From Shadows To The Spotlight

[Chapter 14: The Truth Cannot Be Buried (I)]

Last Time on Chapter 013 of From Shadows To The Spotlight —

It was something that made him frustrated to no end but he knew that wasn't much he could do.

"Can you believe it?" one whispered, casting a wary glance over his shoulder.

"I always thought he seemed intense, but I didn't know he was capable of… you know, betraying someone that close to him and a dead guy at that... if I hadn't signed the contract already I would've been out of here already."

Now Continuing —

The second extra, a young woman, nodded with her arms crossed. "I mean, I wasn't here at the beginning of production, but I heard he has been a little… tough on everyone. I thought he was a perfectionist, but maybe that's just the surface."

Sam felt a pang of frustration as he bit back the urge to defend Alex. Even though he admittedly didn't know Alex well enough yet, with only been working for the man for a few months now. He still felt like it was wrong to be suspicious of him over unverified testimonials and evidence, as it wasn't any better than just baseless gossip.

And what saddened him even more was seeing the ripple effects that the gossip and fearmongering were having on the filming process. Productivity on set had been slowing down recently as people's focus had been fractured by the gossip circulating amongst the crew.

Thankfully, Alex's core team of crew members, like Francois, their DOP, Mathias on Props, Dave on Lighting, Smitty on sound had been holding down the fort and ensuring that things got done.

It was a subtle change, but in a production of this scale, even small disruptions could escalate into full-blown setbacks if they weren't handled soon enough. But what truly surprised him was Alex's silence.

Their boss, despite knowing about the words that were being said about him behind his back, for some odd, unknown reason chose to not address them or even speak up about his innocence. Or about the false claims being made by the journalists in the news. This only added fuel to the fire.

To him, it looked like Alex was hiding something, whether it was the fact that the claims being made about him were true or that he couldn't disprove them for some odd reason. He just treated them as if they weren't happening, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand to avoid facing the situation. At least that was what it looked like watching from the outside.

While he was listening to the extras talk and ruminating on the state of the crew, he noticed his new boss, Nicole Kidman. After a few weeks of vetting and observation, he was assigned to be her personal assistant, however temporary.

She was walking across the set nonchalantly, though he could tell that her expression was tense as she took in the hushed conversations around her. But when she passed by them, the whispers grew quieter, some crew members casting guilty glances her way before turning back to their work.

Nicole's piercing gaze scanned the crowd, and Sam could sense her frustration simmering just beneath her poised exterior.

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Nicole had always prided herself on her instincts honed from her having spent a decade toiling in the industry, and those instincts told her that this scandal was nothing but an attempt to bring down Alex's credibility and repute amongst the industry insiders and sully the brand of MONARCH that he had quietly built up with his own two hands.

As an actress who had worked with Hollywood's elite, Nicole understood the industry's hunger for scandal, the allure of a well-placed rumor.

She was no stranger to the whisper networks, the stories that rose and fell as quickly as the tides, destroying reputations and often times even entire careers along the way.

She found her new assistant Sam standing near one of the set pieces and approached him, her voice low but firm. "Sam, you must've heard about all this nonsense they're saying about Alex."

Sam nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "Yeah. I've heard. And so has just about everyone else. It's hard to ignore."

Nicole crossed her arms, her expression hardening as she decided to vent a little to let out her frustration. "It's ridiculous, you know? I worked with Alex before we started on this project, and I've never seen him act out of anything but integrity."

"This… this rumor about him betraying Michael? It just doesn't add up."

Sam raised an eyebrow, surprised by her conviction and belief in the man. "I mean, I haven't known him for long, but I don't think it fits with the kind of image the media is painting out to be, either."

Nicole's gaze softened. "Exactly. But the sad truth is, the damage is already spreading, however. People love a juicy story, even when it's not true." She paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "But you know, Sam, if you get close enough to the truth, it's sometimes enough to push back against the lies."

She looked over her shoulder at the bustling set, her mind drifting back to her own experiences with scandal, whispers, and the relentless pressure to prove oneself. Nicole knew that Alex wasn't likely to defend himself against these rumors, especially if it meant tarnishing the memory of a dear friend.

That was the kind of man he was—proud, loyal, and willing to shoulder blame if it meant protecting others. And that, Nicole realized, was mostly likely exactly why he'd become a target of a scandal of this type.

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Nicole had a similar conversation with Catherine later on; they get along pretty amicably now, considering how awkward their first meeting had been as the two knew each other to be the "in bed" with Alex.

