The Villain Who Stole Hearts
Chapter 113: On Set with Anna

Chapter 113: On Set with Anna

For the next few days, Veil’s life in the hospital was calm—almost boringly so. He spent most of his time scrolling through his phone, replying to messages, and keeping in touch with a few people.

The rest of his day? Well, it was spent being pampered by Saoirse and Lyra, who took care of him down to the smallest detail.

Eating, drinking, reading, even going to the bathroom—he didn’t need to lift a finger.

And strangely enough, his injuries healed at an astonishing rate. Even the attending physician found it inexplicable.

Of course, if it hadn’t been for Saoirse and Lyra knowing about his injury, Veil would’ve used his Beauty Elixir to speed up recovery by the third day—when he could already move his arm again.

To keep things from looking too suspicious, he deliberately stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks before finally deciding it was time to be discharged.

Stretching his arms and cracking his neck, Veil glanced at Kai, who had just walked in.

"So, how’s Dorian Wilson doing?" he asked casually.

Kai shook his head. "That guy’s as stubborn as ever. Refuses to sell out, won’t even consider the offer, and now he’s gone and blocked my number. Young Master, that guy is seriously testing my patience. Fuck! I’d love to see how well he talks after I land a punch on his smug face."

"Leave him alone for now," Veil said calmly. "I’ve already arranged for Cody to take over. All you need to do is wait—he’ll come to you."

Buy out Dorian?

What a joke.

Dorian Wilson was a favored son of fate in the entertainment storyline. He knew full well how valuable the scripts and knowledge in his head were. There was no way he’d give that up for a bit of money.

Sending Kai was never meant to seal the deal. It was a setup—just to plant a seed and leave Dorian with a way to get in touch. When the time came and things fell apart around him...

He’d make the call himself.

"Go handle the discharge papers," Veil instructed. "And leak a little news to Anna. I’m going to catch some sleep."

Once Kai had left, Veil lay back in the hospital bed and glanced around the massive room—easily over eighty square meters.

"Finally," he muttered, "I can leave this cramped little prison."

After nearly two weeks of playing the part of a patient, he was thoroughly sick of it.

And with both Saoirse and Lyra out on errands today, he didn’t plan to keep up the act.

Time to make his escape.

...

In a half-asleep daze, Veil stirred to the sound of running water from the bathroom.

He rubbed his eyes, still hazy, and glanced toward the mist-fogged glass door.

"Who’s there?"

Click. Click. Click.

Long, slender legs stepped out from the bathroom, glistening slightly from the steam, wrapped in a pair of shiny slippers. Her skin gleamed like polished jade, catching the light with a faint glow.

Those legs.

That waist.

That body.

That curve.

A dream figure that haunted the fantasies of countless men—one that could ruin their sleep for weeks.

"Anna?!"

Shit.

He hadn’t even seen her face yet, but he could recognize those legs and that waist from a mile away.

In all of Trasidia, who else but Anna had legs and a figure like that?

He told Kai to drop a bit of news her way, not to invite her into his hospital room!

"Well, well. Look who’s awake," Anna said with a teasing smile as she stepped out, wrapped in a light pink towel.

Her face was breathtaking, like a character stepping out of a painting. The kind of beauty that couldn’t be described in mere words.

Elegant curves, perfect proportions, that signature S-line figure, and full, natural curves—Anna’s beauty was simply unreal. Like art itself, she was flawless.

Wrapped in just a towel, her figure was accentuated to perfection.

Her swan-like neck led down to her full chest, and as the eye continued downward, her waist narrowed sharply into an impossibly slim shape. It looked so delicate, so fragile, like it might break from the lightest touch.

Veil felt his throat go dry.

"What?" Anna purred. "Is there a bug on me or something? Why are you staring so hard?"

She giggled softly, clearly enjoying the attention.

Then she gave her head a little shake, as if trying to push away distracting thoughts, and her expression returned to calm.

"Veil, what are you so surprised for? You act like you didn’t expect me to come. Worried the paparazzi will catch me here?"

Anna.

The reigning queen of film, music, and television. Every piece of work she touched became iconic. Men, women, old, young—she charmed them all.

She had more than a hundred million followers on every platform imaginable. A megastar of the highest order.

And now here she was, standing in his hospital room in a towel, because he’d let slip a tiny bit of information?

Wasn’t this a little too forward?

Was she really that relaxed around him now? Because of the Casper Voss incident?

Was she... offering herself?

If the press got wind of this, tomorrow would see a nationwide media earthquake.

Anna, of course, didn’t seem to care at all. She sat on the edge of the bed, her chin resting on one hand, staring at him like a pouting wife.

"It’s only been two weeks, and already I’ve been replaced? When we were sneaking grilled fish in the corner, you called me Anna. Now you’re back to calling me ’senior’?"

Veil coughed and looked away.

"Come on, Anna, don’t tease. I was just joking that time, and I only called you that once, didn’t I?"

He had to tread carefully. The timing was dangerous.

One wrong move, and he might not make it out of here alive.

Anna reached out and gently pressed a finger to his lips.

"In private, just call me Anna. Or something more personal. ’Senior’ sounds so cold."

When she smiled, her dimples showed, and even her breath carried a soft floral fragrance.

