Chapter 137: Clash At The Backstage!
Thunderous applause rolled through every corner of the grand hall as Naomi Monroe made her way onto the stage.
She was breathtaking.
Under the brilliant white spotlight, she seemed to glow with a radiance that eclipsed everything around her. The soft light outlined her graceful figure, making her look less like an ordinary woman and more like someone who had stepped straight out of a timeless masterpiece.
For a brief moment, the entire audience forgot to breathe.
Amid waves of cheers and countless envious gazes, Naomi accepted the golden trophy with both hands. Instead of looking toward the cameras or the crowd, her bright eyes searched the front row until they found Luca Hale.
Everything she had achieved today...
The applause.
The recognition.
The national stage she was standing on.
All of it existed because Luca had walked into her life.
Seated comfortably in the VIP section, Luca looked up at the woman shining beneath the lights and applauded steadily. His dark eyes held nothing but pride, warmth, and unwavering affection.
Although thousands of people surrounded them, neither noticed anyone else.
To them, the roaring crowd, the admiration, the jealousy, and the whispered envy simply faded into the background.
After finishing her heartfelt acceptance speech, Naomi stepped down from the stage carrying her trophy in one arm and a fresh bouquet of flowers in the other.
The moment her heels touched the polished backstage floor...
Two middle-aged men suddenly emerged from behind a partition, cutting off her path.
One was tall.
The other was short.
"Miss Monroe."
The shorter man smiled thinly as though they were old acquaintances.
"It seems we’ve met again."
He skipped the pleasantries entirely.
"I wonder if you’ve reconsidered our proposal. This time, Zenith Entertainment Group has come with our greatest sincerity."
The taller man smiled smoothly.
"Director Christopher is right. Sign with Zenith, and resources won’t be an issue anymore. Hollywood connections, premium projects, industry opportunities... we’ll personally arrange everything for you."
Their words sounded courteous.
Their posture did not.
Together, they blocked the narrow corridor so completely that Naomi barely had room to walk around them.
In reality, the two men had already forwarded Naomi’s photographs to Dexter Luiz the previous afternoon.
The instant Dexter saw them, he had been captivated.
New Orleans was filled with beautiful women.
As the heir to the Luiz Conglomerate, Dexter had never lacked female company. Models, actresses, influencers, socialites... he had grown bored of them all. Even now, he kept a stunning beauty hidden away in one of his luxurious penthouses.
But that woman carried too much maturity.
Too much experience.
She lacked the innocent charm Naomi possessed.
Naomi’s beauty reminded people of first love.
Pure.
Gentle.
Untainted.
The more Dexter stared at her photographs, the stronger his obsession became.
’If I can have both of them...’
’That would be perfect.’
By the end of the meeting, he had given a single order.
No matter what methods were required...
Naomi Monroe had to sign with Zenith Entertainment Group before the gala ended.
Once she belonged to Zenith...
She would belong to him.
"I already rejected your offer yesterday," Naomi said coldly, knitting her brows. "Please stop bothering me."
She had never wanted to enter mainstream entertainment, let alone become some Hollywood celebrity under Zenith’s control.
After yesterday’s relentless harassment and barely disguised threats, her patience had long since disappeared.
More importantly...
She now understood exactly what these men really were.
They weren’t talent scouts.
They were simply hunting women for Dexter Luiz.
The thought alone made her stomach churn.
Standing before her in expensive tailored suits and polished leather shoes, they looked every bit like respectable businessmen.
Their hearts, however, were utterly rotten.
"Miss Monroe."
The shorter man refused to back down.
"Don’t reject us so quickly."
His eyes narrowed.
"If you join Zenith, we’ll personally introduce you to the finest young gentlemen in New Orleans’ highest social circles."
He smiled as though he were offering paradise itself.
"With your beauty, you’ll fit right in. A little effort is all it will take. Soon you’ll enjoy wealth and status far beyond what any internet streamer could ever imagine."
The two men remained completely confident.
They had used this exact script countless times.
Most young women dreamed of becoming famous overnight.
Who wouldn’t want wealth, influence, and entry into high society?
Surely Naomi would eventually give in.
