Hollywood Zenith

By the time the shooting was over, Steve and his crew were already waiting at the exit waiting for him. Steve was sweating a little after tallying the bill, a total of 950k British pounds. He was beating himself internally, scrambling his brain to come up with a satisfactory answer for it.

He knew that the Rothschild was loaded, but it didn't matter; he was responsible for today, and when his boss checked the items listed on the receipt, he was sure that Samuel would flip out.

Less than half of the money went toward the actual cause; the rest was spent on the so-called 'reward'. Jane also bought the top of line cosmetics under the influence of other girls. She was grinning like an idiot.

" Why do you look so happy? I will not cover for you." Steve lashed out.

" I don't need you to do that. Boss would understand, unlike certain someone who is a cheapskate!"

" Are you calling me cheap? Why should I spend money on fool's gold? I have some standards."

" Standards? I had never seen someone so shameless. A pervert trying to act like a saint!"

" Will you stop calling me that? I never did anything to deserve it."

" Maybe that is your problem. You are a pervert and a coward!"

" What?"

" That's right. That's why you don't get any bitches!" Drac said from the back. The whole team was present to witness their quarrel.

" Says the virgin!" unexpectedly, Jane defended Steve.

" V-virgin? I have ten girlfriends!" Drac was speechless by the sudden turnaround. Why was she defending the leader?

" Liar!"

" Ok, everyone, calm down. The boss is coming." Chin being the only rational individual, stopped the infighting. Ze, the last member, didn't contribute a single word; it was becoming the usual routine for the team. In the past, he tried; by now, he had given hope.

For him, it was clear that Jane liked Steve, which was the reason for her rotten mood. It was Valentine's day, and the leader had not shown any affection toward her.

Behind Samuel, there was an entourage of people, primarily girls, but a few boys were coming over, curious about what was happening. Samuel nodded toward his team while the others did the same.

Steve rushed toward the car's trunk and showed the boss the 'goods'. Samuel was satisfied to see that the team accomplished the mission.

" Good work! I should distribute it. Their guardians are waiting for them. The nameplates are a nice touch." Samuel praised them while calling his first 'customer'. They also removed the price tag, which was good; he didn't want to unexpectedly shock their parents.

" Oh my god! This dress is so pretty!"

" Yes, it is the same one that you often mention. The one that your favourite princess wore."

" I didn't notice it, but you are right. Thank you so much."

" You are welcome. It is my way of thanking you for your morning gift."

When Samuel mentioned it, she realized the dress must have been much more expensive than her chocolate. She knew this because she had asked her parents for the same dress, and they refused, stating that it was too expensive for their budget.

" T-this must tell me expensive. I don't think I could accept it!"

" Don't worry about it. Your smile is all that matters; I got this for cheap due to my mother's connection." This made her blush, but she accepted his gift. He was too smooth with it!

" See that, that's how you impress a girl. You have much to learn." Looking at this scene, Jane reminded Steve, who couldn't say anything to retort her.

She was correct; he felt his boss would definitely become a lady-killer in the future! Such people often start early in life. But Samuel was only doing so to make them accept the gift; romance was the last thing on his mind.

The scene played out again and again while bystanders watched with jealousy. Other girls felt like they lost their chance while the boys watched with red eyes. Soon the trunk was empty, which marked the end of the show.

Only Emma, Rupert and Tom, the actor who played Malfoy, remained. The four of them had gotten closer while spending time on set, and to commemorate that, Samuel also went ahead and bought some gifts for them.

" For me too? I didn't know I was this popular." Rupert said sarcastically.

" You really don't have to do this," Tom said.

" It's not very expensive, is it? I have seen you give out glowing watches like hotcakes earlier." Emma didn't know what to say. It was absurd to gift such things as a return gift.

" Don't worry about it. It's not like he is spending his family's money-" It was a rare slip of the tongue by Jane. She popped out of nowhere while the rest of the team stayed near the car.

" Jane, come back here. I told you countless times not to disturb the boss." Steve had to drag her back, but the damage was done.

" What does she mean by that?" Emma asked while crossing her hands.

" I-it's nothing. She is kind of an airhead." Samuel tried to shit the conversation, but by now, Emma knew him too well to tell when he was lying.

" Don't lie to me! Your family is wealthy, but you should not have this much money." She pressed for an answer.

She had become the de facto leader of their group, and Samuel considered her a close friend but never told them about his identity. He didn't want to put them at risk because of him.

" I invested some of my money. That's all. I was lucky."

" Invest? Can children invest? I may not know much about investing, but I know that a child can't do so."

" Come on. I know you are suspicious, but I did it legally; I asked my Aunt for help. She is pretty good at these things."

" Hmm, you are still hiding something." Was she psychic? Samuel was apprehensive about it, but he managed to convince her.

" Someday, I will tell you the whole story. " Samuel left it at that; he would come clean when the time was right.

They talked for a while before heading home. Samuel also sent a few presents to other girls, one for Iblis and Hannah. He hesitated when it came to Adele, but he decided to do it regardless of her feelings.

While shopping for them, he also got a few for his family and friends. What Steve was worried about never happened. In turn, Samuel bought a few things for the team; he appreciated the work they did for him.

Although it was a hectic day, Samuel felt satisfied by the end of it. He only had a little time to spend the money he had recently earned. He had made a lot of it, and it would only increase in the future.