"It’s suddenly gotten a bit rowdy over there…"
[Oh. My bad. Just stepped into a mall. Give me a minute Jeff. I’ll find somewhere quiet.]
"No problem kiddo. Take your time." Jeff replied, his tone accommodating despite having initiated the call.
A few seconds later, having found a slightly secluded area in the mall, Kyle continued his conversation with his Hollywood Gramps as he gave the details of he and Lex’s discussion.
[So uh, I figured that was the best move. That way, everyone’s covered.]
Sporting a thin smile on his lips as he listened to him speak from the other end of the line, Jeff then spoke, his tone understanding;
"Ah~ kid, I had a feeling you’d take that route."
"I’ll admit, it’s a smart move, one I perfectly understand… but uh, some part of me really wishes you stuck it to him." Jeff added with a light sigh as he awaited Kyle’s response;
[Well, I don’t want a target on my back for the foreseeable future so, as much as I’d love to make him pay, this at the very least ensures that everyone stays protected from him, indefinitely.]
With a small nod that mirrored his understanding, Jeff let out another sigh as he and Kyle continued conversing.
And about a few minutes later, he and the young man rounded up the call.
In Hollywood, most people were either morally grey or bad.
A morally good person in Hollywood, was a rare specimen to come by.
Jeff knew this.
More than that, he also knew that Kyle whom he had come to see as the grandson he never had, was one of such rare specimens.
That was why he’d been pretty certain that the young man would prioritize his people’s safety over his own resentment towards Lex despite having the means to knock him down to the earth’s crust.
That after all, was the smart move to make considering he wasn’t exactly the most influential or powerful person in Hollywood despite his ever surging fame.
’Not me though…’ Jeff mused to himself, his mind made up.
Lex, in his opinion, already had it coming for a while now with all the shenanigans he had been pulling behind the scenes.
But even then, he’d never felt the need to take him down a notch since he never actively went after those he cherished or called his people.
But with Kyle…
Well, the old Hollywood Star was willing to show exactly why he was one of those morally grey individuals in Tinseltown.
With a light stroke of his beard, his expression thoughtful, his wife, Barbara whom was seated opposite him on her own rocking chair on the lawn of their house, closed her book as she stated;
"I know that look, sweetie."
"Sure you do." Jeff replied with a thin smile as the woman sighed in response;
"Whoever it is, just go easy on them, okay?"
"I’ll try, honey. I’ll try." Jeff gave his wife an assuring smile as he pulled up his phone to contact his very own Private Investigator.
* * *
Kyle should’ve arrived home much earlier.
But due to Christina’s request, he’d had to branch over to a clothing mall to buy a masquerade mask.
Walking into his apartment, the door closing behind him with a soft click, the young man casually set aside his shoes, car keys, groceries and the likes in a familiar motion at their respective spots.
Then he moved towards his wardrobe, humming happily.
Setting aside a sleek, well-tailored light-brown suit he hadn’t been chanced to wear thus far, the young man gently hooked the mask to its hanger.
It was a lightweight, metal venetian mask… not that Kyle knew.
He had simply just bought what he felt looked nice.
Closing the wardrobe, the young man was about to proceed to sorting out the groceries when a familiar ding, followed by its familiar phenomenon, happened.
| Tallying… |
"Ah… was wondering when you’d pop up…" Kyle quietly muttered as he casually retrieved the contents of the grocery bag.
And a few minutes later, after he was done stocking them into the freezer, his system as if in sync, followed up;
| Passive skill, [Bleeding Effect] has fully analyzed, Nathan North! |
| Passive skill, [Bleeding Effect] has fully analyzed, Tech Wiz! |
| Synergizing alter egos… |
| High-grade active skill, [Architect] has been awarded! |
| You have acted before everyone and impressed them! |
| You have wrapped up filming for [Tech Wiz: Year One]!
| You have obtained a phenomenal amount of exp. points! |
| 50,000 exp. points have been awarded! |
| Total exp. points available (216,725) |
| Acting has advanced from level 16 to level 17! |
| Composing has advanced from level 16 to level 17! |
| Advancement in Acting will become exponentially harder from here on out! |
| Advancement in Composing will become exponentially harder from here on out! |
| Keep acting and composing to improve your skills! |
___________________________
{Kyle Kestis} – Exp. Points (216,725)
⸶Skills⸷
| [Soulful Vocals (P)], [Growth Spurt (P)], [Appraisal(A)], [Resonance (P)] – {S}], [Charisma (P)], [Polyglot (P)], [Deep Dive (A) – {S}], [Recollection (P)], [Scene Stealer (A)], [Action & Stunt Mastery (P)], [Bleeding Effect (P)], [Detoxification (A)], [Peak Human Conditioning (P)], [Flow (P)], [Choreography Master (P)], [Mind Probe (A)], [Architect (A)]…
* Exp. Points can be used to create skills.
⸶Levels⸷
| Singing › Level 18
| Acting › Level 17
| Composing › Level 17
| Dancing › Level 17
| Instrument Mastery (Piano/Guitar) › Level 15/15
* Levels will increase in accordance to your growth.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Kyle had long figured out that [Bleeding Effect] must’ve been the cause for his leveling up and stats notification being delayed.
But even he, would never have expected for the skill to separately analyze the alter egos of both characters he had played in an effort to synergize the best skill to bestow upon him.
"I definitely haven’t scratched the surface of what you’re capable of I’m sure…" he simply shook his head in resignation as he pulled up the new skill’s details.
