"Sandra, why are you calling sote?" Yvonne asked, confused.


    "My dear girl, you''re asking me why I''m calling? You''re trending again," Sandra said with a sigh.


    "How am I trending? Did someone get a picture of me and Bet at the airport?" Yvonne asked as she opened her web browser to check the day''s trending topics.


    Normally, even if paparazzi snapped a photo of her and Bet, they wouldn''t dare publish it. No one in Istra was foolish enough to cross Mr. Thompson.


    Sure enough, the reason she was trending had nothing to do with Bet. It was because of Thomas.


    The production team had kept the guest list a secret to maintain an air of mystery, so there had been little promotion beforehand.


    Today, on the first day of filming, they had officially released some teaser clips. Among them was the segment where Thomas confessed his feelings for her.


    The show had deliberately edited the clip to only show Thomas saying “I really like you,"pletely removing the context and leaving it open to wild spection.


    The teaser caused an immediate uproar online. Not only did it shoot to the top of the trending list, but fans of both Thomas and Yvonne also fueled the frenzy.


    Aside from the fans, plenty of casual observers were chiming in. However, most people were sensible enough to recognize it as a publicity stunt by the show.


    Yvonne closed the browser. She figured the so-called ''drawing of lots'' was all pre- arranged. The production team had nned to use her and Thomas for promotion from the very beginning.


    But as celebrities, there was little they could do about it. They couldn''t issue a rification; in fact, they were expected to y along.


    Yvonne briefly exined what had happened during the recording that day.


    Sandra sounded equally resigned after hearing the story.


    "Orange Network has never yed by the rules, but their variety shows get great ratings and reviews. Plenty of celebrities are still fighting for a spot on them."


    A neer like Dn wasn''t even on Orange Network''s radar. That''s why Sandra had to package him with Yvonne, using her fame to pave the way for him.


    "This will all blow over once the episode airs," Yvonne said.


    "I know," Sandra chuckled. "I''m just worried about the heir to the Thompson fortune turning into a green-eyed monster."


    “He already has,” Yvonne sighed, rubbing her forehead.


    Bet''s sudden, out-of-the-blue video call tonight—shirtless, right after a shower,


    like a peacock showing off its feathers-now made perfect sense.


    He must have seen the trending topic.


    Men.


    "You''re scheduled to film for less than a week. You can smooth things over when you get back,” Sandraughed. After a few more words of advice, she ended the call.


    Yvonne held her phone, debating whether to call Bet.


    After hesitating for a long time, she put the phone back on the nightstand.


    Since Bet hadn''t asked about it, why should she go out of her way to exin? They had been through so many storms, even life-and-death situations, without letting go of each other. There was no need to blow something so small out of proportion.


    Yvonne turned off the bedroom light, leaving only a dim nightlight on, and went to sleep.


    The next day was a full day of filming.


    Yvonne woke up early for makeup and then followed the production crew''s van to various locations.


    Perhaps because of the buzz online, both she and Thomas tacitly maintained their distance from each other.


    As a neer, Dn yed his


    part well, staying by his boss''s side. He was the perfect gentleman, offering her water when she coughed and tanning her when it was hot.