"I’ll say this one last time."
Naomi’s voice became firm.
"I refuse."
She looked at them without the slightest hesitation.
"If you’re looking for someone desperate to become a celebrity, find somebody else."
"I’m done talking."
She turned and walked toward the VIP dressing rooms.
"Miss Monroe!"
Director Christopher’s expression twisted.
"Don’t be so stubborn!"
His polite smile vanished completely.
"Do you understand the consequences of offending Zenith Entertainment Group?"
His voice had become openly threatening.
From his perspective, he’d already shown Naomi extraordinary courtesy by personally approaching her again and again.
Yet she had rejected him every single time.
This wasn’t simply embarrassing him.
She was humiliating Dexter Luiz.
If Young Master Luiz became displeased...
Naomi’s future would be ruined.
More importantly...
So would theirs.
Today, they absolutely had to bring Naomi back.
Otherwise, Dexter’s anger would fall squarely on them.
Desperate, Director Christopher lunged forward and reached for Naomi’s bare shoulder.
Tak!
Before his fingers could touch her...
A large hand clamped around his wrist.
Cold.
Firm.
Impossible to break free from.
At the same time, a dangerously calm voice echoed beside his ear.
"I don’t know what happens when someone offends insects like you."
Luca Hale’s eyes narrowed into razor-thin slits.
"But..."
"You actually dared to lay your hands on my woman."
"Did either of you stop to think about what happens next?"
Anyone who knew Luca would immediately recognize the expression on his face.
He wasn’t simply angry.
He was moments away from exploding.
"Kid!"
Director Christopher barked, trying to mask his panic with arrogance.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Didn’t your parents teach you not to interrupt business discussions?"
Luca didn’t bother replying.
He simply released the man’s wrist...
Drew back his arm...
And struck.
Slap!
The crack echoed through the backstage corridor.
Although the host’s voice still drifted faintly from the speakers inside the ballroom, the slap rang so sharply that everyone nearby heard it.
Stage crew.
Security guards.
Passing creators.
They all froze.
Every head turned toward Luca.
No one could believe what they’d just witnessed.
Someone had actually slapped a Zenith executive across the face.
Director Christopher stood rooted to the floor.
His cheek burned fiercely, yet he seemed completely unaware of the pain.
His mind had gone blank.
He simply couldn’t process what had happened.
The taller executive recovered first.
He stepped forward furiously.
"Who the hell are you?"
"How dare you hit Director Christopher?"
"Do you have any idea who Zenith Entertainment Group is?"
"And who are you..."
"...to speak to CEO Hale like that?"
Before the man could finish his sentence, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Romero Dennis rounded the corner with an entire squad of platform security personnel behind him.
After shooting the two Zenith representatives an icy glare, he immediately bowed respectfully before Luca.
"Mr. Hale."
"Miss Monroe."
"My deepest apologies."
"I arrived too late."
Mr. Hale?
CEO Hale?
The color drained from both Zenith executives’ faces.
Their hearts sank instantly.
The young man standing before them...
Was actually a major shareholder of Twist Streaming Networks?
He looked barely old enough to have graduated university.
How could someone this young possess such terrifying status?
True, Zenith wasn’t afraid of Twist itself.
But the people standing behind Twist...
That was another matter entirely.
David Day.
Hank Holding.
Harvey Adams.
None of them were ordinary businessmen.
Harvey, especially, had always appeared to be nothing more than the CEO of Twist.
But everyone who mattered knew there was far more beneath the surface.
Years earlier, New Orleans’ dominant livestreaming platform hadn’t been Twist.
It had been Panther Stream Network.
Yet within only two years, Harvey had completely crushed Panther, taking Twist to the undisputed number one position.
Did anyone honestly believe that happened without unimaginable backing?
The former CEO of Panther had been a notorious young master from one of New Orleans’ founding families.
Even after losing everything...
He never once dared challenge Harvey Adams publicly.
That alone spoke volumes.
A man capable of silencing those powerful families without lifting a finger was already terrifying enough.
Now...
The young man standing before them sat on the same board...
Holding influence that rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, Harvey’s own.