George, however, was less amused. He offered a polite smile but deftly sidestepped the subject. "Scarlet's a brilliant actress. It's all part of the job."
The host, not one to back down easily, pulled up the now-viral photo of George, Lydia, and Chris from their dinner. "Speaking of relationships, this photo has been causing quite the stir online. Care to tell us more about it?"
George leaned back, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That photo is very dear to me. The man in the picture is Chris, my childhood friend, more like a brother, really. And Lydia, his younger sister... well, they are both like family to me. They were there for me when I was just a poor, orphaned boy from Illinois."
There was a shift in the studio's atmosphere. George's words were simple, but they carried a depth that resonated.
He continued, for the first time speaking publicly about his roots. "My mother passed away when I was very young, and my grandmother Pearl raised me. Life wasn't easy, but Chris' family always looked out for me. Lydia... she's family. She believed in me before anyone else did."
Scarlet, though still smiling, sensed the change in tone. This wasn't the answer the media had expected.
The internet exploded within minutes. The narrative began to shift. Fans who had been obsessed with the idea of George and Scarlet as the perfect on-screen couple started to rally behind the real story.
#GeorgeAndLydia trended worldwide.
People fell in love with the idea of Lydia, the gorgeous girl who had been there when George was just a struggling boy with dreams. Memes, edits, and tweets flooded social media, praising her authenticity and their shared history.
Scarlet's fan base, while still loyal, began to take a backseat as the George-Lydia dynamic captivated hearts across the globe.
It was no longer just about the movie.
It was about George's story.
And Lydia was now a part of that story in the eyes of the world.
Lydia had barely gotten through her morning coffee when her phone started ringing non-stop. Texts, calls, social media notifications..it was as if the world had decided to wake her up all at once.
Kendra was the first to call. "Girl, have you seen Twitter? You're everywhere!"
Lydia groaned, rubbing her temples. "What now?"
"George's interview. He talked about you. Like, really talked about you. The internet's shipping you two so hard. You're trending!"