Rewind With A Superstar System

Chapter 223: Von’s Confession

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars>

...

Emily was speaking with an older man as the party went on. He had neatly shaven white hair and held a glass of dark beer in his hand.

His name was Mark, and he was a senior executive at one of the biggest live entertainment and touring labels in the country.

They weren’t just a basic record label; they were a responsible for booking stadiums, securing global sponsorships, and hosting the biggest musical tours in the industry.

Emily had approached him with a clear goal. She was trying to become closer to him to build connections. If Von was ever going to need touring infrastructure in the future, knowing men like Mark was a necessity.

But the older executive wasn’t making things easy for her.

"I was surprised when I found out you’re Von’s agent, wow. I’m impressed... Miss Brooklyn."

Emily’s eyes narrowed dangerously the second he called her by her last name. It was very clear he had recognized who she was.

But Emily didn’t change her cold expression.

"We were talking about my client, Mark. Let’s not deviate from that."

Mark felt his ego bruised seeing the young lady talk to him so brashly. He was used to people begging for his attention.

But he had to ignore the disrespect because he needed this just as much as she did. Von was currently the hottest commodity in Hollywood and the music industry.

"Well, Von is extremely talented," Mark said, taking a slow sip of his beer. "But it’s better for you to know your levels, even with all the success. A solo tour won’t be possible for you guys, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless... he joins our associate label, of course. We’ll easily fund a bigger tour than you can ever dream of. With our backing, he could even win the Grammys. We’ll make him one of the biggest stars in the world."

Emily was about to shut the ridiculous offer down, but Mark continued speaking, leaning in slightly.

"And don’t worry about his acting career being neglected. We’ll focus on that when the time is right. For the cherry on top, we’re even ready to recruit you among our ranks too, so you won’t stop managing Von."

Emily found the offer really strange. She didn’t even know a lot about this Mark personally, but he was really fearless to be willing to try and recruit her directly.

’No, he’s not fearless,’ Emily thought to herself, ’He’s just stupid. He doesn’t know shit about what’s going on.’

Emily was about to give him a final reply when she saw a call flash on the screen of the phone in her hand. It was Von. She definitely couldn’t miss it, but she decided to wrap up this useless conversation first.

"I’ll think about your offer. Give me your card."

The man smiled broadly, feeling like he had successfully convinced the young agent. He confidently handed out one of his exclusive contact cards and walked away, disappearing into the crowd of celebrities.

Meanwhile, Emily’s thoughts had completely left the conversation that had just occurred. Her mind was entirely focused on the call still silently vibrating against her palm.

If she had a way, she wanted to avoid meeting Von right now, especially after what had happened earlier in the night.

Emily had long held the quiet, painful suspicion that Von was in love with Chloe. After all, it was normal for such things to happen on a movie set. Actors spent months together, playing lovers, sharing intimate moments. The lines easily blurred.

And that kiss on the grand stage tonight had confirmed her biggest fears.

At the same time, the pain in her chest also reminded her to know her place. He had his own life to live, his own skyrocketing career, and his own highly publicized romances.

She was just his manager. If she let her feelings get the better of her, she was just being a third wheel in his success story.

"Hmph," Emily sighed quietly, closing her eyes for a second. She tried to force down all the heavy thoughts clouding her head. It might be something urgent, so I’ll answer.

She swiped the screen and returned the call. He picked up on the very first ring.

"Hello."

"What’s up, Em... I haven’t seen you in a while."

"Oh, I’ve been quite busy with some stuff."

"Okay. But can you meet me in my suite upstairs? I have something to tell you."

Emily’s mind raced a million miles a minute at his request. Why did he want her to come to his private hotel room in the middle of his own victory party?

Despite the anxiety twisting in her stomach, she could only nod to herself.

"Okay, I’ll be there."

After the call hung up, she stood there for a moment. She steeled her breath, forcing her professional mask perfectly back into place.

She dropped the glass of wine she was drinking onto a passing waiter’s tray and turned toward the elevators, heading upstairs to meet him while the loud party went on without them.

***

Meanwhile, Von was pacing the length of his suite, his mind an absolute mess.

’I can’t believe I just called her upstairs. What do I even tell her?’

’What if she no longer likes me? What if she rejects me? How will things even go on between us after this?’

’No... What’s wrong with me? The worst she can say is no. I’ll just focus on how I tell her what I actually feel.’

Von had never felt this nervous in this lifetime. Not even during the Indie Awards Ceremony, nor during the Project: Star finale.

He had faced down hostile crowds, vicious critics, and rival actors without blinking. But right now, his palms were wet with sweat, and his heart was hammering against his ribs.

All because he wanted to confess his feelings to a girl.

Knock, knock.

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Von heard a soft knock on the door.

It confirmed Emily’s arrival. He steeled his breath, wiped his palms on his trousers, and walked over to open the door.

