Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 299: Scourge

"Why did he just leave like that?" Andre caught a glimpse of Elliot fleeing as fast as lightning, disappearing from sight in no time.

Renly nodded lightly and said seriously, "It's probably because we don't have enough gossip value, so he left in disdain." His self-deprecating comment elicited different reactions from the two listeners.

Paul, standing nearby, burst into carefree laughter, amused by Renly's humor; but Andre furrowed his brows, clearly not pleased with this assessment, complaining, "What do you mean we don't have any gossip value?" He felt his pride had taken a hit.

"Exactly what it means." Renly patted Andre on the shoulder with a consoling expression, which earned him an eye-roll from Andre. Renly then stood up, brushing the sand off his beach shorts. "Of course, I could go and call him back, but you'd better prepare yourself to show something interesting, or my effort will be in vain."

Renly gave Andre a meaningful glance, causing Andre's hair to stand on end. Renly chuckled softly and started to walk away.

Andre turned to look at Paul, who was still smiling, and pulled a face. "Is he like this at work too?"

Paul laughed heartily, shaking his head. "No, no. At work, he's focused, dedicated, and serious. He never jokes around."

"..." Andre was speechless. "Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

Renly, of course, wasn't going after the paparazzi; he was just going to take care of some personal business.

Sunset Beach is a well-developed area with plenty of tourists. Nearby, there was a makeshift commercial zone with Mexican food trucks, hot dog stands, mobile convenience stores, and a row of public restrooms, always ready to serve the visitors.

Not far away, a line of yellow and green portable toilets stood neatly in a row, their bright colors making them easy for tourists to find. Another easy method was to spot the long queue in front of them, a common sight like a concert crowd, as the area in front of the restrooms was always one of the busiest.

Renly joined the line. Two bikini-clad women in front of him were enthusiastically discussing the performance of a contestant from a recently concluded competition. Judging by their bronzed skin and well-toned figures, they were likely surfing enthusiasts themselves.

Suddenly, a petite figure flashed through Renly's peripheral vision, cutting through the middle of the line and standing next to the two women, pretending to queue. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and lowered her head slightly, hiding most of her face in the shadow.

"Ahem." Renly coughed lightly to remind her that cutting in line was impolite.

The woman seemed to realize her rudeness and hurriedly explained, "Sorry, I'm not feeling well and I think I'm going to throw up. Can I cut in line just for a bit?"

She had originally addressed Renly, but to her surprise, the two bikini women responded first. "Are you okay? If you need to, you can go ahead." The one standing next to Renly even turned around and said, "If necessary, I can swap places with you."

Although they allowed her to cut, it didn't mean they could speak for the rest of the line. So the woman offered her spot as a compromise.

Renly smiled at the woman, about to offer his own gentlemanly gesture. But before he could speak, the woman waved her hand. "No, I'm fine now..." She paused, looking genuinely nauseous. "I just need to stand here for a bit and calm down. If I feel worse, I'll let you know."

Renly found her explanation a bit illogical, but the two bikini women nodded sympathetically.

The "nauseous" woman quickly glanced at Renly, apologizing again and thanking him, though the word "thanks" came out hesitantly as if she'd suddenly recognized him. Her surprised and shocked expression betrayed her emotions—she never expected to encounter Renly here.

Renly raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of interest. So, was Scarlett really feeling unwell, or was there another reason?

Sure enough, Scarlett withdrew her gaze, glancing through the gap between the two bikini women toward the beach. She quickly adjusted her stance, using the women and the portable toilets to hide herself.

Renly followed her gaze and saw someone moving quickly through the crowd, the large camera slung around his neck making him stand out. It was none other than the paparazzo who had just fled. If Renly remembered correctly, his name was Elliot.

Turning back, Renly met Scarlett's eyes head-on, a teasing smile flickering in his gaze. Although he didn't know the full story, it was clear Scarlett was avoiding the paparazzi. So, was the "nausea" just an excuse?

To Renly, paparazzi were nothing out of the ordinary, but for most people in Hollywood, they were a nightmare.

Scarlett's eyes narrowed in annoyance. She bit her full lips, sending a clear warning to Renly to keep quiet and not make a scene.

Renly raised his hands innocently, signaling his harmlessness, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. This reminded Scarlett of their last encounter—

During the "Buried" audition, she was certain that she played a role, however small, in helping Renly land the part, inadvertently aiding him in defeating Ryan. This man seemed graceful, but he was dangerous.

Moreover, the recent news about Renly was all over the place. Even though she'd been busy with filming, she'd heard enough to know just how much buzz there was.

Did this mean that standing here now made her even more of a target? Renly's calm demeanor and open presence meant that the paparazzi could easily spot her, and then what? Would she be caught up in his scandal?

"You should leave," Renly whispered in Scarlett's ear, bending slightly.

Scarlett's eyes widened in anger. Unlike their last encounter, she'd been in a foul mood recently and had no patience for Renly's games.

But Renly seemed oblivious to her anger. "A woman wouldn't want to be associated with a restroom by a man," he teased.

The playful comment caught Scarlett off guard, making her almost want to laugh. She glanced Renly up and down, sizing him up with a mischievous grin. "A woman wouldn't want to be associated with a restroom by a man she's interested in."

The implication couldn't have been clearer: she had no interest in Renly.

Renly didn't mind, keeping his smile. "So you do see me as a man, after all." When a woman regards a man as a "man," that's when the sparks of flirtation begin—and the same goes for men.

Scarlett bit her lip slightly, about to retort, but then she saw the paparazzo nearing them, scanning the area. Her playful mood evaporated, and she quickly turned her body to hide beside the bikini women.

But then Scarlett noticed something strange. The paparazzo's searching gaze halted, and his footsteps faltered. His eyes landed on Renly, his expression filled with hesitation, and then... he just turned and left. No hesitation, no second thoughts, just a hasty retreat as if he'd seen something terrifying.

What just happened?

Scarlett turned to Renly, her eyes wide in disbelief. "What just happened?"

"What?" Renly smiled, throwing the question back at her.

Scarlett was speechless. Her first thought was that she'd imagined it. Why would a paparazzo flee just because of Renly? It didn't make sense. Renly's composed manner only made her question herself more.

But after thinking it over, she was sure she hadn't been seeing things. The paparazzo had definitely been about to come over, but upon seeing Renly, he had turned and left. There had to be something going on!

"You know what I mean. What just happened?" Scarlett narrowed her eyes like a Persian cat, her pupils shrinking with a dangerous glint. "Why did that paparazzo leave the moment he saw you?"

"Were you hiding from the paparazzi earlier? So you weren't actually feeling sick?" Renly's response threw Scarlett off, as she sensed the confused looks from the two bikini women beside them—damn this man!

For the second time, she had lost ground in front of him.

Grinding her teeth, Scarlett fired back, "No, I was actually avoiding Donald Trump." Her humorous response defused the tension, making the two bikini women chuckle.

Renly remained unfazed, nodding in understanding. "Well, that's good to hear. It's great that you're not feeling unwell."

His gentlemanly demeanor made Scarlett roll her eyes and smirk sarcastically. "How delightful. A London gentleman meets Sunset Beach. I'm sure 'The Sun' would love to write about such a story."