Hollywood Zenith

He had to take care of his hair and temporarily dye it to fit Sam Abel\'s persona. Elise was apprehensive when he changed his look; she wanted to do the same but messing up her perfect silver-blonde hair was too much for him to bear.

" When Elise grows this big, I will do it for you alright?" Samuel pointed at the height of her shoulder. Elise didn\'t know how to respond, so Samuel had to console her for a few minutes to get the idea out of her head.

Fran helped, and finally, the little girl forgo the idea to dye her hair. Samuel thought about calling Lucie again, but he didn\'t think it was needed; Fran had some connections, so she easily acquired a few exquisite attire for him for the interview.

Samuel left around noon and headed toward the hotel to meet Darren and Emma. He didn\'t know who else would be coming, but it didn\'t matter much. He was worried about Elise, but she seemed to be behaving well.

She wore a full white dress with intricate embroidery and a pink floral pattern at the helm. Her hair was done in a ponytail, which made her look even more cute. On the other hand, Samuel was wearing a dashing black suit, opposite her angelic appearance. It was contrasting, but they looked good together.

As soon as he reached the luxurious hotel, he spotted his two friends chatting in the distance. He already informed them about his arrival but didn\'t tell them he would bring Elise with him. After giving his keys to the valet, he walked together with Elise holding her hand.

Elise was a little wary; it was her first time coming into such an environment; after all, it was a high-class hotel where only the Elites stayed. Without connections, one would not even be able to enter the premises. It was arranged by Darren so one could imagine his choices.

A lot of attention was on Samuel and Elise; everyone recognized Samuel instantly from the movies but failed to see who the little girl was. She looked like a princess, but why was she here with him?

Following the mummer, Darren noticed Samuel\'s arrival. He and Emma walked forward while dispersing the crowd piling up at the entrance. They didn\'t have to do it personally; Darren\'s butler already followed his master\'s will.

When they came closer, Darren saw the girl beside Samuel and immediately froze. What he said at the airport was clearly a joke but seeing her here made him rethink his assessment. Emma was still in the dark, but looking at such a precious thing made her walk faster toward them. It would be a shame if she didn\'t pinch those puffy cheeks!

" You are here, let\'s go inside first. Elise is troubled by the crowd." Samuel urged them as soon as they met.

" Alright, I have already arranged for a secluded place for us to talk. I will guide you but-" Darren looked at Elise for a moment trying to say something.

" Later, I will explain everything." With that, they walked inside; Emma\'s sight was on Elise the whole time. She was trying to get near her, but Elise was hiding behind. Samuel grabbed at his pants like a little mouse.

...

...

...

" Is she really your kid?" The first thing Darren asked was when they sat down.

" What! Sam has a hidden child?!" Emma almost stood up in surprise. How was that possible when Samuel was barely an adult?

" Can you two be quiet for a moment? You are making her frightened." Samuel patted Elise\'s head, who didn\'t understand what they were discussing.

" But at the airport when we met Mayra, why did she say so?"

" Wait! Who is Mayra? Is she the woman?" Emma went into gossip mode. She wanted to know everything! This was explosive news!

" Don\'t jump into conclusion. She was only joking at that time, we are just....friends." Samuel\'s pause aroused Darren\'s suspicion.

" Friends you say... nothing happened between you two right?" Darren said with a smug expression. How could he, Samuel\'s childhood friend, not know when his friend was hiding something.

" Do you want me to beat you up?" Samuel threatened him with violence. It was a facade to hide the truth.

" Don\'t try to escape the question! Your eyes clearly changed when he said her name!" Emma was as perceptive as ever.

  " I don\'t know what you are talking about. Are you guys in the same boat? I left you alone and now you are enjoying your adult life?" Samuel turned the conversation around. He didn\'t need to guess. He could tell that they already did it. There were young and alone; how could it not have happened?

" W-what? I-" Darren fumbled his words.

"..." Emma hid her blushing face. Samuel was spot-on with his assessment.

" It\'s okay if you don\'t want to talk about it. Beside, how could she be my child, neither me or Mayra have blonde hair, she is an asian for god\'s sake!" Samuel made a valid point; it was practically impossible.

He quickly explained everything by covering Elise\'s ear, saying it was some sort of game. Her origins and how he came about to care for her for a few days because Mayra was busy. He also told them about her psychological condition, which soon turned their suspicious eyes into pitiful ones. 

" Elise, these are my friends. You met Darren at the airport right? the girl beside him is Emma. Can you greet them?" Samuel asked politely.

The little girl nodded firmly and gave them a little bow and a cute smile to go along with it. It was something they practised in the car. Elise was very sensible and immediately mastered harnessing the power of her cuteness!

" W-wow, she is too cute! Can I touch her?" Emma was mesmerized. She wanted to jump and hug her, but she controlled herself, knowing the little girl was not good with strangers. Even Darren, who didn\'t like children much, was impressed, it would take some time for Elise to conquer his heart, but Samuel believed in her! 

" Can she?" Samuel looked at her and was surprised when Elise took the initiative to walk toward Emma. He felt like a proud father at that moment, seeing Elise\'s progress in only two days!

They played around for a bit before leaving for the venue; Emma said Rupert was insanely busy these days and would meet them there. Samuel thought the director would be coming too, but it was only the three musketeers!