But after a few interactions and conversations, Nicole came to enjoy Cat's company, as she was a very bold and straightforward woman who loved to gossip and tease others.

The two shared a sense of unease as they talked about Alex and his recent run-in with The Hollywood Tribune, even as work continued around them. Catherine and Nicole exchanged a look of mutual understanding, a silent agreement that neither of them would be swayed by the rumors. They could only hope that the truth would come to light soon.

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In the shadows of Hollywood's most powerful offices, the seeds of this smear campaign continued to grow, as Langston masterfully orchestrated his plan with ruthless precision alongside a few executives and producers from the other studios of the Big Six, who had everything to gain from Alex's fall from grace.

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The dim glow of the television flickered across the modest yet carefully decorated living room of a three-bedroom townhouse in Brentwood, Hollywood, its light bathing the faces of the three women that were seated on a plush, comfy couch.

Abigail Matthews was a lady that was in her late forties but still maintained her striking looks with her dark hair streaked with a few stray grays. She sat rigidly between her two daughters, her lips pressed into a thin line as the reporters' voices filled the room.

"The scandal continues to rock Hollywood as allegations against Alex Masters gain traction. Friends and collaborators remain tight-lipped, fueling speculation—" The reporter droned on, reading the carefully worded script off of the teleprompter.

Abigail slammed the remote against the coffee table, shutting down the broadcast to get some peace, as she had heard enough of these vultures tearing into her son. The thud echoed in the room, causing her daughters, gorgeous young women looking to be in their mid-twenties, to flinch out of surprise.

"Mom…" began Sophia, the eldest, her voice timid and small; she had always been the shy one between the two despite being the older one. She tucked a strand of curly brown hair behind her ear, her dark hazel eyes flicking between her mother and the now-blank screen of their TV.

Abigail shook her head, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped them in her lap. "It's lies. All of it. There's no way Alex would do anything like that."

Clara, the younger, with softer features and her mother's beautiful sea green eyes that were now widened with shock and filled with tears, hugged her knees to her chest. "But what about the letter? The one they keep showing—"

"Enough about the damn letter!" She snapped, her voice breaking, as she tried and failed to hold in her frustration and anger. Taking a moment to pause, she took a few deep breaths and exhaled shakily, and finally answered with a softened tone. "I don't care what they dug up. Your brother would never stoop to something so vile. Never."

The room fell into a heavy silence, punctuated only by the hum of the refrigerator from the adjoining kitchen.

Abigail's mind raced, unbidden memories surfacing like ghosts. She saw a much younger Alex—just a gangly boy at fourteen, his frame wiry and tall but already hinting at the strength he would grow into—dragging himself back to the closet-sized apartment he lived in after working sixteen-hour days on film sets just so he could save up some money to send home.

In a photo he had taken with the crew and sent home, she remembered his face had been streaked with grease and his hands were blistered. But his eyes—those piercing blue eyes of his had always shone with pride after an honest day of hard work.

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Her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke, as much to herself as to her daughters. "Do you remember what he did for us? That boy dropped out of school—against my wishes, mind you—just to put food on this table. He worked himself to the bone so we could have a roof over our heads."

Sophia nodded, tears welling up as she placed a comforting hand on her mother's.

"And when he got his first big paycheck from Star Wars," Abigail continued, her voice thick with emotion, "what did he do? Did he go out and buy himself something nice? No. He bought this house for us. He bought this"—she gestured, waving her hand around the room—"so we wouldn't have to worry about landlords kicking us out anymore."

Clara sniffled. "And the car," she whispered.

Her lips curled into a faint, bittersweet smile. "That old hunk of junk I used to drive couldn't even get us to the grocery store without breaking down once or twice in the middle of the road. He spent the rest of his money on the down payment for a new one, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting you girls to school."

She paused, her chest heaving as the weight of it all pressed down on her. "He sacrificed everything for us. For years, he lived in a shoebox apartment and drove around in a second-hand car, while we got to stay here, comfortable and warm."

"That boy—that man—isn't capable of what they're accusing him of. And no forged letter from some godforsaken snake of women crying crocodile tears is going to convince me otherwise."

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Sophia leaned her head against her mother's shoulder. "Do you think he knows we're on his side? That we don't believe any of it?"

Abigail's jaw tightened. "Of course he does, honey," she said firmly. "But he doesn't need us to defend him publicly. He doesn't want us to become a target like he has. My boy has always carried the weight of the world on his shoulders."

