Kyle lay in bed with Calista, stroking the length of her hair as she rested on his chest. He knew the psychological effect this might have, and that was why he gave her the much-needed aftercare. This wasn’t because Kyle cared about her, but because he wanted to keep her affection bar as high as possible. He knew things were going according to plan, but as Calista lay fast asleep, he couldn’t believe how well things were going in his life.
Kyle began to understand the potential of this skill, as it allowed him to mimic everything to perfection. This could put him above the average actor should he choose to enter the field. He realized that the influence he was seeking might not lie outside the industry as an onlooker but as an active participant. If he could attain a certain status, not only would he be sought after for movie roles, but the reputation surrounding his name would be something no one could deny.
Kyle was beginning to realize that another path was available to him, one provided by his system. He made sure Calista was asleep before gently breaking free from her embrace. He was stark naked, with no urgency to put on his clothes. Walking around the house, he searched for some refreshments. Opening the fridge, he found several beverages, mostly fresh fruit. Kyle grabbed some orange juice and a cup before returning to the bedroom.
Calista was still asleep, but her phone sat on the bedside table. Kyle didn’t pay it much attention; he didn’t care about her personal life as long as she didn’t do anything that would betray him. Then the phone buzzed. Kyle noticed it, but the lack of curiosity didn’t cause him to flinch. He knew that Calista was in contact with the woman who claimed to be his sister, but Kyle chuckled at the thought.
“Maybe I overreacted,” Kyle thought to himself, realizing this must have been some sort of prank. It wouldn’t be hard to find his name if his face was available to the public. He wasn’t some enigma, and this should be the least of his problems. Kyle was an only child; he knew he had no biological siblings, and this had to do with the foster home where he grew up.
Calista soon awoke from her slumber. Kyle waited for her, and this took a little over thirty minutes after retrieving the juice. The entire bottle was nearly empty, but Kyle was fully clothed, and she was aware that he was waiting for her to wake before leaving.
“For a moment there, I thought you would forget to wake up,” Kyle joked, but Calista felt embarrassed that he was watching her as she slept.
“How long was I out?” Calista asked, but Kyle waved it away. There was no need to be self-conscious about something so mundane, and he wasn’t about to make her feel that way.
“It doesn’t matter. I wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I head out,” Kyle’s voice was gentle, an act that Calista appreciated. The fact that he stayed until she woke up reminded her why this man was different from all the others she had dealt with. They would have been gone by now, having gotten what they wanted, but Kyle was treating her like a person—even though she didn’t know he was farming for affection to keep his bar high.
They said their goodbyes, but Calista couldn’t get out of bed. She was glad she had finished the movie, or her voice would have been a liability on set. Kyle walked out of the room, but he noticed something strange the moment he stepped outside. He felt the same sensation he had when Mike was stalking him—someone was watching him right now.
He knew he had to keep his cool and not let whoever was watching him know he had picked up on this if this was truly the case.
“That’s strange,” Kyle thought to himself. He knew there was a chance all of this was in his mind, but he trusted his gut feeling more than anything. Kyle walked back to his car slowly, assuming it was a paparazzo of some sort waiting outside her home to see if they could catch anything worth making the news. Calista was still fresh meat, and the first person to get their claws into her story would earn quite a lot. News outlets would pay for that information, not to mention the publicity it would bring.
Kyle quickly took a detour, away from the direction where his car was parked. The person following him didn’t know who he was, but if he led them to the car, it wouldn’t take a genius to make the connection. Kyle had to know who it was, even though he had no idea where he was going. But he confirmed one thing—he was indeed being followed.
Kyle suddenly turned around and noticed movement behind him, as if someone had rushed to take cover. But his peripheral vision caught this.
“Come out before I call the cops,” Kyle threatened. This was one thing that plagued the industry—parasites like paparazzi who would do anything to get ahead. Kyle wasn’t even a celebrity, but stalking was definitely a crime. It was one thing to wait outside someone’s apartment, but actively following them should be illegal by any measure.
Kyle knew there was a thin line that divided all of this as they always found a loophole.
]”I will count to five…” Kyle said, but he noticed his body was responding differently to this situation. His fingers trembled the moment he held up five fingers. It reminded him of when he jumped—an event that had embedded itself deep within his subconscious. The trauma from nearly losing his life lingered, and it was showing. Kyle was not only affected by what almost claimed his life but also by the life he had taken.
The accumulated trauma was something that he didn’t know he needed help with. However, Kyle understood that this was having its toll on him.
However, he didn’t need to count because the person he was addressing revealed themselves. Kyle took a step back, his phone in hand, just in case he needed it.
“Whoa! Wait, wait!” The person said, and upon closer inspection, Kyle realized it was a woman but not one he recognized nonetheless.
“Who are you? Why are you following me?” Kyle asked, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings for any other individuals. There was a chance she was a distraction, and others were lurking nearby, waiting to catch him off guard.
“You don’t recognize me?” The woman asked. Kyle raised a brow as she walked closer to him.
“If I did, I wouldn’t be asking,” Kyle replied, irritation in his voice.
But this was the same woman who had visited Calista, so if Kyle didn’t recognize her, she must have been an imposter. The closer she got, the more prominent her facial features became, but Kyle still had no idea who she was.
“I was brought here by your girlfriend. I don’t mean any harm,” the woman quickly apologized.
“My girlfriend? You mean Calista brought you here?” Kyle was surprised by this revelation. He chuckled, not because she called her his girlfriend, but because Calista had gone behind his back to do this.
But there was also a chance this woman was lying, so Kyle wasn’t about to jump to conclusions.
“Yes! She did,” the woman sounded desperate, and Kyle picked up on this.
“Is that so… How did you convince her?” Kyle asked.
The woman quickly reached into her purse and pulled out a picture. Kyle saw the picture but remained indifferent, his face void of surprise or shock. He stared at the picture for a minute before squeezing it and tossing it aside.
“This picture is fake,” Kyle informed her.
“I know, right? You’d be surprised at what AI can do with a little age regression and a picture. But I do know you,” the woman added.
Kyle was disappointed by this, as it confirmed that Calista had indeed gone behind his back.
“How do you know me?” Kyle asked, pushing aside his initial disappointment of finding out that Calista’s loyalty to him wasn’t absolute.
“I’ve seen you… Of all the lies I’ve told, there’s one that remains true,” the woman added, but Kyle was losing his patience. He had confirmed she wasn’t a paparazzi, so there was no point in staying with her any longer.
The fact that she claimed to be his sister left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Are you going to speak, or keep wasting my time?” Kyle asked.
“I’m your sister, Kyle,” the woman said. Kyle sighed, his frustration building. This wasn’t funny.
“You know what? Never mind. I’m going,” Kyle said dismissively, but then she uttered a name she shouldn’t have known.
“My father’s name is Gregory,” she said, and this was the only thing that made Kyle stop in his tracks.