Chapter 136: The Creator Awards Ceremony!
"The day after tomorrow is Twist Streaming Networks’ eighth anniversary gala. Luca Hale will be there too, won’t he?"
"Of course he will," Hank Holding replied with a matter-of-fact nod.
Tessa Rose’s eyes immediately brightened.
"Then I want to go too."
Hank looked at her in surprise.
"Huh? I thought you hated these noisy corporate events."
The moment the words left his mouth, Tessa reached over and grabbed him lightly by the collar. Narrowing her eyes, she smiled in a way that made Hank instantly surrender.
"I... want... to... go."
"Ahem."
Hank coughed twice before lowering his voice.
"Fine. Go if you want. It’s not like I could stop you anyway."
...
Time slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Soon, the day of Twist Streaming Networks’ eighth anniversary gala had finally arrived.
Nearly every invited top-tier creator attended the celebration, while thousands of enthusiastic fans gathered outside the venue. Only a lucky handful possessed admission tickets for the main hall, making them one of the hottest items of the year.
The entrance buzzed with excitement.
"Look! That’s Malcolm ’The Apex’! The number one gaming streamer on Twist! He has over twenty million followers!"
"I just saw Millie!"
"And over there! My favorite VTuber’s on the giant screen! Even if she’s not here in person, hearing her jokes is enough!"
Suddenly, someone shouted from the crowd.
"Wait! Isn’t that Little Naomi?"
Dozens of heads turned at once.
Naomi Monroe stepped gracefully into the lobby.
She wore an elegant beige evening gown that flowed all the way to the floor. A sheer veil rested delicately across her smooth shoulders, while her long dark hair cascaded naturally down her back. Her makeup was subtle yet flawless, highlighting every beautiful feature without looking overdone.
The instant she appeared, she became the center of attention.
"She’s... unbelievably beautiful."
"I honestly thought beauty filters were doing most of the work. I owe her an apology."
"Seeing her in person feels like falling in love for the first time."
"Your first love was named Naomi, wasn’t she? Shameless!"
"Who’s the gorgeous woman beside her?"
"You don’t know Nora Rachel? On behalf of all her fans, I’m officially disappointed in you."
As Naomi and Nora walked into the venue together, the host introduced them over the loudspeakers.
Following the staff’s guidance, Naomi made her way toward her assigned seat.
The moment she noticed Luca sitting nearby, her face immediately lit up with a bright smile.
Only Nora looked completely confused.
Why was her seat... right beside Luca as well?
Which genius in the operations department had arranged this seating chart?
"Luca..." Nora asked awkwardly. "Would you mind switching seats with me?"
Seeing how uncomfortable she was, Luca nodded without hesitation.
"Sure."
Even he hadn’t expected the organizers to place both Naomi and Nora on either side of him.
’What exactly were they trying to imply?’
Had someone misunderstood their relationship?
Or was this simply another attempt to curry favor with the company’s second-largest shareholder?
In the end, it was hardly worth thinking about.
As more creators arrived, the hall gradually filled with conversation and laughter.
Luca rested his chin on one hand while casually scrolling through his phone.
Some time later...
Several nearby creators suddenly gasped.
"What is she doing here?"
"I never thought she’d attend something like this."
"That’s really unexpected."
Curious, Luca looked up.
Walking slowly down the main carpet was an elegant, breathtaking woman with one arm linked through Hank Holding’s.
The pair stopped in front of Luca.
Turning toward his companion, Hank smiled.
"Tessa, this is Luca Hale."
The first thing Tessa did was carefully study Luca’s face.
"He’s undeniably handsome."
She made no effort whatsoever to hide her curiosity. Her sharp eyes examined every detail of his appearance so thoroughly that even Luca began to feel slightly uncomfortable.
Unable to endure her scrutiny any longer, he looked toward Hank.
"Mr. Holding... and this lady is?"
"Oh."
Hank scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"My mistake. I forgot to introduce you properly."
He smiled awkwardly.
"This is my wife..."
"...and also your lover’s former first love."
"..."
For several seconds, complete silence hung over the table.
Naomi blinked several times.
"My wife..."
"...your lover’s former first love?"
