Chapter 77
77 Wrong Target
Stanley could barely contain his exaitement at the thought of finally meeting his idol face–to– face .
“According to the latest signal, they’re right outside Darian Hall,” Luke said, glancing up with a look of triumph.
Coincidentally, there were only two people standing outside the building–a man and a woman.
Luke’s eyes widened. “That girl looks familiar… isn’t that your sister?”
Stanley had been rushing ahead without looking carefully, but now he stopped in his tracks and turned to look.
Beneath the dappled shade of the trees, Scarlett was chatting with a man, a faint smile playing on her lips. For a moment, Stanley was frozen in surprise. Then, without warning, a wave of fury erupted in his chest.
He’d already warned Scarlett not to chase after that guy James. Apparently, she hadn’t learned her lesson. And now, what–she was cozying up to another man? This one looked like a cop, too. Sharp–looking. Probably someone with real standing.
What the hell was wrong with this guy? Couldn’t he see who she really was?
Luke lowered his voice. “Your sister probably isn’t the Dreamer. That means… it’s gotta be the guy.”
That calmed Stanley down–for a moment. If Scarlett and the Dreamer were on good terms, they might actually stand a chance of sealing the deal.
He paused, the anger starting to dissipate. Scarlett had written a few pretty decent scripts for him in the past. She must’ve gotten advice from someone–could’ve even been the Dreamer all along.
And yet… she never said a word.
She had access to someone like that and kept it hidden?
Ungrateful snake. After everything he’d done for her?
Stanley’s fists clenched. He took a step forward, ready to let her have it.
Luke yanked him back. “What are you doing? You look like you’re ready to throw punches. What do you think the Dreamer’s going to think of that? You’re here to ask for help, remember?”
Stanley breathed hard through his nose. Right. He had to keep it together.
“She never mentioned any of this. If she’d told me-”
Luke cut him off. “Are you forgetting who the Dreamer is? You think someone that elusive is going to casually reveal their identity to some random college girl?”
That hit the mark. Stanley blinked, suddenly seeing things more clearly.
Right. Someone like the Dreamer wouldn’t blow their cover over a nobody like Scarlett.
His rage cooled but the resentment stayed. Scarlett may not have known the Dreamer’s identity, but she should’ve made the introduction anyway. That was her mistake. One he’d deal with later.
13:03 Sat 2 Aug GOUG
77 Wrong Target
For now , the priority was the Dreamer.
“Let’s go talk to him.”
He forced his anger down and plastered on a professional smile.
Luke hesitated. “Shouldn’t you say something to your sister first?”
Stanley sneered. “No need. She knows what’s expected. If she doesn’t play along, she can forget about ever coming back to the Joyner family.”
Luke nodded, reassured. Scarlett had always been obedient in front of them. There was no way she’d dare mess this up. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the ƒind ηøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access s of novels early and in the highest quality.
Scarlett wrapped up her conversation and turned to leave–only to find her path blocked.
Her brow furrowed the mo
she recognized the two men. Disgust immediately flared up inside her .
“I hope my sister hasn’t been a burden to you,” Stanley said, ignoring her completely as he turned his full attention to Colt with a warm, eager smile.
All the officers had visible ID badges, and Stanley had already looked into Colt’s identity the moment they arrived.
But instead of shaking his hand, Colt’s expression cooled. He ignored Stanley’s outstretched arm completely.
Stanley had to awkwardly pull his hand back.
“Officer Colt, sorry to bother you,” Luke jumped in quickly. “We were wondering if you’d honor us by having dinner with us? ”
“I’m busy,” Colt replied, his tone flat.
“Too busy writing, perhaps?” Luke hinted with á sycophantic grin.
Colt raised an eyebrow, confused.
Stanley stepped forward, his eyes shining with sincerity. “Officer Colt, you’ve always been my idol. I don’t mean to offend–I just wanted to talk about a script with you. We’re open to any arrangement you prefer- royalties, full buyout, anything.”
The more Colt listened, the more confused he b
became.
“You’ve got the wrong person.”
Stanley didn’t buy it. He figured Colt just didn’t want to reveal his double life.
“We just want to buy a script. We’ye been trying to contact you through email, but couldn’t get a reply. That’s why we came here in person. But don’t worry–we’ll keep everything confidenti¬l.”
From Ashes to Queen: Now I Call the Shots