked with a chuckle. Suddenly, Vader jumped from Max's grip again, and rushed to the film set.
"Vader no!" Max called her back, but it was too late. The black cat jumped into my arms, which confused the chat.
I placed Vader on my right shoulder casually and said, "I'm sorry. I guess she wanted to introduce herself to you guys. She's my pet, Lady Kitty Vader the third." Vader swatted my cheek slightly, which made me say, "Ah, she got angry. Her name is Vader."
Annie: She's so cute!
Lily: Awww
Abby: Vader? You named the kitty after the Sith Lord?
Fast forward after me showing my outfit to my fans and talking about a few things for a while, the fans requested to see if they could watch me putting on the costume. I relented after thousands of messages and donations– yeah, people could donate if they wanted to stress out their messages left the screen for a while to change my clothes.
"Vader no." Max said as Vader jumped to the tripod for my Instagram and slightly pushed the camera towards me as I was changing my clothes, which resulted in my bare upper body being revealed to the world.
Annie: Nosebleed.Emoji
Lily: Nosebleed.Emoji
Donna: Thirsty.Emoji
+1
+1
+1
[35,000 viewers watching!]
[36,350 viewers watching!]
[40,000 viewers watching!]
I quickly put on the outfit, and returned to the screen. "Wow, the numbers jumped out so quickly huh. Now I know, my fanbase is all made up of perverts."
Jenna: You're the one who stripped!
…
[General POV]
A few minutes before, crossing her arms and watching the filming from afar, a complicated expression appeared on Vanessa's face. 'Why does everyone like him so much? He only knows how to crack lame jokes. But, still…40,000 live viewers? That's like, a big concert already.'
When Edward was changing his clothes, Vanessa's eyes suddenly widened and she blurted out, "Damn. He has an even nicer body than him."
"Him who?" Maggie asked curiously. As Vanessa didn't answer, she tried to pry, "Nicer than Zac?"
"Just a little bit." Vanessa replied while pinching her fingers together.
Jacob quickly cupped Elsa's eyes with his hands the second Edward undressed. Jenna started praying away the temptation, but Billie's eyes were glued on him.
In Hollywood, several movie executives commented about Edward's live show. They were not interested in the session in the beginning, but mostly were updated to the situation by their assistants.
"Hmph! He's just playing around. A true artist wouldn't do this. This just shows that he's a kid who knows nothing."
Most of them were already disconnected with the masses, such as the movie producers who wanted to adapt the Percy Jackson book into a movie.
A lot of celebrities, whether they were famous or still struggling, were confused as to how Edward had done this. To create a loyal fanbase in just a short span of half a year that would support him no matter what. Some needed decades of work to achieve what Edward had achieved in such a short time.
President Batman– No, sorry. President Obama was watching the live show with his daughter when he saw the Batman's outfit. Albeit his face was calm, inside his heart, he screamed, 'I WANT TO WEAR THAT TOO!'