Lost in Spotlight

"The spotlight's been on you for years. Which role would you say was the most challenging for you?" the journalist asked, her pen poised over her notebook. Ryan smirked, his tone dripping with confidence. "That's an interesting question. But you know me – nothing's impossible for Ryan Ross." The next journalist held the mick, her eyes locked intensely on Ryan. "What would you like to say about the rumors spreading on social media? This chapter was closed long ago, but it's again catching flames. Were you involved in any way in the case of Sophie Grant's accident?" His eyes widened, and he was momentarily speechless. His confidence evaporated, and his face flushed red as he struggled to maintain his composure. Abruptly, he stood up, still unable to respond. The room erupted into a chorus of whispers among the journalists. His secretary swiftly intervened, sensing Ryan's distress. Grabbing the microphone, he announced, "Mr. Ryan has an urgent commitment elsewhere. Thank you for joining us." With that, he quickly moved behind Ryan, ushering him away. The press conference, intended as a promotional event for Ryan's latest project, had been meticulously arranged by his team. However, Ryan's abrupt departure had brought the proceedings to an unexpected and awkward halt. "Cancel my shoots today, I want to go home," he said. His secretary, Alexander, understood and nodded his head. Ryan slid into his car and headed to the seaside. He sat there, lost in thought. He wasn't feeling really good. "Why can't I live a simple life, a normal life?" he thought to himself. Alex had canceled the shoots, but an important scene had to be filmed that day. The director said, "It's urgent, we need to shoot it today." Alex knew Ryan would scold him, but he had to call him. His phone started ringing. Ryan was lost in the sunset, mesmerized by the beautiful scene. He was oblivious to the world around him and only heard the ringtone after a few rings. He took the call. "Sir, I'm already sorry, but the shoot with MT Productions is very important. They said you can't cancel it." "I am canceling it," Ryan snapped. "Who are they to order what I have to do? In fact, I cancel my contract. I'm not working with them anymore." "But Sir—" Ryan cut him off. "Don't you love your job?" He said, his tone firm. "Or let's say, don't you need your job?" "Understood, Sir." Alex cut the call and took a deep sigh. He had known Ryan for a long time, but he could never fully understand him. Sometimes he was cold and distant, and sometimes he was kind and compassionate. Ryan sat on a bench, lost in thought, when two kids came and sat next to him. They started talking loudly. "Hey, what's wrong with you guys?" Ryan was irritated, his patience worn thin by the noise. He never liked loud voices. But to his surprise, one of the kids replied with anger, "What's wrong with you?" Their fearless response humbled Ryan, who had expected them to be intimidated by his celebrity status. "Don't you guys know me?" His curiosity rose. "No, how would we know you?" they replied. Ryan smiled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. When someone said they didn't know Ryan, his behavior would change. He loved it when he was treated like a normal human being. "What are you guys talking about?" Ryan asked them with a smile. "We were talking about cricket," one of them said. "He doesn't like cricket. He said it's a weird sport," the other one chimed in, visibly more innocent than his friend. "No, it's not a weird game," Ryan replied gently. "We may have different opinions. If you don't like cricket, it doesn't mean it's a weird sport." He tried to preach to the angry one. "No, he's my best friend, if I don't like a thing, he shouldn't like it either," the angry one said, making a face. "Buddy, I like cricket, but I like you more than cricket," he said with a smile. The angry one's face softened, and he smiled too. Ryan, who had been listening to them, chuckled. "What are your names?" he asked. "I'm Rustyn, and he's Dan," the innocent one replied. "Who are you here with?" Ryan asked. "We're here with our sister," Rustyn said. "Oh, come on, Rustyn! She might be looking for us!" Dan exclaimed, and they both ran off to the other side. Ryan watched as the siblings reunited, and a girl, presumably their sister, scolded them. "What is this behavior? Didn't I tell you to stay here?" she asked. "I'm sorry," Rustyn said, his eyes welling up with tears. "Oh lord, he starts to cry every second," Dan said, making a face. "It's okay, sister, we are now back," Dan said, trying to placate her. Their sister looked at Rustyn, who was still sniffling. "Stop crying. Let's go home," she said firmly, ushering them away. She glanced over at the guy who had been sitting with them, but he was no longer paying attention. Ryan was once again lost in the breathtaking view of the sunset, his gaze fixed on the horizon.