Chapter 199: Team Dinner.

[General POV]

Edward went to the toilet after finishing the music video and sending it to MTV and his company. The video would be broadcasted on TV and uploaded on Youtube and Entertain Videos at the same time. 

There were 2 hours left until the video release. and Entertain's staff members were working overtime during the day to do some last minute marketing for the song release. However, instead of feeling sad that they had to work on a Saturday, most of the workers were excited for the new music video. 

"Ah, I can finally relax a bit." Edward muttered as he stood in front of the sink after getting out of the stall. As Edward washed his hands, suddenly his phone chimed in. 

"Mr Theodore is currently inside John Hopkins hospital." Robin finally gave Edward an update. The hospital's system was backward and wasn't connected to the internet, therefore Robin had a lot of work to do to settle Edward's request.

"He was undergoing a PET scan, therefore he couldn't be contacted." Robin added. 

Edward froze for a bit after he heard the news. "What's he's there for?" He asked as he felt his stomach churning. 

"Medical examination for potential liver cancer." Robin replied. Her voice sounded like thunder inside of Edward's mind.

"And the result is?!" He asked anxiously.

"Currently, all examinations showed negative cancer results. However, Mr Theodore still has to do a few examinations for his liver condition. Based on cross referencing the data with available medical archives, Mr Theodore may have cirrhosis."

Cirrhosis is a condition where the liver becomes scarred and damaged over time, leading to impaired liver function. It can be caused by factors such as chronic alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis, or certain diseases, and may result in symptoms like fatigue, jaundice, and abdominal pain.

Edward didn't ask Robin for details, "Contact the doctor and let him run the Child-Pugh test or MELD ( Model for end-stage liver disease) test for my dad. Don't waste any more time with the cancer test. What was he doing when it was already cleared?"

Edward scoffed angrily, his disdain for the doctor evident. Internally, he accused the doctor of attempting to inflate medical costs and questioned their competency. Thus his demeanour shifted to one of sharpness and hostility, his voice devoid of any warmth or kindness.

"Pretend to be the hospital director if you have to. Then update me about the result. This will be your first priority."

 Robin replied, "I understand."

Edward then left the toilet. It was the first time that he didn't say thanks to Robin after he asked her to do something. Fortunately, Robin didn't have any feelings and wasn't offended by it.

"You have a message from Robert Downey Junior, would you like to read it?" Robin asked.

"No. I don't want to read any messages. Just leave it alone for now." Edward replied.

In the set of Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johanson, who was acting as Black Widow, walked right to Tony who has blood marks on his face and asked, "Did you get it?"

Tony touched the makeup on his face and said, "I will soon. I need that full game to watch tonight."

John Favreau joined in and said, "Give me a copy too when you get it."

RDJ scoffed and said, "Get it yourself."

Scarlett was checking her phone and she said, "Hey. Edward's team is having dinner at (Bleep) hotel. That's just 10 minutes away."

RDJ's eyes lit up and said, "Nice. We will finish here, and go bother him for a while– Wait. How did you even know?" RDJ stopped walking and turned towards Scarlett.

"? You didn't follow him on Insta?" Scarlett asked, confused. "It was in his story."

"Oh. That must be it. I didn't open my page yet today. But you. You're on that thing 24/7. Are you sure you're not addicted?" RDJ teased.

"I might be." Scarlett replied casually while scrolling on her phone without even looking up to meet his eyes.

"..." RDJ was speechless as he sighed. 

Back at the hotel, the dinner party started as soon as Jacob arrived from the dentist. Everyone cheered at his entrance, and as he flashed his now perfect teeth to the room. 

Edward smiled as he talked to the members of his team and joked around as he walked all over the hall.

Jacob, who was devouring extra large ribs, looked at Edward with suspicion. He whispered to Elsa who was beside him, "Don't you think Edward looks weird? Like, he's smiling, but not really smiling."

Elsa was in disbelief and she turned to Jacob with anger, "Sure. You can figure out when he's upset, but not me."

Jacob was flabbergasted, "What? NO! All I mean is–"

"I know what you mean." Elsa pouted as she crossed her arms together. "Maybe he's pouting because the others didn't come. But we can't really blame them. If they join in the dinner party, then they'll just feel awkward."

Jacob nodded in agreement, but he still felt that there was something more going on with Edward's demeanor. 

Tyrone, who was drinking sparkling cider inside a tall wine glass, asked Edward who was standing near him, "Hey Ed. What song did you sing during the match? The swinging like Ali one."

