Chapter 2
He had said this countless times—during interviews, while accepting awards, at every occasion requiring a show of affection.
Daphne lowered her head to pretend to straighten her clothes, hiding her suddenly reddened eyes. She was used to being the person behind the scenes, used to being overshadowed by Asher’s success.
No one knew this woman, dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, bare-faced, was actually the largest individual shareholder of StarTech Innovations, with dividends enough to live lavishly for several lifetimes.
“Daphne, Asher’s followers increased by another 200,000!” Liam, an intern, squeezed over excitedly, holding up his phone.
“The comment section is full of people asking what kind of girls Asher likes! So many people say they want to be Mrs. Lewis!”
Daphne’s smile froze. She reached for the phone, and on the screen under Asher’s latest video, the top comment read: [Asher said he’s waiting for true love. Is he hinting we still have a chance?] Asher’s official account had replied with a winking emoji.
“It’s all part of the job.” Asher quickly snatched the phone from her hand and whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin, “You know, the single persona draws in more fans. Once we’re stable, I’ll introduce you, okay?”
His voice was so low only she could hear it.
Daphne nodded, just like she had countless times before. Three years ago, after her father suddenly passed away from a heart attack and her mother later succumbed to depression, she was left with shares enough for a carefree life and a broken heart.
That’s when Asher appeared, like a light in her dark life. She sold the house her parents left her without hesitation, invested in his streaming career, and even quit her job as a designer to fully manage his operations.
“I’ll tidy up the Streaming Room,” Daphne said softly, escaping the noisy living room.
In Asher’s exclusive Streaming Room, Daphne mechanically organized the equipment. She had designed the less than 20-square-meter space herself—the soft ring light made the skin look flawless, the cameras were angled perfectly to highlight Asher’s strong jawline, and even the pale blue background wall was carefully chosen to complement his aura without stealing the spotlight.
She touched the ergonomic chair Asher often sat in, the leather surface still warm with his body heat and faint cologne scent.
His script for today’s stream lay on the table. Daphne flipped it open and saw a line highlighted with a marker: “Hinting at being single can increase fan interaction rates.”
The phone suddenly vibrated—it was Asher’s phone, which he always forgot to take. Daphne intended to bring it to him but saw a message pop up on the screen:
[Asher, were you hinting at me when you said you’re ‘waiting for the right person’ today? [Heart]]
Daphne’s fingers hovered above the screen, her heartbeat suddenly racing. She shouldn’t look; it’s private. But some intuition compelled her to open the message.