Finally, Jack landed softly on the ground, his feet steady, though his right hand still rested on Anson's shoulder. "So, why are you here?" he asked.
Anson raised an eyebrow slightly. "That question seems out of order. Shouldn't I be the one asking you? You've barged into my game storyline, disrupting my mission. What's going on?"
Moreover, the current situation left Anson completely puzzled—
How on earth did these people come together?
His gaze inevitably fell on Anne in the end.
Anne immediately caught on. "Auditions. We just finished an audition. With the blizzard outside, there's no way to catch a cab. Rather than braving the awful weather to head home, we decided to find a place to warm up."
At this point, Claire, who had been silently observing and making no effort to conceal her gaze, raised her right hand and lightly tapped her eyebrow with her index finger.
"Claire-Denise."
Anson immediately understood. They hadn't introduced themselves yet, and this was Claire's subtle reminder.
"Anson-Wood," he said in turn.
Claire's expression turned curious. "I thought you were Lewyn-Davis."
Anson didn't hide his surprise. "You're the first person to notice my stage name. Most people either miss it entirely or forget it because they don't recognize it. But you remembered it."
Claire responded with a noncommittal expression.
Anson noticed Ryan-Phillippe standing nearby, his expression shifting with barely concealed restlessness. Anson looked over, prepared to introduce himself to Ryan.
But he was interrupted.
"Does that even matter?" Jack cut in abruptly, hijacking the conversation. "You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"
Anson withdrew his gaze and turned back to Jack—
His expression was natural, warm, and friendly, without any trace of animosity.
If Jack wasn't an exceptional actor, then it meant he genuinely didn't realize there was an issue.
Could it all be a misunderstanding?
Did Kristen misinterpret Jack's intentions? Or was there a miscommunication?
No, that wasn't it.
If it were a simple misunderstanding, Jack wouldn't have stayed completely absent when Anson was hospitalized. Only Kristen had come to visit, while Jack remained invisible the entire time.
If there were no underlying issues, Kristen wouldn't have broken up with Jack shortly after the incident. Moreover, Jack hadn't reached out to Anson—not a visit to the set, not a phone call, nothing.
Something was clearly wrong.
Of course, Anson could play along with Jack's act, pretending everything was fine to maintain their superficial friendship.
Or he could ignore it entirely, silently harboring his suspicions while keeping the peace on the surface.
In Hollywood, isn't that how things usually work?
To be precise, expecting genuine friendship in a place like this is foolish. As long as no one stabs you in the back, they're already a good friend. Betrayal for the sake of self-interest is hardly news.
They weren't kids anymore. There was no need to be so naive or idealistic.
But Anson didn't want that.
Having been given a second chance at life, he didn't want to continue wearing a mask, feigning ignorance while hiding his true feelings behind a fake smile. It was exhausting and depressing. That wasn't the life he wanted.
Honesty, openness, straightforwardness—
At the very least, he didn't want to betray himself.
He could cooperate and play along in this scenario, easing into the group's dynamic without immediately confronting Jack. But he chose otherwise.
So.
Anson raised his chin slightly, his gaze clear. "A secret mission naturally requires secrecy."
"I don't think you need to worry about it."
"Jack, when I was injured and hospitalized, what was the deal with all those sensational news reports?"
There was no sarcasm, no malice. Anson didn't want to jump to conclusions or let anger cloud his judgment. He chose to confront the issue openly, giving Jack the chance to explain himself.
The air grew noticeably tense as all eyes focused on them.
But surprisingly, Jack didn't seem nervous or flustered. Instead, he looked genuinely confused and blurted out, "What news?"
There was no pause, no hesitation, no guilt, no unease. His reaction appeared entirely sincere.
It was Anson who was momentarily caught off guard. Could it really have been a misunderstanding?
If so, all the better. Anson was more than willing to apologize for his misplaced suspicions.
However, before he could speak, Ryan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly broke in. "Is it about your audition for Spider-Man 2?"
Jack froze, glancing at Ryan for confirmation before turning back to Anson with a puzzled look. "Is that what this is about?"
"Seriously? That?"
His expression betrayed genuine surprise and disbelief—
It took Anson a moment to process it. Jack was sincere.
This wasn't a misunderstanding; the event had indeed occurred. But to Jack, it was so insignificant that he hadn't even registered it as an issue.
To someone like Jack, who had grown up immersed in Hollywood culture, this was nothing out of the ordinary. He couldn't comprehend Kristen's guilt or Anson's disappointment.
To him, wasn't this simply business as usual?
At this moment, Anson pursuing the matter any further might seem petty and narrow-minded.
For a brief second, Anson questioned himself:
Was he overreacting?
Was he being overly dramatic?
Was he turning this into something bigger than it was?
Maybe he shouldn't pursue it.
Maybe he should accept that this was just how Hollywood worked.
Maybe he should laugh it off and move on.
Maybe he should pretend nothing had ever happened.
But that second passed quickly, and Anson's resolve returned—
He wouldn't let Jack's dismissive attitude make him doubt himself, nor would he let Jack's indifference convince him that he was in the wrong.
Gaslighting tactics wouldn't work on Anson.
He didn't see himself as a victim, but neither did he believe the matter was "no big deal."
Looking Jack straight in the eye, Anson spoke with calm determination. "Yes, that's exactly what this is about."
Jack was momentarily stunned, his reaction a mix of absurdity, surprise, and amusement.
"Anson, you can't be serious. This tiny thing?"
Turning to the others, Jack began to explain.
"At the time, Anson was injured, and no one knew when he'd be able to return to the set. So, Sony-Columbia had to prepare for contingencies."
"They approached me, asked if I was interested in the role, and I said yes. I auditioned."
"Anson, you don't seriously think I should've turned down the opportunity because of you, do you? We're friends, but I'm not so noble as to sacrifice my career for you."
"So, did it hurt you?"
"Come on, man, it was just a minor thing. That was ages ago. You're still holding onto this?"
Every word pointed at Anson, making it seem like he was the one being unreasonable for dwelling on the matter, as if he were the one in the wrong.
(End of Chapter)