"Oh. That." Edward replied with a trace of confusion in his tone. "How did it go again?"

"Umm…I don't know. You tell me." Tyrone said.

"Hahaha. Good one." Edward said before he left the table there and went to another one.

"???" Tyrone was confused. "What just happened?" He asked his friend. The fat linebacker beside him shrugged and shook his head as he was confused too.

Jacob was still watching Edward with some concern as Edward moved towards another table. There, he met with a substitute and a cheerleader girl who came as his date.

The substitute, a bit lanky and wearing glasses, didn't possess striking good looks, but he wasn't unattractive either. However, in stark contrast, his date was a stunning blonde girl with straight hair cascading down her shoulders. 

She wore a provocatively low-cut top that accentuated her figure, and a bracelet adorned her left arm. Her attire exudes luxury, complemented by immaculate makeup. As she glanced at her date, her gaze was cold, as if she believed she was doing him a favor merely by accompanying him.

"Jimbo, how are you doing today? How's your leg?" Edward asked the substitute with a genuine smile. In the previous match, Jimbo had suffered a rough tackle and had to be taken off the field after playing for less than 20 seconds.

Jimbo's face lit up with a wide grin, and he replied, "I'm doing alright. Funny story, while I was getting my leg treated, Katheryn here..."

Interrupting Jimbo, Katheryn, the stunning blonde cheerleader, pushed him playfully to stand in front of Edward while extending her hand for a handshake. "Hi! I'm Katheryn," she introduced herself with enthusiasm. "I'm your BIGGEST fan!"

Edward glanced at her outstretched hand, his eyes narrowing for a moment, but he quickly composed himself, maintaining a smile as he shook her hand. 

Edward teased sarcastically, "Nice date you got there, Jim." Jim blushed, but Katheryn interjected decisively, "No, I'm... well, I'm his date, but only as a favor. We're not together."

Jim was flabbergasted, his jaw dropping. "What? You said if I bring you here, you'd go out with me."

"Shut up," Katheryn derisively retorted to Jim. Then, she turned towards Edward, smoothing her hair and blushing. "We're definitely not together."

Edward maintained a smile on his face and responded, "Oh, if you're not together, then you can kindly excuse yourself. This event is only for people who are related to the team players only."

Katheryn laughed instead and lightly touched Edward's bicep. "Haha, you're so funny. Wow, this is really hard. You must work out a lot."

Jacob put down his ribs and observed, "Uh-oh, I recognize that look. That's Edward's '5-seconds-from-blowing-up' look. Last time I saw it, he slapped someone until they fell to their knees."

Elsa pushed Jacob's arm urgently, "Go GO GO!"

"I'm going I'm going!" Jacob rushed towards Edward immediately to pull him away from the girl who couldn't take a hint. Jimbo already realized that Katheryn was using him to get close to Edward, however he felt a little glad inside when he saw that Edward was treating that girl like shit. 

Jacob finally came over to pull Edward away while Elsa dragged Katheryn out of the hall before she was escorted away by security. 

Tyler suddenly stood on a chair and clinked his champagne glass with a spoon, managing to sneak the alcohol inside his jacket. He only shared it with the people at his table, mainly Edward, Taylor, Selena, and his girlfriend.

"It's time to play some games," Tyler announced.

"BOOO!!" Everyone jeered at him simultaneously.

"SHUT UP! I'M THE CAPTAIN!" Tyler exploded, causing laughter among his team members.

"Bunch of animals," Tyler scoffed, regaining the group's attention. "Games are good to-- Wait, let me check." He pulled out his phone. "I remember I screenshot that thing. Ha! 'Most Embarrassing Moments.' Who's up for a round?"

"Ummm…" Tyrone raised his hand. Tyler pointed at him, giving way for him to speak. Tyrone nodded and put his hand back down, "Do we really have to?"

"Team building games is necessary for enhancing relationships and bonds with each other." Tyler said as he read from his phone, "At least that's what the website said. Edward, you want to take the lead on this one?"

"I thought you're the captain?" Edward teased while crossing his arms. Then, he said apologetically, "Sorry. Right now. I just want to eat and rest. I'm already tired from the game."

"Yeah Just let us recharge!" Tyrone yelled.

"Spare us from your dumb games!" Another player yelled.

Jacob smiled weakly and said, "Oh come on guys, it could be great."

"Yeah. Listen to Jacob." Tyler said aggrieved while pointing into Jacob's direction. However, people had no intention of doing the games. 

