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For the past two days, Ethan Reed had deliberately ignored the storm brewing online. The trending posts, heated discussions, and endless speculation about his sudden crossover into music were all pushed aside. He also ignored the nonstop calls flooding his phone—calls from headhunters, music labels, and entertainment agencies, all trying to get a piece of him.
Right now, Ethan had only one priority.
Neon Blade: Echoes of Lumen.
The trailer had already been released, and the response was explosive. Forums were buzzing, reaction videos were popping up everywhere, and fan theories were spreading like wildfire. With the trailer out, the next step was obvious—a high-quality promotional video to solidify the game's identity.
Unfortunately, there was no shortcut.
Northstar Games still had to outsource.
Their internal art team was talented, but tiny. The total number of artists barely crossed single digits. No matter how efficient they were, something this important required a professional studio with experience in cinematic game marketing.
Naturally, the partner they chose was Mooncrest Studio.
It wasn't even a discussion.
Mooncrest had collaborated with Northstar Games multiple times before, and every project delivered exceeded expectations. Ethan and Vivian Frost trusted their skills completely.
Large studios were expensive—but that was exactly why they were reliable.
If a studio was cheap, you wouldn't even dare place an order.
At the same time, Northstar Games was expanding rapidly.
Over the past few days, Vivian had quietly secured the entire sixth and seventh floors of a nearby office building. Previously, the sixth floor was occupied by two advertising studios and an interior design firm. But with Vivian's trademark "willingness to pay more," the negotiations ended quickly. The three small companies moved out without hesitation—and even sold off their remaining equipment to Vivian on the way out.
This wasn't a small upgrade.
Northstar Games was preparing for large-scale recruitment.
Nearly one hundred new hires were planned—programmers, artists, customer service staff, accountants, and an entire marketing department dedicated to market research and user behavior analysis.
This wasn't the structure of a startup anymore.
This was the structure of a serious company.
Northstar Games had already produced multiple hit titles. It wasn't some underground indie studio scraping by on passion.
And Vivian Frost was determined to make it bigger. Stronger. Untouchable.
Ethan fully supported her.
The reason was simple—Animal Party alone had secured their financial future. That single title ensured Northstar Games wouldn't have to worry about cash flow for a long time. Meanwhile, Neon Blade: Echoes of Lumen was already two-thirds complete. Once it launched, the company's total assets would easily surpass one hundred million.
Because of that, recruitment became the company's top priority.
However—
Because of the incident caused by the Neon Blade soundtrack, Vivian—who should have been busy scouting talent and negotiating contracts—had instead spent the past two days glued to Ethan's side.
Like a personal bodyguard.
Unfortunately, this bodyguard talked far too much.
"Why is someone calling you again?!"
"Hang up. Hang up! You're not allowed to answer!"
"Can you change your phone number? How do they all have it?!"
"Hey—you're not leaving me, right? Promise me."
"Just saying it doesn't count. Swear it!"
"Ethan. Say something. Ethan!"
Because of the music industry suddenly setting its sights on Ethan, Vivian was on the verge of developing a full-blown anxiety disorder.
And who could blame her?
Every major music company was reaching out. Some even offered him a director-level position right out of the gate. Compared to those entertainment giants—companies whose daily revenue reached hundreds of millions—Northstar Games was still small.
And a music director position?
How many celebrities would he be managing?
Ethan was a man with questionable self-control. He liked looking. The entertainment industry was full of beauties. Even Vivian had to admit that compared to celebrities with status, fame, and endless resources, she didn't exactly have an advantage.
Why was Ethan so popular?
It made him both happy and exhausted.
Happy—because Vivian's "personal protection" gave him plenty of excuses for close physical contact.
Annoyed—because when Vivian entered her insecure mode, it was endless.
Her sense of crisis was way too strong.
Like a puppy guarding its food.
"I won't leave. I won't. I won't! Let go already!"
Ethan sighed helplessly as Vivian clung tightly to his right arm.
She didn't even loosen her grip when they stepped out of the office.
Did she still look like a CEO?
Employees passing by tried their best not to grin. Some nearly failed. The atmosphere screamed impropriety.
"Uh… Boss? Ethan? What are you two doing?"
Ethan walked straight into someone.
It was Daniel, who had just returned from an overseas trip that morning. Dusty, tired, and visibly confused, Daniel stared at the two of them with a massive question mark hovering over his head.
Did they… finally go public?
Was this the honeymoon phase?
His lips curled upward unconsciously—just like the employees secretly shipping them from afar.
Standing beside Daniel was a round-faced woman wearing glasses.
"You're back?" Ethan nodded.
Vivian, still pouting, hugged Ethan's arm and didn't even look at Daniel.
"I landed this morning," Daniel replied, amused. "I was wondering what the boss was up to."
"Nothing. Go back to work," Vivian said flatly.
"Oh—okay."
Daniel turned to leave, but Ethan stopped him, glancing at the woman beside him.
"Wait. Who's this?"
"Huh?" Daniel blinked. "I don't know her. Isn't she a new hire?"
The woman stepped forward with a polite smile and extended her hand.
"Mr. Ethan Reed, hello. My name is Mira Vale. I'm the team leader of the third department in StarForge Entertainment's Music Production Division. I came specifically to meet you. May I take ten minutes of your time?"
StarForge Entertainment.
Vivian's grip tightened instantly.
Then—unexpectedly—she let go.
"The conference room is free," Vivian said calmly.
Ethan froze.
"…What?"
"This way, Miss Vale."
Confused but polite, Ethan followed Mira into the conference room.
Once the glass door closed, Ethan got straight to the point.
"StarForge is an entertainment company, right?"
"Correct," Mira replied. "Music is just one of our sectors."
"I understand why you're here," Ethan said calmly. "But I'm sorry—I'm not interested in joining any company."
Mira's smile didn't fade.
"Please don't rush. Let me explain our offer first. We came with sincerity."
"No need," Ethan replied. "I'm not looking for a job. I'm building something of my own."
"Starting a business?" Mira froze.
That wasn't in the briefing.
This changed everything.
"According to our data, you've only been with Northstar Games for a year. Aren't you their director?"
Ethan paused.
An image surfaced in his mind—Vivian holding a document, smugly wiping her nose.
"…My boss is generous."
After a few more minutes, Mira finally sighed.
"I understand. But please reconsider. Wasting your musical talent would be a tragedy."
Ethan walked her out.
As she left, he considered updating his Official Blog bio.
Maybe adding "Board Member" would stop the daily harassment.
Back in the office, Vivian stood up.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"I rejected her," Ethan replied. "Should I update my bio?"
Vivian exhaled in relief and nodded.
"Of course."
Ethan smiled, then teased, "Why didn't you stop her earlier? That's not like you."
Vivian rolled her eyes.
"This is StarForge Entertainment. I'm not throwing a tantrum to keep you here. That would be low."
She paused.
"…We're just boss and employee. Friends."
Ethan chuckled.
"So you eavesdropped?"
"I did not!"
"Eavesdropping makes you a puppy?"
"Shut up!"
They returned to work.
But when Ethan wasn't looking—
Vivian quietly mouthed a single word.
"Woof."
And smiled.
Because she had heard him say—
"If possible, please tell your friends I'm not leaving Northstar Games.
I really like it here."
For that…
She didn't mind being a puppy. 🐶