What kind of introduction was that?
She tried to sort through the tangled relationships in her head but gave up almost immediately.
Completely lost, she turned toward Luca.
Nora, on the other hand...
Looked as though she’d just uncovered the biggest scandal in New Orleans.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she repeatedly nudged Naomi under the table, then looked between Hank and Luca with increasingly dramatic expressions.
Luca glanced at her speechlessly.
On camera, Nora projected the image of a graceful, elegant beauty.
In reality...
Her imagination was running absolutely wild.
He could practically see dozens of melodramatic romance plots unfolding inside her head.
’When did she become so addicted to high-society gossip?’
Luca had no intention of explaining everything in public.
Besides...
The person who genuinely surprised him wasn’t Hank.
It was Tessa.
Thinking about it carefully...
Was Hank the man who eventually married Vivienne’s first love?
In a strange way, Luca almost felt grateful toward him.
Had Hank never married Tessa...
Vivienne wouldn’t have drowned her heartbreak with alcohol that night.
If she hadn’t gone drinking...
She never would have met Luca.
And without that chance encounter...
The bond they now shared would never have existed.
"Luca Hale."
Tessa’s voice pulled him back to reality.
She pointed toward Naomi.
"So..."
"Is this beautiful girl also your woman?"
Luca instinctively glanced at Naomi.
Then he compared Tessa’s figure with Naomi’s.
Silently.
’Beautiful girl?’
’That’s selling her far too short.’
’She’s clearly a world-class beauty.’
Ever since meeting Naomi, very few women had managed to match her impossible combination of a slender waist and breathtaking curves.
Naturally...
Those thoughts stayed inside his head.
This was hardly the place to voice them aloud.
"So what if she is?" Luca replied calmly, meeting Tessa’s eyes without the slightest hesitation.
Tessa simply smiled.
She neither confirmed nor denied anything.
Instead, she gave both Luca and Naomi one long, meaningful look before gracefully turning around and returning to her own VIP seat.
Watching her leave, Luca found himself unable to interpret that smile.
Did she still have unresolved feelings for Vivienne?
Or was she simply evaluating the man who had won Vivienne’s heart?
He glanced toward Hank.
The latter was already chatting comfortably with Tessa, the two looking every bit like an affectionate married couple.
There wasn’t even the faintest trace of awkwardness between them.
Luca eventually shook those thoughts away.
"Luca..."
Naomi leaned closer, lowering her voice.
"What exactly did Mr. Holding mean earlier?"
For once...
Luca genuinely didn’t know how to explain things without bringing up Vivienne’s past.
Seeing him hesitate, Nora became even more convinced that she’d figured everything out.
She grabbed Naomi’s sleeve excitedly.
"Little Naomi! I know the whole story! Let me explain!"
Just as Naomi leaned over curiously...
Luca wrapped an arm around her slender waist and gently pulled her against him.
Then he looked directly at Nora.
"You don’t know anything."
"So stop filling my Little Naomi’s head with nonsense."
Turning back to Naomi, he softened his voice.
"If you’re really curious..."
"...ask Sister Vivienne yourself when we get home."
"Okay?"
Naomi nodded obediently, though confusion still lingered in her eyes.
She had never imagined that Hank’s strange introduction somehow involved Vivienne.
Still...
She trusted Luca completely.
So she simply let the matter rest.
...
Once every creator, executive, shareholder, and VIP guest had taken their seats, Twist Streaming Networks’ eighth anniversary gala officially began.
After a series of carefully choreographed performances, dazzling musical numbers, and spectacular stage productions...
The audience finally reached the moment everyone had been waiting for.
The Creator Awards Ceremony.
"Luca!"
Naomi unfolded a tiny piece of paper hidden in her palm and waved it proudly in front of him.
"Look!"
"It’s my acceptance speech cheat sheet."
She smiled with adorable satisfaction.
As the creator who had gained the most new followers across the entire platform over the previous two months...
She was naturally one of tonight’s biggest winners.
A few moments later, the host stepped onto the stage.
His voice echoed throughout the magnificent hall.
"Next..."
"Please welcome this year’s recipient of the Best New Female Creator Award..."
"Naomi Monroe!"