The mall was in chaos. Fans screamed and jostled at the entrances the moment they heard that the famous actress, Cynthia Anderson, would appear. Even in her early forties, Cynthia's beauty remained striking, earning her the title "Goddess of the Entertainment Industry."
She arrived at the mall with several cast members from her upcoming film, a new entry for the film festival. Security personnel struggled to manage the crowd as waves of fans surged forward. From the moment she entered showbiz, Cynthia's popularity had only grown; her movies were box-office hits, and her TV series consistently topped ratings.
"Eden!" a sharp, angry voice called out, cutting through the commotion.
Everyone in the dressing room turned.
"Eden!" the voice shouted again. "Where is that girl?"
Cynthia glanced at the source of the voice, then at her personal assistant and manager.
"EDEN—!" the woman yelled once more, only to be interrupted by the sudden arrival of a young girl carrying multiple stacked boxes. Her face was barely visible behind the towering load.
"I-I'm here," the girl said, her voice steady despite the weight of the boxes, causing the woman's angry tirade to halt. Every staff member's gaze turned to the newcomer.
"Finally! Where have you been?" the woman demanded.
"S-Sorry, ma'am. There were so many people, I couldn't—"
"Excuses! If you can't handle your work, you should've said so! I could've given this to someone else," she snapped.
"Nancy, calm down," Cynthia's assistant said, stepping forward.
The assistant approached the girl and began unloading some of the boxes.
"With all these boxes, she's bound to be slow. Why did you even send them to her? And what's inside?" the woman barked, setting the boxes on the table and giving the girl a pointed wink. The girl smiled faintly.
"They're signed flyers to hand out to the audience," the girl explained. "If I couldn't handle it, I should've spoken up. We'd be behind schedule because of someone like me."
"Honestly, if it weren't for Paula referring her, she'd have been fired a long time ago. Too slow," the woman muttered under her breath.
"What do you expect? She can't move like lightning," Cynthia's assistant replied.
"Why do you sound like you're defending her?" the woman snapped.
"Is it that obvious?" the assistant answered coolly.
"Argh!" the woman exclaimed, turning her glare on the girl. "Move! We need to get started."
"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied promptly, setting down the remaining boxes and hurrying over to another young actress of about the same age. She helped her organize things efficiently.
Cynthia watched the girl's every move, as did her assistant.
"She's a slave driver," Paula whispered to Cynthia, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Do you think she'll be okay? That's a lot of work for her," Cynthia whispered back.
"She's not complaining. I think she'll manage just fine," Paula replied.
"Well, you know her. She's not the type to complain. She didn't even protest having to hide her identity for my sake," Cynthia said softly.
"She's a good kid, and I think she deserves to know—"
"I thought we agreed on this," Cynthia interjected firmly.
"She needs to know."
"No, she doesn't. She's perfectly fine without it. End of conversation," Cynthia said, giving Paula a pointed look.
The mall was still buzzing with excitement from Cynthia's successful movie show. Fans had poured in, eager to catch a glimpse of the renowned actress. As Cynthia and the cast exited the venue, a reporter suddenly approached her. Known for her warmth and approachability, Cynthia allowed herself to be interviewed.
But what happened next left everyone stunned.
"Miss Cindy, people want to know—why are you still single? You've had many suitors, and rumors linked you to your leading men. Yet you always dismiss the idea of having a boyfriend or partner," the reporter asked.
Cynthia smiled gracefully at the camera. "Well, as I've said before, I am married to my work and my career. I love what I do, and it fulfills me. That's why I am still single," she replied.
The reporter leaned closer, his voice lowering slightly. "Is it also true that the reason you remain single is because you're hiding something from the public—a secret child?"
The question hung in the air. Everyone present froze, all eyes now on Cynthia. Eden, standing behind her mother and Ninang Paula, stiffened. She glanced at her mother, then at the reporter, a faint smirk on her lips.
"Well—umm—" Cynthia started, about to glance at Eden for reassurance, but Paula immediately stepped forward, placing herself between them. Cynthia turned back to the reporter, forcing a polite smile.
"That's new. I haven't heard that one before," she said lightly, brushing it off.
"So you're saying it's not true that you're hiding a child?" the reporter pressed.
"No, of course not. Why would I do that?" Cynthia answered firmly.
"Excuse me, I think this interview is over," Paula interjected, raising her hand to block the camera, then quickly guiding Cynthia away. Eden followed closely behind, keeping pace with her mother and Ninang.
But just as they were about to disappear into the crowd, Eden caught a chilling remark from the reporter.
"The world will find out your secret. No matter how well you hide it, your truth will come out. I'll make sure of it," he called out.
Inside the van, Cynthia closed the door and looked at Paula, panic flickering across her face.
"Who was that?" she asked, voice tight.
Paula instructed the driver to pull away, then drew the soundproof blinds in the back. "Calm down. He's just another opportunist looking to create a scandal. You know the kind of work you do; this is nothing new."
"But what if—" Cynthia began, worry lining her features.
"Stop. I've got this," Paula interrupted. "I'll handle him. I'll investigate that reporter. Don't worry."
Her words faltered when Eden held up her iPad, displaying the flood of online reactions to the interview. Comments, speculations, and questions about whether the reporter's accusation had any merit were appearing by the second.
"What the hell? He's fast," Paula muttered, eyes scanning the screen. She looked at Cynthia, knowing Eden would be affected by this too.
"I'll talk to the management about this immediately," Paula said.
"I'm sorry, Sweety," Cynthia said softly, holding her daughter's hand.
"I'm fine, Ma. But will you be okay? This won't stop here. That man is trouble," Eden replied with quiet determination.
Paula glanced at her friend and the young girl. "You're not used to this, are you? Of course they'll do anything to tarnish your name. But we've protected Eden for years; we can continue to do so. This won't be hard."
Cynthia's gaze lingered on her daughter. Part of her wanted to reveal the truth to the world, to show who Eden truly was. Yet she feared Darius finding out. She had changed her screen name to avoid his attention. If Eden's existence became public, everything between them could change—forever.