Clara's voice was small, her words heavy with guilt. "I wish we could do more for him."

She reached over and took her youngest daughter's hand in hers and said, "You two are the reason he fought so hard, every single day, and still does to this day. You're the reason he kept going when most people would've given up. Don't ever forget that."

She turned her gaze toward the darkened television, her expression resolute. "This lie will pass as well. It has to. Because no matter what they say about him, Alex is a good man. The best man I've ever known."

Her voice cracked then, but she straightened her back and blinked away the tears. "I don't regret marrying that useless son of a bitch who left us. Not for a second. Because he gave me two angels"—she squeezed their hands—"and a guardian angel in the form of my dear son."

The sisters clung to her, their heads resting on her shoulders. For all their quiet strength, they were still just young women watching their brother—a man who had given them everything—be torn apart by the world.

And as the night wore on, Abigail sat there, holding her daughters close, praying silently for the storm to pass. For her son to endure it, as he always had. Because if anyone could weather this, it was Alex.

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Elizabeth Carson sat at her kitchen table, a mug of coffee growing cold in her hands as she sifted through the mountain of articles, tabloids, and so-called exposés piled up before her. The Hollywood Tribune lay open, its lead article smeared across the front page in bold letters that felt like a punch to the gut.

Did Alex Masters Betray a Friend for Fame?

The words seemed to echo off the walls, each line feeling like an accusation against both Alex and Michael. Elizabeth's heart twisted as she read the claims—the hints that Michael had been the genius behind Alex's success, that he'd been left in the dust for the sake of Alex's rise.

They might've been able to paint a believable picture to the people that didn't knew what really happened, but she knew that none of it was true.

How could she not, for Michael was her own brother? She knew better than anyone else that Alex had always been a loyal friend to Michael, even more than that he had, and still to this day, despite the betrayal, considers Michael as his own brother. 

She could still hear Michael's voice on the tape she held as he tearfully confessed to her the mistakes he'd made in his life. And his regret was turning on the one friend who had stood by him when everyone else had walked away.

Elizabeth glanced at the cassette player on the table, the worn tape inside containing the confession Michael had recorded not long before he died. In his message, he'd pleaded for forgiveness—not just from Alex but from her too—for letting the wrong people lead him astray.

She'd always known her brother had been complicated, a man pulled between ambition and doubt. And it had taken her years to come to terms with the choices he'd made and to learn to forgive him for the kind of man he had ended up becoming in the end.

Her gaze shifted to the letter beside the tape, Michael's final message to Alex. His words were raw, filled with both regret and admiration. He'd confessed everything in that letter: how Veronica, his wife at the time, had manipulated him into betraying Alex; how she'd convinced him that he deserved more recognition and status; and that it was Alex was holding him back and using him for his talent.

But Elizabeth hadn't told Alex that she still had the letter and the tape with her, as she just couldn't bring herself to dispose of them. Maybe it was meant to be… for them to be used to prove Alex's innocence. She knew Alex wouldn't do it himself, as he really cared for and loved Michael like he was his own brother and believed that his legacy would be tarnished if the truth ever came out.

And so no matter what was being said about him in the media, he didn't say a word or come forward with the truth.

And now, as the Hollywood rumor mill spun out of control, she found herself torn between two choices: protect her brother's memory or clear Alex's name.

— To be Continued...

{2.5k words}

{TRL: This is the new Hollywood story that has been bouncing around in my head. I really need to get this out so here's another chapter.

I hope you liked the reveal and how instead of Alex it was his friend that betrayed him, I know some people might not like the fact that the conflict will be resolved so easily with the sister already having all the evidence needed to prove Alex's innocence.

But this is just first incident and I didn't want to overcomplicate things or drag them out, but this isn't the end as this incident will lead to many different developments in the future that I'm excited to write on.

Also would you like to read ahead? You can do so for free up to 5 chapters ahead of the public release on my Patreon page as Free Member.

Yes, free. If you're interested you'll find the link in the Author's thoughts section or just google TheRamenLord and Patr eon.

If you like my work and would like to support me then by becoming a paid member you read from 10 to 20 chapters ahead of the public release depending on tier you purchase.

There is a 20% discount currently that I am giving for the first month to new patrons as well, if you like my work please do check out my page.

Get 20% off your first month. Ends at 2:19 AM on Dec 24, 2024. T & C apply.}