My Son is a Top Star

At the film festival's red carpet, I was accused of hitting on a top idol.

All I did was button up his suit during a photo op and leaned my head on his shoulder.

That night, the idol's rumored girlfriend posted on social media, "The entertainment industry is way too lenient. If this happened to an ordinary person, calling the cops would be totally justified!"

But what was I supposed to do?

Even if I went too far, the police wouldn't step in.

The top idol was my son. I raised him through all the hardships, and as his mother, I could mess with him however I wanted!

At the film festival, I became the biggest winner of the night.

Top influencers went wild, stirring up drama.

They edited clips of me accidentally poking the young idol's stomach and his miserable, unwilling expression into a montage.

The internet exploded, accusing me of ruining my reputation at this point in my career.

"Resurrected old woman, clinging to the spotlight for attention."

"Couldn't make it on your own, so now you're hanging around my star for some eyeballs? Desperate for a comeback, huh?"

"Could she be rich or something? Otherwise, with Declan Barlow's bad temper, I've never seen him give anyone the time of day."

"Well, Elora Haynes, the up-and-coming star with strong connections, it's official-they're dating and about to get engaged."

One comment went viral.

Fans flooded Elora's social media, posting identical comments in perfect sync, "What do you think?"

Elora had been nominated for Best Actress at the festival for her role as the gender-swapped lead in the high-budget film Young Sleuth, where her over-the-top wide-eyed acting caught attention.

Luckily, another patriotic film won by word of mouth, avoiding any embarrassing blunders or laughable mistakes

But her rumored romance with Declan had exploded into full gossip.

Behind-the-scenes clips of their lingering eye contact were released, and fans on both sides went wild, calling them the perfect match.

Her follower count skyrocketed.

For a full day and night, Elora kept quiet.

Finally, Declan's studio had enough and posted a photo of me from my younger days, crowned Best Actress, reading a script backstage.

"A respected industry veteran with both talent and integrity, a true role model for emerging actors. We urge the industry and fans alike to embrace open-mindedness, refrain from spreading rumors, and show greater tolerance and kindness."

Five minutes later, Elora seized the moment. "The entertainment industry is way too lenient. If this happened to an ordinary person, calling the cops would be totally justified!"

Even after Declan's studio cleared things up, Elora doubled down on her support.

Sharp-eyed netizens quickly connected the dots to the recent rumors that Declan was planning to terminate his contract with Ivy Company and face a massive penalty.

They kept stoking the flames, making the situation worse.

"The investors are protecting the old witch. Elora, it's time for you to make your move!"

Several topics went viral, and the anticipation hit an all-time high.

The entire internet was waiting for Elora's response.

But she dragged it out for another day and night, gaining millions of new followers in the process.

Finally, she posted a still from her and Declan's film, showing them battered but gazing at each other with deep emotion.

"Reinforcements are on the way. I'm here to bring my hero home."

Home?

The whole Ivy Company belonged to Declan! What home was he even trying to go back to?

Fuming, I threw my tablet at Fletcher Williams, who was in the middle of a video conference.

"Control your son! He's got a perfectly good life, but now he's acting like a spoiled princess!"

Fletcher calmly closed his laptop, his expression unchanged.

What was going on?

He was usually a sharp man, but with everything burning down around us, he just sat there, acting like nothing had happened.

"You're this worked up? Really?"

His husky voice and seductive tone only made me angrier.

I snapped.

And he shut up.

Seriously? At his age, and he was still trying to play the bossy heartthrob?

"Hello, Boris? Find out which company Declan's planning to jump to!"

Since he couldn't argue with me, Fletcher took it out on his phone.

"He thinks he's all grown up now? Fine! Whatever company he's going to, I'm buying it!"

But it was too late.

By the time Boris Duffy got back to Fletcher, Declan had already wired the penalty fee to Lvy Company.

And to top it off, he'd signed with Elora's agency, Singyee Entertainment.

Classic case of love-struck stupidity.

And now he wanted to move out, too!

"All this for Elora?"

I was so pissed I wanted to send him back and ask for a do-over.

I just couldn't understand. He had always been a thoughtful, kind-hearted boy. How had he suddenly turned into someone I didn't recognize?

I had been out of the spotlight for twenty years, always carrying a sense of guilt toward Declan.

Back then, young and overconfident, I insisted on doing a stunt scene in the water- at 32 weeks pregnant.

Things went wrong, and I ended up giving birth prematurely.

Even after all these years, I could still see Declan's tiny, wrinkled face nestled in my arms, his cries barely louder than a kitten's mewl.

In that moment, all my stubborn pride crumbled.

I surrendered to what was meant to be.

I shed the identity of Zera Padilla, the actress, and devoted myself entirely to being Declan's mother.

Watching him grow into a principled, courageous, and hardworking young man, exceeding all my expectations, I felt no regrets.

But everything started to change after he met Elora.

He turned secretive, his life suddenly full of lies.

The paparazzi caught him again and again, but he didn't seem to care- recklessly throwing away his image just to stay close to Elora.

I just couldn't understand.

A fame-hungry actress, lacking both character and skill, what was so special about her?

"I'm an adult now. My life is none of your business."

His icy remark left me speechless.

But Fletcher wasn't about to let him off the hook.

He gave Declan a thorough dressing-down, then pressured Boris to speed up the acquisition process.

"Don't waste your breath. Singyee Entertainment answers to me now."

Declan nonchalantly pulled out a stock transfer agreement and tossed it in front of Fletcher with a sarcastic grin.

"If you thought this family revolved around you, think again. From now on, I'm beyond your control."