"Luca, what did you do today? Christina gritted her teeth when she mentioned you, like she wanted to kill you."
That evening, in a small apartment in Locust Valley, Long Island, Britney, dressed in a white slip dress, leaned against the kitchen counter with a soft smile.
Luca smirked, "She tried to seduce me, hoping to create a misunderstanding between us. I played a little trick on her, and now she hates me."
"She even called me 'darling' in front of a bunch of people at the party, trying to make me look like a complete jerk."
"Haha~"
Britney chuckled lightly. "You better watch out for her. Don't be fooled by her height, she has a strong sense of revenge."
"I'll be careful!"
After dinner, the two of them curled up on the sofa, drinking wine and chatting.
"How's the album sales going?"
"Pretty good! So far, it's sold over 5 million copies."
"Wow, that's amazing! I'm sure it'll comfortably surpass 10 million. Britney Spears, I've got to say, you're incredible!"
Luca held her face and kissed her happily.
"Thank you, darling!"
Britney leaned on his shoulder, smiling softly. "Dear, you deserve some credit too."
"Me?"
"Yes! After 'Nobody' was released, it did really well."
Britney stood up, rummaged through her bag, and pulled out some documents. "Look, there's a surprise!"
Luca opened the papers. They showed how "Nobody" was charting worldwide.
It ranked 87th on the U.S. Billboard Pop Chart and 16th on Italy's FIMI Chart. It also placed 15th in Portugal, 22nd in Brazil, and charted in countries like Sweden, Australia, Austria, Denmark, and Finland.
"The real surprise is here!"
Britney pointed to the Asia section. "Look at Japan and Korea. The song's a huge hit there, super popular with fans. It was number one in Japan for two weeks and held the top spot in Korea for three weeks. It's still at number one."
"Darling, you're amazing!"
Britney, excited, hugged his neck and kissed him deeply.
Luca, holding her waist, smiled after a while. "No, Britney, it's you who's amazing. Your charm is irresistible. They're all captivated by your voice."
"Thank you! We're both amazing!"
Britney said sweetly, her eyes shining brightly. Her lips, as red as strawberries, gave off a sweet scent.
"Exactly!"
Luca smiled slightly, thinking about Britney's upcoming birthday. He suddenly said, "Let's sing together! Since coming back to New York from L.A., I've gotten some inspiration and written most of a new song. Could you help me finish it?"
"Sure!"
Britney jumped up happily, barefoot on the carpet, and quickly ran into the room, coming back with a guitar.
She loved music, and even more, loved discussing music with the one she cared about. It created a shared connection, like a touching of souls—a kind of intimacy deeper than any physical exchange.
She liked that. And even though Luca's voice wasn't the best, didn't that make it more fun?
"Wait!"
Luca grabbed a pen and started scribbling on the table, feeling like a bit of a copycat.
He used to think copying songs was a bit shameful. But after doing it a couple of times, it became easier. Now, it felt kind of... nice.
This time, he was copying the theme song from *Coco*—"Remember Me," the Oscar-winning Best Original Song.
Britney leaned over his shoulder, reading the lyrics. Her eyes lit up—it was another great song.
She tuned the guitar and began to hum softly.
**Ding ding dong dong…**
*Remember me though I have to say goodbye
Remember me don't let it make you cry
For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart…*
The small living room was brightly lit as they sat on the couch, huddled together, strumming the guitar and humming the song. Suddenly, the night became enchanting.
---
The next day, Luca bid farewell to this cozy setting and boarded a flight to Paris. Kate and Lima's fashion show was about to begin.
Having nothing else to do, he decided to go check it out.
In business class, Luca leaned back in his comfortable seat, wearing noise-cancelling headphones and holding a fashion magazine. He stretched, finally able to rest after over a month of work.
As the plane ascended, Luca flipped through a couple of pages. It was a French edition of *Vogue*, with Kate and Lima on the cover. They were dressed in different versions of the SUN series rainbow dresses. One was cold and elegant, the other warm and fiery—contrasting yet complementary.
The cover referred to them as a "legendary duo."
Inside, the article was full of praise for them, saying that they, and the SUN series designs they brought, were the brightest colors and biggest surprise of this season's Paris Fashion Week.
The collection featured many Brazilian elements, blending fashion with art perfectly. It was described as avant-garde and revolutionary, sparking a "color revolution" in the Paris fashion scene.
"Not bad!"
Luca mused, stroking his chin. The editor knew their stuff.
Kate and Lima had referenced multiple images of Brazilian parrots when designing, resulting in vibrant yet harmonious colors. Compared to their previous rainbow hoodie series, these designs were more mature and cohesive.
"Maybe they'll both become great designers!"
As Kate and Lima's careers flourished, Luca couldn't help but think about his own mess of a public image, stuck in a scandal he couldn't shake off. It was a little embarrassing, especially for someone who had been given a second chance at life.
"Hello, sir!"
A freckled blond guy approached him.
"Are you the infamous Luca?"
"The infamous Luca?"
Luca's mouth twitched. "Yeah, I'm Luca. What's up?"
"Hi Luca, I'm a big fan. Could you sign this for me?"
The freckled guy handed him a notebook and a pen, a bit nervous.
"My fan?"
Luca was surprised. *I have fans?*
Not a bad feeling.
"Sure!"
He signed his name in the notebook.
Finally!
He had practiced this signature for months, and no one had ever asked for it—until today.
"Thanks, Luca! You're so cool. You've been with Britney, Aniston, Jessica, and so many other big stars. I admire you so much. When I grow up, I want to be just like you!"
The freckled guy happily walked away with his notebook.
Luca's face darkened, his mouth twitching. *Do all my fans have to be this pervy? Should I just call my fan club 'the pervert camp'?*
There were a few muffled laughs around him. It seemed everyone had heard the freckled guy's bold words, and now they were looking at Luca with strange expressions.
"Crap! I accidentally became a bad role model."
Luca felt wronged. He was talented, good-looking, brave, and intelligent. Why didn't anyone notice those qualities?
He pulled out his notebook and jotted down a few ideas. It was time to do some PR work and clean up his image before things got worse.
(End of Chapter)