Hollywood Zenith



Inside the café of the Hydrick Hotel, Samuel and Paige were leisurely sipping coffee and discussing what's just happened. It was already a few hours since Sibylla left. Even though they disliked it at first, it got a lot quieter.

"You really didn't see her expression then; she was practically crying..." Samuel was narrating what had transpired with the Princess in her absence.

"That's a shame; I missed such a wonderful shot." Paige was full of interest, but unfortunately, she missed the excellent content. The girls liked to gossip. It was especially true in the case of her. Also, it concerned a foreign nobility one didn't get to see daily.

While they were talking, someone crept behind them unnoticed.

"It's not gentlemanly to say bad things about a girl behind her back!" A familiar voice came from the back.

Samuel recognized it instantly as his face became a little weird. Paige was left speechless seeing the person. It was none other than Sibylla who appeared behind them. Why was she here?　

" Sibylla, what are you here?" he asked as he felt terrible about it.

" Why? Can't I come here?"

" You should be heading home, right?" He asked again.

" I really don't like it," Paige commented.

"I escaped again. It's not very difficult to fool a bunch of old men!" Sibylla looked proud as if she had done something very remarkable. Samuel and Paige facepalmed hearing her.

" What about the embassy staff and your bodyguard?" He needs to sort it out as soon as possible.

" Probably on the flight to Stockholm," She paused and casually called the waiter, " Can I get a glass of Darjeeling Mountain tea?" They were shocked to hear it but first things first.

"Then, Sibylla, can you tell us about your friend behind you?" Samuel pointed out the man who was with her while they were talking.

An American, probably in his 40s, quietly listening to their conversation without interrupting. He seemed to be taken aback by Samuel's sudden mention but a little thankful that they finally noticed him.

"Ah, Sorry, I forgot. This is Adam, my taxi driver. Sami, I don't have any money or luggage, so you know." Sibylla was embarrassed to say it any further. She knew Samuel was an intelligent man; he would figure it out.

Samuel was dumbfounded; he couldn't figure her out. Getting in a strange car without care and without any money? How could she hijack the taxi and make him tag along all the way here? What if something terrible happened to her?

So many questions and scenarios ran through his mind, but it was impolite to scold the hell out of her here. He would take his time with her! 

Paige rolled her eyes sharply; she seemed to like her style. What else could a girl do in this situation? 

"Sir, I'm sorry, how much is the fare?" Samuel sighed and took out his wallet from his pocket. Seeing Paige's happy face, he just added her to his 'rehabilitation' list too!

"Ah, It's forty dollars, sir." The taxi driver looked a little cautious; he didn't know them, but seeing their clothes, he knew they must be from an upper-circle family.

" Here you go, that's a hundred. Thank you for safely bringing my friend here. I really appreciate it. You can keep the change." Samuel took out a piece of Franklin from his wallet and handed it to the driver.

"Okay, sir, thank you for your generosity, and I wish you a happy evening." The taxi driver happily took the hundred dollar bill while he blessed everyone and left the cafe. He was very relieved as he was unsure whether the girl was telling him the truth or not.

After the driver left, Samuel and Paige again focused on Sibylla, the recent escapee. Their glare was so intense that Sibylla had to speak up about it.

"Hey, I'll be embarrassed if you guys stare at me like this." Sibylla pretended to be coy. Was she playing dumb again? They roll their eyes looking at her exceptional performance.

Are you even sorry? If you are that embarrassed, why are you ordering free stuff like a free buffet? Samuel thought.

" Tell me. Tell me everything that happened after you left, alright?" Paige put her arms around her chest and sneered. She was going to enjoy this.

Seeing that her charm was not working on them, Sibylla had to return to her regular expression. They thought that the girl was finally a little serious, but when she opened her mouth, it was like a dam broke.

"I don't want to go back to Stockholm; it's boring, it's not fun at all..." She began to tell her sob story, which was needlessly long.

"Enough; all in all, you just want to stay in the United States?" Paige interrupted her talk and asked straightforwardly. Sibylla only nodded sharply. It was good that Paige stopped her, or else she might tell her whole life story in one sitting!

" Then how did you escape? You even tricked those people onto the plane by yourself?" Samuel asked.

" I learned it from you! Let me tell you, do you know? I have read Art of War seven times after devising a plan for... " She went on a tangent again, but Samuel soon pulled her back.

As Sibylla narrated, after getting on the plane, she conspired with a few flight attendants. Being a damsel in distress was her number one skill; they basically went above and beyond to help her. With their help, she escaped by 'going' to the toilet when the plane door was about to close.

Flight staff corroborated with her; the embassy staff never would have expected her to win over some strangers again for a daring escape!

This is too ridiculous; what were the Airport staff thinking? She could be an escaped convict for all they care? Maybe not, but still. 

And where did the Royal family hire these bodyguards? Did they properly verify their credentials?  They should all be replaced! Samuel was fighting internally, cursing them; it was bound to be troublesome again!

After listening to her story, he really didn't know what to do next? Paige was also lost, but they had to devise a plan.

"In other words, you are wandering the streets of Los Angeles homeless?" Paige asked.

" Hmm? Didn't I have a room already? It's okay to be penniless, but aren't we all friends? You will not leave one of your own to die in a ditch, right?" Sibylla looked at Samuel and Paige with hope.

She made it sound like they had been friends for years! Samuel barely knew her, and Paige was at most an acquaintance.

But SIbylla was really in trouble this time; she escaped twice, so her punishments would be more severe. Samuel was debating whether to call the Swedish Embassy again? He would send some people this time or arrange for more professional people to tie her back to Stockholm. 

"You don't want to betray me, do you?" Sibylla looked at him and Paige warily.

Her expression was a bit aggravated; they were her last hope. She had no good friends in the US; she could only think about Samuel, who had helped her despite being in the dark about her family. She had also gotten a little closer to Paige.

"Come on, my dear Princess, you went missing at the LA Airport. Do you think the embassy would not involve the government? Let me tell you, within an hour, there will be people swarming this place. By then, we would be unable to help you." Paige gave to her straight. For her, it was the apparent outcome; it was not her fault that the other two refused to see it.

"There is no other way?" The last dying struggle of a maiden.

"No." Samuel also agreed.

"Oh well, let me eat this cake first?" Sibylla turned her grief into appetite and quickly solved the cheesecake before her.

Her nonchalant behaviour surprised them again. Wasn't she upset? Could she let go of her freedom this easily? Wasn't it the reason she escaped?

Meanwhile, Paige was heartbroken; she had been a fan of Princess since she was a kid. Now looking at a real-life Princess, her childhood dreams shattered into a million pieces!

...

...

...

After Samuel and Paige's "coercion and temptation", Sibylla reluctantly took Samuel's phone and called her father in Sweden.

As for the content of the call, neither Samuel nor Paige knew about it. All they could do was wait for the news. Anyway, it took a whole hour before Sibylla handed back his phone.

But instead of a gloomy face, she was all smiles? Shouldn't she be weeping or throwing a tantrum? Did someone change the script?

Not to leave them hanging, Sibylla opened her mouth to declare.

" My father agreed to let me stay in the States!" Her whole face was glowing as she looked like a newborn baby!

What? How!? Samuel's brain short-circuited; what's with the strange rhythm of father and daughter? Wasn't the King supposed to give his daughter a severe lesson? Was she scheming again?

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