___________________________
Active Skill - [Architect]
Trace, assimilate and utilize skills from others, redistribute stat levels and grades, and create one-time use items with exp. points. Skill also allows host to effect others with owned skills using exp. points.
___________________________
Kyle slowly covered his mouth in bewilderment, a few words escaping his lips as he stared at the details of the shiny new, busted skill;
"My goodness…"
* * *
(Two days later…)
Sitting across each other in a high-class restaurant in Toronto that gave a stunning evening view of Lake Ontario, Kyle and Lex, alongside Oliver and Donna respectively, maintained a quiet ambience.
Both parties were also dressed formally for the meeting and no sooner had they given their curt formal greetings, they had gotten down to business.
Kyle, as at the moment, was currently reviewing the non-terminating NDA contract as they had previously discussed over the phone, his demeanor composed as he slowly read through the details.
As part of the many clauses, there was one in particular that Kyle had ensured was well-outlined.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
In it, Lex and Atlas International pledged to permanently and unconditionally refrain from any form of contact or interference with the young man, his family, his friends, his team, his employees, and his company, regardless of circumstances.
In return to accepting all of his demands, the young man would in turn release all the dirt that he had on Lex and Atlas’s Executives.
As Lex watched him flip to the next page, the atmosphere in the room noticeably tense, the calculating CEO soon popped open a bottle of wine and poured some of its content into his glass cup.
And after about twenty more minutes of scouring every nook and cranny of the contract to ensure there were in fact no loopholes, Kyle retrieved his pen from his front pocket and signed the NDA.
Simultaneously, Oliver gently placed a flash drive on the table, one that Lex casually retrieved and dropped into his inner suit pocket.
Kyle sending Lex the warning letter two weeks back and purposely ignoring calls from Atlas, was just that. A warning.
One that was made to essentially flip the way they interacted to reach their current stage of negotiations.
Releasing all the dirt he had on the CEO of the industry juggernaut to the media and authorities would’ve definitely been a very devastating move if he was so willing.
In fact, with some of the oh-so-disturbing things both Lex himself and a plethora of Atlas’s executive had done, plummeting their company’s reputation to the ground and then burying its ashes would just be the beginning for their doom in Tinseltown’s glitz and glam.
However, been as shrewd as he was, Kyle more than anyone knew that going down that route would ultimately end up with him having more enemies in Hollywood, something he’d much rather avoid if he could.
After all, when a group of people as powerful as the multi-billionaire company’s CEO had nothing more to lose, there would be no stopping them from going as extreme as required to get something done…
… even if that meant going after his people and especially him, with diabolically ill-intent for the rest of his life.
That was why Kyle had gone down this route instead.
One where he got what he wanted without starting an armageddon in the name of justice.
Sure it was a grey decision to make by not involving the authorities and Kyle very much knew that but, in his own opinion, the safety of his people came first and foremost.
So, if this was the best way to protect them from Atlas International’s shenanigans indefinitely, then so be it.
"Thank you for your time." Kyle gave a thin, professional smile as he got off the chair, he and Oliver ready to take their leave.
As they proceeded to do so, Lex spoke, his words directed solely towards Kyle;
"You know Kestis, Donna was right about you."
Kyle halted in his steps, and so did Oliver.
"You are a good man." the manipulative CEO added with a relaxed smile as he casually took a sip of his wine.
Gently placing the glass cup atop the table, he locked his steely-blue irises on Kyle’s sapphires’ as he continued;
"You could’ve gone the destructive route like most would’ve, just to see me burn but, you’ve instead, chosen the safety of your people. It’s commendable, really."
"But that’s why you’re a good man, right? And good men, unfortunately, have many rules, don’t they?" Lex made a last attempt at another powerplay move, a noticeably dark smile nestling on his lips in an effort to spook the young star.
It was essentially his way of saying he could decide to discard the NDA at any time and return to his old ways.
However, what he got in return, had him rethink his actions as Kyle, slowly leaned forward on the desk, stared right into the eyes of the CEO and, with his sapphire irises projecting the purest form of malice, quietly growled;
"Screw around one more time Harlow, and you’ll find out exactly why I have so many."
Oliver felt a chill run down his spine, and so did Donna who could’ve swore in her mind that the temperature surrounding them, went down by a couple degrees.
Lex especially, despite maintaining an almost unperturbed gaze, was the most affected as he simply sat there, frozen by the sheer, unadulterated malice and cold fury he saw in Kyle’s irises.
Having said his mind though, the young man then donned another warm smile as he left the place, Oliver trailing behind him.
And when they were in the elevator, the agent, glanced over to his now jovial ward and said with an almost curious gaze a few seconds later;
"You know, that’s the closest I’ve ever heard you come to using such strong language. Outside of acting that is…"
"Well, it was a necessary evil to get it through Lex’s skull that I’m not interested in playing his mind games." Kyle sported a thin smile in response as the doors opened, both promptly getting off.
Soon, they were at the parking lot, their vehicles parked next to the other as Oliver then asked, casually this time;
"So, where’re you headed to?"
For a brief moment, Kyle paused as the agent whom was awaiting his answer, casually opened the door to his Porsche.
And then, with a genuinely blissful smile on his features, Kyle replied, his voice trailing off;
"I’m going on a date…"
Oliver felt like someone had nuked him.
"… sort of." Kyle concluded as he settled into the driver’s seat of his Ford Mustang.
Oliver on the other hand, rushed out of his vehicle the moment Kyle’s words fully settled in!
Yet, before the agent could question his ward, the young man had already ignited the engine of his car and in a jiffy, he was out of the parking lot, leaving a bamboozled Oliver with so, so many questions.