Rhea shook her head, her eyes darkening with resignation. "It's not that simple."
Her voice softened, and a bitter smile crossed her lips. "Lexter belongs to Nova Entertainment—one of the giants in the industry. He has connections everywhere, even with the RRR production team. He's one of their top performers. If I reported him now, I'd be the one in trouble, not him."
Cain felt a surge of anger bubbling in his chest, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He wanted to say something, anything to fix the injustice she was facing, but all he could manage was a quiet, "I see . . ."
He hated how helpless he felt. Lexter had the backing of a massive corporation, and no matter how skilled or determined Cain was, he was just one person—another contestant in the endless sea of rising stars.
In this world of power and influence, the strong crushed the weak without a second thought. He knew that better than anyone.
In the gangster world, matters like this would've been settled with fists—swift, brutal, and without hesitation. But here, in the cutthroat world of idols, things weren't so simple. It wasn't just about brute strength anymore. Power was more subtle, concealed beneath layers of subterfuge, manipulation, and image.
His fists wouldn't solve this; status and being a big idol with influence would. This was a battlefield of reputations and influence, where a single misstep could end a career just as easily as any brawl.
Here, Cain had to play a different game, one where the stakes were even higher.
But hearing Rhea's quiet despair stirred something deep within him. He'd lived his life by his own rules, fought for everything he had, and he couldn't stand by while someone like her, who worked just as hard, got swallowed by the darkness of the industry.
His mind raced. What could he do against someone like Lexter? Against Nova Entertainment itself? For now, all he could do was offer her some small comfort.
"You don't have to face this alone, you know," Cain said quietly, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "If he crosses the line again, tell me and I'll handle it."
Rhea blinked, surprised by his words, but there was something in his eyes—and she didn't doubt him for a second.
"Hoi, stop making promises like that to girls," Fifi's voice cut through the tense silence, her usual playful tone replaced with something sharper. "If you don't really care, don't give them hope. You'll regret it later."
Cain blinked, caught off guard. "What are you even talking about?"
Fifi fluttered closer, her small frame radiating an unusual seriousness. "Saying things like that to a girl who's vulnerable . . . you don't even realize how dangerous that is, do you? You're giving her something to hold onto, something she might believe in."
"Nurse, how long will this stay?" Lexter's voice was tight with frustration. "I can't afford to look like this next week."
The nurse gave him a cursory glance as she applied ice to his injury. "As long as you keep using ice and take this medicine, the swelling should go down in a couple of days. The bruising will be manageable by next week, but you'll need makeup to fully cover it up."
She paused, raising an eyebrow in judgment. "Did something happen? That looks pretty serious. Did you get into a fight? Fighting is strictly prohibited, you know. But since it happened on your break, it's not technically against the rules.
Still, there could be repercussions if it happened in this building."
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|| A/N ||
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