Yawning, Yuna's eyes fluttered open after a restful night of sleep. She expected to find Darius lying beside her, especially considering the intense night they had just shared. But he was already gone.
She frowned. "Tsk... why does he always leave without saying goodbye? Still, last night was fun. We could have done it again if he didn't leave..."
◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
► [At the same time, on the other side of Los Angeles]
"Ah... why did she make me come this far?" Darius muttered as he stepped out of the cab after a two-hour drive. He was on his way to meet Avery again. He had called her first thing in the morning, eager to give her the Fat Loss Pill and see if she could join his Talent Squad.
From the looks of it, Avery lived on the affluent side of the city. The neighborhood was filled with mansions, each more grandiose than the last. Darius couldn't help but marvel at the opulence around him – sprawling gardens, security gates, and garages big enough to hold a fleet of cars. It was clear that everyone here was extremely wealthy, which meant Avery's family likely was too.
"Still, I have no clue why she invited me to her house... we could have just met up at a coffee shop. This is weird," Darius thought, recalling their brief conversation. She had accepted his request to meet without hesitation, not even asking why.
He approached a silver gate and looked up at the massive mansion behind it. His first thought was: 'Did she play a prank on me?'
Well, he would find out soon enough as he rang the doorbell.
-Dring!
"Property of the Brightons. How can we help you?" came a voice through the intercom. It didn't sound like Avery's, but the surname matched.
"Hello, I'm here to meet Avery. Would that be possible?" Darius asked.
"Avery?" the voice repeated, followed by murmurs as the person seemed to be conversing with someone else. "...since when does she have a friend besides her boyfriend?"
Darius frowned. 'So, I was right. She does have a boyfriend, huh?'
Still, something else was on his mind. Brighton. He had never made the connection in his past life, but there was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry with that surname – a genius director who had won an Oscar. What was his name again? Albert Brighton?
"Wait a moment, we will ask Avery about receiving a visitor. We haven't heard anything about it."
After a few moments, the voice returned. "Come in."
-Beep!
The gates swung open, and Darius walked through, heading toward the mansion. The gardens were immaculate, with more flowers than he had ever seen in his life. He was intrigued by the potential connections he could make here.
As he reached for the door handle, it opened to reveal two maids, dressed in classic uniforms that accentuated their ample curves.
"Hello, sir!" they said in unison, bowing and revealing their cleavage. Darius was taken aback by their forwardness. "Miss Avery is waiting for you in the back."
"Thank you. Could you guide me there?" Darius asked.
The maids turned and led the way, their skirts swaying with each step. Darius couldn't help but overhear their conversation as they walked.
"How did Miss Avery get another handsome man to come here?" one maid whispered.
"Tsk... what do you think? Her family. He's probably here for her money like that other guy," the other replied.
"Right, well if he's anything like Avery's boyfriend, then we can also have sex with him without the lady knowing about it."
Darius's eyes widened at their bluntness. It seemed these maids were not just eye candy – they had their own schemes. Useful information, indeed.
After a short walk, they arrived at the backyard. Avery was lounging by the pool in a bikini, her body glistening in the sun. Darius had to suppress a look of disgust as he couldn't wait for her transformation.
That fat appearance was the last thing that he wanted to look at right now.
"Hey, Avery!" Darius called out, putting on a friendly smile.
Avery looked up, a bit surprised but then smiled back. "Darius! You made it. Come, sit with me."
He walked over and took a seat beside her. "Thanks for inviting me. Your place is... incredible."
"Yeah, it's pretty nice," Avery replied, looking a bit self-conscious. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Darius took a deep breath. "Uh...well I have some sort of proposition for you. But it would be a bit better if we could talk alone."
Avery indicated for the two maids to leave her alone and to go back inside the house.
"B-But...what if something happens."
"Tsk, just leave the two of us alone."
The two maids nodded before returning inside the mansion.
"Go ahead."
"Well...I think I should introduce myself a little better to start things off." Darius coughed once. "My name is Darius and I'm a rookie Manager that is trying to recruit potential new stars into my agency. When I met you, I was sure that you had a hidden talent which is why I decided to come here."
She blushed slightly. "Hidden talent? Me?"
Darius nodded. "You might not see it right now. But your potential is practically limitless given the right resources."
She frowned. "And what would I be doing with that 'potential' of mine?"
Avery clearly didn't believe a single word coming out of Darius's mouth, but that was only for the best as her reaction later would be that much better.
"Becoming a streamer on Twitchy."
Her eyes widened. "Uh...how did you know that I've been streaming?! Are you a pervert?"
Darius almost felt insulted to be called a pervert. If he were to be one, then he wouldn't be coming after the fat streamer, he would go after the pretty ones.
A little bit of common sense please.
Still, he shook his head as he had no idea that she had already started streaming.
"What sort of streams are you doing right now?"
"The usual, just playing games in front of the one or two people who watch me."
'Right, so she hasn't started the trend that would make her blow up. Perfect.'
"You see, I have a conccept in mind that could make you the biggest star of Twitchy's industry. However, to get there, you would have to take this."
Darius smiled at her as he pulled out the Fat Loss Pill from his pockets.