"Relax, I’m not just here to play around. I came to talk business. Starting tomorrow, you’re coming with me to film a variety show."

"What?! Are you serious?" Veil blinked. "Anna, come on. You’re a mega-celebrity. Me? I’m just a rich guy with... uh... one... three... nine... fifteen... thirty-two... yeah, thirty-two villas, a few hundred supercars. That’s all I’ve got going for me!"

"The show’s called ’Living the Good Life’," Anna replied with a smile. "It’s been wildly popular for three years now. Jack—the host—was a huge help to me when I was starting out. He personally invited me to guest-star. I could only accept one episode, but I asked if I could bring someone, and they agreed."

With her status, any show lucky enough to land Anna would pay a fortune. She rarely participated in variety shows. This one? A pure favor—and maybe a bit more.

She wanted Veil to go with her.

Veil groaned. "Can I say no?"

Anna gave a mischievous smile. "Sure. If your Windsor International brand is ready to replace me as its ambassador... then feel free to refuse."

...

Solora Bay City, Silverden Town.

The new season of "Living the Good Life" was officially underway. In response to audience demand, this season would be broadcasted live, giving viewers a full, unfiltered glimpse into life at the Honeydew Cottage.

On the winding path leading to the cottage, a car sponsored by the production team rolled slowly forward. Inside sat Anna and Veil, receiving the final briefing from the crew.

"Miss Anna, Mr. Veil, according to the customs of Honeydew Cottage, your next task will be to place a food order—over the phone. But please, try your best to hide your identities. Especially you, Miss Anna. Although Mr. Jack personally invited you to join the show—without knowing exactly which episode you’d appear in—your voice is far too recognizable. The moment you speak, they’ll know it’s you."

The staff spoke to Anna with the utmost respect.

After all, her status in the entertainment industry spoke for itself. Her mere participation in the show was an honor for the entire production team.

Anna smiled lightly. The air around her seemed to grow hazy, as if she were wrapped in a delicate mist. Even the staff watching her seemed briefly mesmerized.

"Let my junior place the call," she said gently.

Snapped out of their daze, one of the crew members nodded with a trace of awkwardness.

"Mr. Veil isn’t from the entertainment world, but... that might work in our favor—like a smoke bomb."

Still, deep down, he wasn’t too optimistic. Veil was an unknown face to the audience. The ordering segment would likely flop.

But since Anna had spoken, no one dared object.

That’s just how things worked in showbiz. Anna didn’t make demands or complaints, but her status was enough. When she joined the show, the crew treated her like royalty.

Veil accepted the phone with a faint, amused smile.

He hadn’t blindly agreed to join the show just to please Anna. It was all part of a calculated move—to boost his public charm and charisma for the future.

After all, in most "Child of Fate" storylines, famous actresses always made an appearance.

Laying the groundwork now would only make it easier to dominate the entertainment circle later. As for unrelated viewers?

With Luxhaven City’s information blackout and his system lottery disrupting intel leaks, what information about him could possibly make it out—besides this show?

Veil dialed the number for Honeydew Cottage.

Beep... beep...

Within seconds, someone picked up.

"H-Hello?"

The voice on the other end was clearly a young girl’s—nervous and soft, with a tremble in her tone.

It was well known that Zoe never handled phone calls on the show. She usually stayed by Noah’s side, jotting down customer orders.

But this time, Zoe had picked up the phone, and she sounded completely flustered.

Veil’s lips curved slightly.

Thanks to the voice-mimicry skill he had recently unlocked, he had gained deep insight into tone and inflection—enough to replicate anyone’s voice with uncanny accuracy.

Especially someone famous in this world.

Matthias Taylor.

That should be enough to throw off the Honeydew Cottage cast and prevent them from guessing his identity too quickly, right?

He deliberately lowered his voice, speaking in a rich, deep tone.

"Zoe, is that you? What a sweet girl."

Sitting next to him, Anna furrowed her brows slightly and turned to glance at him in surprise.

The production crew member’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

That voice...

Matthias Taylor!

That deep, smoky resonance, paired with the unique tremor at the end of each sentence—along with the subtle English inflection—it was exactly like him!

Unless someone had spent a lot of time around Matthias Taylor himself, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

It was that accurate.

Meanwhile, inside Honeydew Cottage, chaos erupted.

Zoe’s face was frozen in panic, her body stiff with nerves. It was her first time answering the phone—and she’d been greeted by Matthias Taylor?!

Oh god.

Even now, Matthias Taylor was still a towering figure in the entertainment industry. Zoe quickly cupped her hand over the receiver and shouted toward the yard in a panic.

"Brother! Bro! Come quick!"

Noah, who was chopping wood nearby, immediately dropped his axe and jogged over, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"What is it, Zoe? Who’s on the line? Why are you so panicked?"

Still covering the receiver, Zoe looked like she was about to cry.

"Matthias Taylor! It’s Matthias! Oh my god!"

Her voice trembled, her eyes were filled with panic, and her whole body radiated helplessness.

She might as well have been shouting:

"Brother, save me!"

Matthias Taylor?

No way...

Was this a joke?

What the hell would Matthias Taylor be doing calling Honeydew Cottage?

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