Edward chuckled and then he slowly went back to his seat. Because of everyone's objection, Tyler was pouting and played with his food in a bad mood.

"Hey, you were gone for a while," Taylor said, her voice filled with curiosity. She leaned forward, her hand resting on the table as she lazily propped up her head.

Taylor's posture exuded a sense of relaxation as she leaned in, her elbow supporting the weight of her head. Her fingers lightly grazed her cheek, her eyes fixed on the person she was addressing. The casual gesture added a touch of nonchalance to her demeanor, as if she were engrossed in the conversation and completely at ease in the moment.

Edward showed a strained smile, attempting to downplay his discomfort. "I'm just walking around," he replied, trying to brush off any concerns.

"Oh," Taylor responded, her tone tinged with a hint of disinterest. The atmosphere grew awkward, and the air turned silent. Unbeknownst to Edward, Taylor was preoccupied with the looming conversation about her behavior of moving near his house. Her heart raced, and her palms grew nervous as the weight of the pending discussion weighed on her mind.

Meanwhile, Edward's focus was entirely consumed by the news he had received about his father's health issues. The talk that Taylor had been anxious about was completely overshadowed by this new concern.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Selena interjected with genuine concern, "Are you okay, Edward? Do you feel tired? Should we head back now?"

Edward, still lost in his thoughts, nodded absentmindedly. "Maybe. My arms are hurting," he replied, absentmindedly massaging his arms.

Selena exchanged a concerned glance with Taylor, recognizing that something was amiss. Sensing the need for a shift in attention, Selena gently suggested, "Why don't we take a break and find a quiet place to sit? We can book a hotel room."

It was convenient as they were inside a hotel right now. Tyler heard the conversation, snickered about the girl's invitation, but he didn't crack a joke about it. He stood up on his chair, earning him boos again from the people who didn't want him to hold a team building game.

"Shut up! It's not about that," Tyler exclaimed, silencing the room. "I'm here on behalf of Ed. He has to go now. Unlike us, he was working like a madman from yesterday and didn't have any rest until now. But he kept staying here for us, so I—Tyler Banks—is currently issuing a formal order as the captain of the team."

Tyler turned to Edward and said, "Go home and get some rest."

Tyrone, rising from his seat, added a playful tease, "Finally, a reasonable order from the captain. You should listen to him. Who knows when he will finally do something good next?"

Edward, surprised at first, chuckled and replied, "Yeah, it might be his only good call. We should honor it."

"SHUT UP YOU BASTARDS! LISTEN TO THE CAPTAIN!" Tyler shouted in anger. 

The entire team burst into laughter, finding amusement in Tyler's outburst. After the lighthearted moment, Edward left the hotel banquet hall accompanied by Taylor and Selena and they went straight back home.

While on the road, Selena, who was sitting in the rumble seat or rear seat, checked her phone and tried to initiate a conversation. "Ed, your shirtless video where you got poured with jug water now has more than 1 million likes," she said, sharing the surprising news.

A loyal and fanatical fan managed to capture a moment from Edward's team's short celebration after the match ended and posted it on social media. 

In the video, Edward's sweaty, muscular six-pack body was prominently displayed, causing a stir among many girls who couldn't help but feel restless. The impact of the video lingered beyond that night, affecting the sleep of countless girls who found themselves thinking about it for many nights thereafter.

Taylor chuckled at the revelation and asked out of curiosity, "How many views did it get?"

"10 million views," Selena replied, shaking her head. "Seems like a lot of people are interested in that kind of thing. Perverts."

Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the attention the video garnered and playfully asked, "Did you like the video?"

Selena's expression turned slightly flustered as she was caught off guard by the question. Slowly moving her finger on the screen, she replied unconvincingly, "No, I didn't."

Taylor, picking up on Selena's hesitant response, teased, "I can see your finger moving. You took back the like, didn't you!"

Blushing, Selena denied it, "No, I didn't!" She tried to maintain her composure, but her blush gave away her true actions. However, her blush made Taylor feel a bit alarmed and possessive.

She hugged Edward's arm while he was driving and asked, "Well, if it was me, I will make sure to like it, and absolutely tell others that I love it."

Selena rolled her eyes back and retorted, "Yeah, cause you're a pervert."

Taylor snorted, taken aback by Selena's remark, and quickly fired back, "Really? Then tell me, who was the one who ate her cereal topless this morning? Me or you?"

Edward chuckled for a bit, but he couldn't really join in the bickering. They arrived home in just 15 minutes, and then when Edward walked Taylor to her door, she asked, "Do you…want to come in?"

