Chapter 158 A Delicate Balance
Guided by the waiter, the quartet found themselves in the VIP private room. The room was graced with a grand floor-to-ceiling window that offered an unobstructed view of the entire mall, from the topmost floor to the bustling ground level.
Drawn to the spectacle, Nora found herself irresistibly pulled towards the window. The mall was a hive of activity, a lively tableau of human interaction. On the ground floor, a group of Sunny's ardent fans held aloft signs, their cheers and shouts of support echoing through the vast space.
"Instead of merely spectating, what would everyone like to eat?" Edric queried, settling himself at the dining table with a congenial smile.
Jenny, turning to face him, replied, "Edric, you're the VIP here. Why don't you make the selection?"
"Sure thing, sweetheart," he responded, his smile enticing.
Jenny furrowed her brows, "Could you refrain from calling me that?"
Edric merely chuckled in response and began to place their order.
Jenny, lips pursed in mild annoyance, took a seat next to Nora and began to scroll through her phone. "Nora, you haven't seen the trending topics yet, have you? Following Alex's instigation, fans from both camps have started arguing," she remarked, her eyes scanning her phone's screen.
Nora, curiosity piqued, took the phone from Jenny and saw a post from Sunny's fans that had topped the search trends. The post was a glowing tribute to Sunny's dedication and allure on set, filled with praises and adoration for her. Below were comments from Sunny's fans echoing the admiration.
One fan wrote: "Stop comparing Sunny to little Suzy already. Suzy's got no acting chops, just accolades bought by connections. Sunny, on the other hand, is a true brainy artist." Soon after, Suzy's fans emerged, hurling insults in retaliation. The feud between the two fan bases escalated, and hostilities spread like wildfire.
Nora watched with interest and chuckled, "Is this Alex's handiwork?"
"Yeah," replied Jenny, her face alight with amusement. "He's been hopping between both camps—here he says Suzy is a talentless old lady who only got famous through connections. And there, he's accusing Sunny of being shameless, fabricating a nerd persona to attract attention."
"The fans are at each other's throats, and their social media accounts were overwhelmed," Jenny continued with a mischievous grin. "Some of Suzy's fans have even started digging into Sunny's past."
"Alex took the opportunity to claim that the article Sunny had written was plagiarized, not her own work. That set the fans off even more, and a bunch of them are rallying to confront Sunny as we speak!"
"A virtual brawl turning into a real-life showdown?" Nora raised a brow, "So that's why you called us to enjoy the drama?"
"Exactly." Jenny nodded with glee, sipping her water and peering out the window.
Edric, having finished ordering his meal, seemed to catch on after listening to the summary. "What are you two up to?" he asked. "Why stir up fanbase conflicts? Alex? Nora's son, Alex?" he inquired further.
"Not telling you," Jenny responded with a roll of her eyes.
Edric chuckled but didn't probe further, picking up his drink and taking a sip. His gaze shifted to Jack, who was attentively refilling Nora's glass, his eyes tender as they met hers. This made Edric restless.
After a moment, he stood up, saying, "I'll head to the restroom real quick." 'No, both Jack and Aaron are important,' he thought, 'To keep things fair and just, I have to let them compete evenly. I have to warn Aaron that he's in trouble!'
Secretly, Edric snapped a photo and sent it to Aaron with a message.
Edric: [Aaron, are you conceding defeat to me? If you don't step up your game, Nora is going to be Jack's girlfriend!]
Aaron's response came back swiftly.
Aaron: [You're at The Garfield Mall?]
Edric: [Yeah, are you coming? If you are, just don't say I told you.]
The food arrived quickly, and the four of them began to eat. Jack was attentive to Nora throughout the meal. Edric saw it all but pretended not to notice. He wondered, 'Why hasn't Aaron arrived yet?'
Noticing Jenny was distracted, more interested in what was happening outside than her food, Edric arched an eyebrow and playfully offered her a piece of fish to her lips. Jenny had been keeping an eye on the commotion downstairs, oblivious to Edric's subtle movements.
When she felt someone coaxing her to eat, she opened her mouth instinctively. A glint of amusement sparkled in Edric's charming eyes. "You like it?" he asked. Jenny responded without thinking.
"Want some more?" "Sure," she replied, and as she came back to her senses, she blinked and turned her head to see Edric offering another piece of fish.
"Open up," he said, his voice rich and alluring, his eyes twinkling playfully. Jenny's heartbeat quickened, and she pushed his hand away uncomfortably. "Eat it yourself, don't worry about me."
Edric chuckled lightly. "You'd prefer I feed you mouth to mouth instead?" Jenny remained silent.
Jack, sitting beside Edric, cleared his throat at Suzy's flustered demeanor. "Edric, that's enough." 'I have to admit, Edric has a way with women. Perhaps it's time to learn a thing or two from him?' he mused quietly.
"Alright." After Jack spoke up, Edric's handsome face turned serious, and he stopped teasing Jenny, placing the fish on her plate.
Nora watched their interaction with a small curl of her lips. Her gaze drifted inadvertently to some movement on the first floor. It started off unclear, but two groups of fans began to trade insults.
"Jenny, look, those new arrivals, could they be Suzy's fans?" Nora gestured to Jenny. Jenny's attention shifted, and she leaned forward excitedly. "Definitely, Suzy's fans have arrived!"
They all crowded at the window, eager for a spectacle. The crowd on the first floor swelled. It was a Monday, and the mall wasn't supposed to be crowded. But people loved a good show, especially with celebrities rumored to be filming there, so today it was packed.
Moreover, with fans from both sides present, the first floor was more cramped than ever. Nora and her friends were too far away on the top floor to hear anything, just seeing the groups taunting and then shoving each other.
"It's going to erupt into a fight." Jenny quickly whipped out her phone, enthralled by the drama, ready to record any brawl that might ensue. Nora's lips curved in amusement as she watched the chaos.
Suddenly, near a jewelry brand on the first floor, a marketing sign wobbled as the crowd pressed against it, and then it toppled over. A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd as the sign crashed down on several people nearby.
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