The Treasure She Never Asked For

Half way through their breakfast, they all received text messages from the filming crew. Marcel who was used as a person to hide the relationship between Alistair and Micah almost smiled happily after reading the text.

"I'm going home today," Marcel declared happily and didn't even wait to finish breakfast before calling Julia. 

"Julia," Marcel called out as he stood up and left the couple alone on the table. Micah looked at Alistair with hint of embarrassment before giving her breakfast all of her attention. Alistair pretended not to notice as he had his soup. 

"Will you stay at the house or go back home?" Alistair asked Micah seemingly innocently.

"I'm… I'll go back home," Micah said after some thought. Alistair looked up at her and a barely visible smile appeared on his face.

"You?" Micah asked after thinking about it.

"I'm also going home," Alistair answered seriously and Micah nodded like it was none of her business. These two were good at acting like they were not informing each other that they should meet once they leave.

Soon, Marcel came back with a happy expression on his face. He sat back down on the dining table to have his breakfast. He was able to sense the subtle mood between the two and suddenly he regretted that he found out about their relationship. If he was oblivious then they would also have to pretend in front of him and he could genuinely act like he did not know.

"I'll be leaving in a little over an hour. I don't have to tolerate cameras following me around all day," He said happily before looking at his roommate.

"You won't be staying back right?" Marcel asked the both of them and they both shook their heads. They were also tired of dodging cameras just so that they can spend some time together. Marcel nodded in understanding. He was going to pick Liam up later that day and stay with him overnight before returning him back to school the following day. That was what he was most excited about.

Marcel quickly finished his breakfast and went to his room to pick out a couple of his necessities and went back downstairs with his backpack.

This time he met Lauren who had just come to the living room with her cup of coffee. Marcel looked at her uncomfortable expression and felt sorry for her.

"I left some soup for you, it'll help with the hangover," Marcel said as he sat down on one of the sofas.

"Mmmh, I need to wake up first, I feel like a zombie," Lauren said and closed her eyes. She didn't have a headache, she just felt like hell. After a few more sips, she noticed that Marcel looked like he was going somewhere.

"You're dressed, where are you going?" Lauren asked curiously as she looked at the backpack that was next to him on the soda.

"I'm going back home. We have a two day one night break," Marcel and smiled happily.

"Really?" Lauren asked and Marcel nodded.

"Didn't you see the message?" Marcel asked her and Lauren shook her head.

"I'll just stay behind, it's not like there's anyone I'm going back to," Lauren said as she shrugged her shoulders and stood up. Marcel felt a bit bad when he heard her. If he did not have Liam, would he have been so excited about leaving the house? He would have probably stayed back for longer and spent time with people in the house, at least he wouldn't be alone that way.

"Should I bring you anything?" Marcel asked and Lauren rolled her eyes making him laugh.

"I'm not in prison, if I want anything I can go out and buy it," Lauren said and Marcel nodded in agreement.

After the crew sent them those messages, they stopped actively filming the people in the house. So everyone's conversations became easier.

True to her word, Julia arrived an hour later. She did not call Marcel and instead, she walked into the house like she owned it. Marcel who was easily chatting with Lauren who was finally aving the soup he prepared stopped talking as his gaze was immediately drawn to Julia who was wearing an emerald green pantsuit with stilettos that were so high she was visibly taller than normal.

"Who is that?" Lauren asked when she noticed Julia. 

"My manager," Marcel said and Lauren's eyebrows rose. Where could she get a manager like her? She wanted one too. Julia's arrival brought out the director this time and the two of them talked for a bit. With the tight bun pulled behind her and her dark eyes, she made people stand a bit straighter as she talked to them.

After Julia had a few words with the director she walked towards Marcel, her heels clinking audibly against the marble floor.

"You're drooling," Marcel teased Lauren who was staring at Julia. Lauren really wiped her chin before glaring at Marcel who was now laughing.

"Aunt Julia," Marcel greeted and Julia's eye twitched a bit before she looked at Lauren who was sitting next to Marcel.

"This is Lauren, my friend, Lauren, this is Julia, my manager," Marcel said and Lauren stood up to shake Julia's hand. The two of them were the same height even with Julia wearing her heels.

"Nice to meet you Lauren," Julia said with a polite smile and Lauren nodded absent mindedly. Julia handed her her business card and Lauren received it in a daze. 

"Where are your other friends?" Julia asked and Marcel had to stop himself from laughing, but before he could say anything, Alistair came downstairs with a backpack of his own. 

"There he is," Marcel said and Julia turned back and almost fell into a daze. She had seen the first episode and she had agreed with Marcel's evaluation. She knew that Alistair was handsome but he looked even better in real life.

Like this, the models came down one after another, some of them were still in a daze because of their hangovers and couldn't even register what was going on. But Julia's purpose today was not to state her intentions. Since they were going to have a break, then she was going to reach out to them later in the day or even tomorrow. She had an advantage because of how she was familiar with Marcel.

After saying hello, Marcel was finally impatient enough to rush Julia. Julia stood up from the dining chair and looked at Lauren who had been silently observing her.

"Well, I'll be seeing you Lauren?" Julia said and Lauren nodded in rush. Marcel felt embarrassed for his friend. Could she be anymore obvious?

He was able to garner that Lauren liked older women from what she shared the previous day, her reaction today just made that suspicion a fact. 

When they got into his van, Marcel couldn't help but look at Julia a few more times. Julia who was typing something out in her phone looked at him in question.

"What?" Julia asked when she saw him stare at her so blatantly.

"Nothing, I was just curious," Marcel said and Julia shook her head. She had noticed how Lauren looked at her, how couldn't she notice while she had been in the industry for so long? She only felt flattered, nothing more than that.

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