Emily stepped inside. The lighting in the massive hotel suite was really low and it made her feel really tense as the door clicked shut behind her, cutting off the faint music from downstairs.

But Von was even more tense.

"Uhm... Nice to see you here." Von unintentionally said, the awkward words slipping out before his brain could stop them.

"What did you want to tell me?"

"Yeah, about that..." Von rubbed the back of his neck, struggling to find the smooth confidence he usually carried.

"I just wanted to talk to you. About what happened on stage."

Emily felt her stomach drop. She guessed it. He was trying to clear things up about Chloe.

He probably felt guilty because he had never told her before that they were dating, and she felt stupid for giving him the impression that she was upset about it.

"You don’t owe me an explanation, Von," Emily said quickly. "I won’t stand in the way of your personal relationship. Chloe is a really nice girl. I think she’s the perfect fit for you."

"Wait, what?"

Von was confused. What was she talking about? Was he being rejected before he even managed to ask the question?

"Yes," Emily continued, forcing a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I figured this day would come soon, and as your manager and your friend, I’m happy for you myself. Did you call me up for something else? Because I have someone waiting for me downstairs and I really have to start going."

Emily was already taking a step back toward the door as she said that last statement. She just wanted to escape before her voice cracked.

But Von finally realized what was happening. He knew he had to take a completely different approach right now or he was going to lose her to a massive misunderstanding.

He closed the distance between them in two quick strides and stopped her in her tracks, gently taking hold of both her shoulders.

Emily gasped, startled to suddenly see Von’s face mere inches away from hers. His violet eyes were intense, completely locked onto hers in the dim light.

"There’s nothing going on between me and Chloe, Em. If there is someone I like, then... it’s you."

"I love you, Emily. And I don’t think I can continue to lie to myself about my feelings anymore, so I decided to tell you now. I’m sorry if it complicates things, but it’s the truth."

It felt as if the entire earth had stopped spinning on its axis. Emily stared up at him, her mind completely blank. The weight she had been carrying all night instantly evaporated.

Von... had feelings for her. He loved her.

"I love you, Von."

The words slipped past her lips as a soft, breathless whisper, completely void of any hesitation.

Von’s face instantly curved into a massive smile. It was the absolute happiest he had felt all night. She loved him back.

He couldn’t stop himself. He reached up, his warm hands gently cupping her face and his thumbs brushing over her soft kiss. He leaned down, pulling her into a kiss.

Emily didn’t pull away. Instead, she eagerly tiptoed to meet his lips, uncrossing her arms and wrapping them tightly around his neck.

As their lips met, a sudden, electric spark ignited between them.

The kiss started off soft and tender, but it quickly consumed them both.

The pent-up frustration, the jealousy, the secret longing they had hidden behind their boundaries, all of it came rushing to the surface.

Von’s hands slid down from her face, naturally finding themselves wrapping around Emily’s waist, pulling her flush against his body for support.

He parted her lips, deepening the kiss, completely losing himself in the intoxicating taste of her.

This was Emily’s first kiss, but led by Von’s gentle yet commanding rhythm, she didn’t disappoint at all. Her instincts completely took over.

She kissed him back fiercely, tasting his lips like it was the sweetest thing she had ever experienced in her life.

She matched his intense energy, her fingers tangling into the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

They kept kissing like the world was ending.

After over two minutes of breathless passion, Von walked her backward.

Her back hit the wall of the suite, and without breaking the kiss, Emily instinctively wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. Von effortlessly supported her weight, pinning her against the wall as their lips continued to move in a desperate, hungry rhythm.

If the die-hard fans of Perfect Ruins were somehow able to witness them right now, they would hands down admit that this kiss was infinitely better and more passionate than the famous one Aiden and Camila had shared on screen. And there was no acting here.

The emotions were raw and entirely real. Right now, all that existed in Von’s mind was Emily.

After over five minutes of intense, heavy kissing that eventually ended with them tumbling backward onto the edge of the large hotel bed, they finally had to force themselves to come to a stop.

If they didn’t stop now, they were going to do something rash, and the party was still actively going on downstairs.

Emily was completely out of breath. Her chest heaved as she lay back slightly on the mattress, looking up into Von’s violet eyes.

She had never felt this much excitement in her entire life.

She reached up, gently pulling him down by his shirt collar to press one last, soft, lingering kiss onto his lips.

"I love you so much, Von," Emily whispered against his mouth, a bright, beautiful smile breaking across her face.

"Right now... I feel like the luckiest girl in the entire world."

Von smiled warmly and used the hands wrapped around her waist to pull her close, helping to steady her heavy breathing. He pressed a long, tender kiss to her forehead.

"No, I’m the luckiest man in the world for having you."

They were both all smiles and they just stayed there on the bed for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes in the dim light of the suite.

They had crossed a line they could never go back from, and neither of them wanted to.

But eventually, reality would catch up to them. They still had to return downstairs to the party and face the world waiting for them outside that door.