"It was the first time I've seen you get nervous. Unfortunately, I have to say no for today. I'm really tired right now."

Taylor felt a bit relieved and said, "Oh, okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Edward replied while waving his hand.

They refrained from sharing a kiss, mindful of being in a public space and the possibility of someone lurking in the bushes, waiting to capture the scene. Taylor stood by the door, her gaze fixed on Edward's retreating figure, her heart palpitating with the hope of experiencing a movie-like moment.

In her mind, she imagined Edward turning towards her, his eyes filled with longing and affection, just like in the romantic scenes she had seen on the big screen. She pictured a tender exchange, a stolen glance that would cement their connection and leave her breathless.

However, as reality played out, Taylor's hopes were dashed. Edward walked straight back into his house without even once turning to look at her. The absence of that longing gaze or a stolen glance left her feeling disappointed and a bit disheartened.

With a mix of emotions, Taylor closed the door behind her, her mind filled with a whirlwind of longing and confusion. It was a reminder that real life often falls short of the romanticized scenes depicted in movies, and that she needed to manage her expectations accordingly.

Selena was walking by at this moment and chuckled as she saw Taylor's disappointed look, "He didn't look back did he?"

Taylor shot Selena a glare, her disappointment was momentarily shelved, "Shut up. Don't make me get to the fact that you went topless in front of Ed."

"I SPILLED SOME MILK! It wasn't on purpose!" Selena defended herself grievously, her voice filled with mock despair.

Edward took a deep breath in front of the door, gathering his composure before entering the house. As he stepped inside, he found his father, Ted, and Frankie sitting on the living room sofa.

Deciding to play it cool, Edward pretended he was unaware of what had transpired and greeted them casually, saying, "Hi. Enjoy your date?"

Ted, still wearing a fatigued smile on his face, replied, "Yeah, it went better than expected."

Edward continued his act, feigning curiosity, "Really? Where did you guys go? Maybe I can go there if I have a girlfriend."

Ted was caught off guard by Edward's question. Frankie, quick on her feet, jumped in to help, saying, "Oh, we just went to... the amusement park, right, Ted?"

Ted, feeling the pressure, stammered nervously, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, right. We went there."

Edward smiled, seemingly satisfied with their response, and Ted felt a wave of relief wash over him. However, Edward's next sentence sent a shock through Ted's system, shattering his relief. "Really? I didn't know that the renowned John Hopkins hospital had an amusement park inside," he said, his smile turned cold.

Ted's face turned pale as the realization of his failed attempt to deceive his son sank in. The room fell silent, the tension palpable as Ted tried to come up with a response, his mind racing to find an explanation for his earlier statement.

Frankie stammered nervously, "Yo- You know?"

Edward's hurt tone cut through the air as he replied, "Yeah, I know everything. Even the 20% rot on your liver. I'm disappointed in you both. I thought that you guys could trust me. But I thought wrong."

Ted's eyes shook, and he let out a sigh. "I should've told you, but I was afraid," he admitted, his voice filled with remorse.

Edward's eyes softened, understanding Ted's fear, but the discomfort he felt couldn't be easily dismissed.

The living room fell into an uncomfortable silence, heavy with unspoken emotions. Then, Edward broke the silence, shifting the topic. "The new music video is up now. I'm going to bed. You should go send Frankie home."

Ted nodded, acknowledging Edward's request. "Yeah, I should."

Frankie, feeling bewildered and frustrated, couldn't remain silent. "That's it? Ted, tell him about how anxious you feel when you have that cancer scare! You guys can't brush this off so easily!"

Edward, feeling overwhelmed and tired, turned a deaf ear to Frankie's plea. "I'm too tired right now. Maybe in the future," he said, trying to dismiss the conversation.

Frankie's frustration grew, and she replied sarcastically, "And then never get back to that! I know you, Ed. You won't even go near a difficult conversation."

Edward attempted to protest, but Frankie interrupted, her tone filled with determination. "That's it. I'm telling your therapist about this, and in the next session, it will be a group session with the two of you. TOMORROW."

Edward's objections were met with a sarcastic response from Frankie, "Hey! I'm too tired to listen to your objections right now. Maybe in the future."

(I planned this chap to especially make you guys feel uncomfortable. It's kinda heavy don't you think? And the unresolved issues left a bitter taste in your mouth. Kinda hard to imagine that this was the norm in real life. Most difficult conversations are usually left unresolved, especially between family members.)