Love Lies Fame & Regret (18+)

Chapter 5

Mew's heart dropped as he saw Gulf sitting nervously in front of his old boss. He had no idea what the man wanted from Gulf, but he could sense that it was something serious.

Gulf and Mew exchanged uncomfortable glances as they sat down next to each other, both feeling the weight of the situation on their shoulders. The hotel room was silent except for the sound of the air conditioner humming in the background.

The old boss, who had always been intimidating, stood in front of them with a smirk on his face. He looked at Mew and said, "Ah, Mew. It's been a while. I see you've been keeping yourself busy."

The boss then turned to Gulf and said, "And Gulf, my boy. You've grown up to be quite a man. I always knew you had potential."

Gulf couldn't help but feel uneasy. He knew that the boss never said anything without an ulterior motive.

The boss then leaned in and spoke in a demeaning tone, "Now, let's get to the reason why I called the two of you here. You owe me 50 million dollars from our previous contract."

Gulf and Mew's eyes widened in shock. How could they possibly owe that much money?

Gulf and Mew exchanged confused glances as the old boss pointed to the contract. They had never read the fine print before, assuming that the standard 30% agency commission applied to their work.

"But our series was a hit!" Gulf protested. "How could we not have made enough profit to cover the 70%?"

The old boss just chuckled condescendingly. "Oh, it was a hit, all right. But you both signed a contract that stipulated that if the series didn't meet a certain level of viewership and revenue, then the agency would be owed a larger percentage of the profits. And unfortunately for you, it didn't meet that threshold."

Mew frowned, feeling frustrated and betrayed. "But how were we supposed to know that? We didn't even read the contract carefully."

The old boss shrugged. "Not my problem. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. You owe me 50 million dollars and I want it now."

Gulf and Mew exchanged another glance, realizing that they were in a difficult situation. They knew they couldn't afford to pay that kind of money, but they also didn't want to risk ruining their reputations or getting sued.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Gulf asked, feeling helpless.

The old boss smiled wickedly. "Well, I have a proposition for you both. If you agree to work together on another project for me, I'll forgive the debt and even pay you both a generous salary. You both have chemistry on screen and bring in a lot of money, so it's a win-win situation for everyone."

Gulf and Mew exchanged looks, both feeling uneasy with the idea of working together again. They had their reasons for not wanting to act together, but the old boss seemed determined to make it happen.

"We can't just force ourselves to work together, it's not going to work," Gulf said firmly.

The old boss let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "I understand your concerns, but let me remind you that you owe me 50 million dollars. I can't just let that go."

Mew furrowed his eyebrows. "We understand that, but there has to be another way for us to pay you back."

The old boss shook his head. "I'm afraid there isn't. You two as an onscreen couple bring in a large amount of money, and that's what I need right now."

Gulf and Mew looked at each other, feeling trapped. They knew they couldn't just give up the money they owed, but they also didn't want to work together again.

"We can't work together," Gulf said, his voice shaking slightly. "We just can't."
The boss's smile turned into a sneer. "You don't have a choice," he said. "Either you work together or I release everything I have on you to the media. Your careers will be over before they even begin."

The boss then took out his cell phone and placed it on the table.

"Play the clip," the boss instructed.

Mew and Gulf stared in silence for a while until Mew decided to do as he was instructed.

He clicked on the play button and then it shocked him.

"What in the world!?" his hand began to shake as a storm of emotions hit him.

Without a word, he nudged Gulf's shoulder and asked him to look.

The clip played their most intimate moments. They were lying in bed together, half-naked and making out. It was not them playing their roles but it was them as a couple.

Gulf and Mew's faces turned red as they watched in horror, realizing that someone had secretly filmed them. They felt violated and vulnerable as if their privacy had been invaded. The clip ended, and the boss looked at them with a smug expression.

"I think you understand the gravity of the situation now," he said. "I have this footage, and I can release it at any time. But I won't if you agree to work together again. You were a popular onscreen couple, and I can make you even more successful. But if you refuse, I'll make sure that your careers are ruined."

"You know this is illegal and this is blackmail. We will sue you," Mew said firmly as anger fumed him.

The old boss only chuckled and said, "If you want a long-lasting legal battle and waste all your hard-earned money fighting with me, you are most welcome. At the same time, I will also make sure that the clip gets played in every media house in this country".

Gulf and Mew exchanged a look, feeling trapped and powerless. They knew that the boss held all the cards and that they had no choice but to protect their privacy. Moreover,  they were no longer even in a relationship.

Finally, Gulf spoke up, "We can't agree to anything without having a lawyer read the contract first. We need to make sure we are protected."

The boss laughed and replied, "You can hire a lawyer if you want, but remember, I have all the power here. You either agree to my terms or face the consequences."

Gulf and Mew exchanged a worried look, but they knew they couldn't give in to the boss's threats. They decided to leave the hotel room and discuss their options outside.

As they walked out, the boss called after them, "Remember, time is running out. You have only a few days to decide before I release the video to the public."

Gulf and Mew walked away, unsure of what to do next. They knew they needed legal advice, but they also needed to find a way to stop the boss from ruining their careers.

***

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