Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 305: Scapegoat

"Tap, tap, tap..." Chaotic footsteps hurried past the artificial rockery, accompanied by a gruff and irritable grumble, "Damn it!" However, the person didn't stop, quickly scanning the surroundings before swiftly leaving, as if fearing they would lose track if they lingered even for a second.

Renly found the scene amusing. The other three people around him instinctively held their breaths, worried that even the slightest noise would give away their hiding spot. Renly, however, continued breathing normally, unfazed. Yet, his calm demeanor seemed out of place, almost alien, and he could feel the angry glares from the others, as if accusing him: "If we get caught, it's your fault."

The absurdity of the situation had a touch of humor.

Renly couldn't help but wonder if all public figures were chased by paparazzi in such a frantic manner. If he recalled correctly, the gentleman who had pulled out a lighter earlier was one of those celebrities often hounded by the media—a true oddity among the showbiz crowd.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Renly cleared his throat, about to speak, when the other three simultaneously shushed him, fearing the paparazzi might double back. Ironically, their combined shushing was louder than Renly's throat clearing.

After a brief silence, the tension finally eased. Leonardo cleared his throat and asked stiffly, "What are you all doing here?" His tone was a bit awkward, as they weren't all that familiar with each other.

Renly exchanged a glance with Scarlett, their expressions barely visible in the dim light, but the glimmer in their eyes hinted at amusement. Both of them smirked slightly: How were they going to explain this? It was a long story, to say the least.

Scarlett responded bluntly, "I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you here? If it weren't for you, the paparazzi wouldn't have even known we were here! We were just peacefully blending in with the tour group, behaving ourselves, no drama. It was definitely one of your fans who recognized you, and that's what caused all the commotion!"

"Or maybe it was your supermodel entourage that attracted all the attention. Everyone on Oahu has been talking about where your yacht is docked these past few days. That's why the paparazzi won't leave us alone! Hawaii's huge, you couldn't have gone somewhere else? Seriously!"

Taking the initiative, Scarlett rattled off her words, leaving Leonardo utterly confused. Then, she patted Renly's shoulder. "Let's go. We better get out of here before the reporters catch up. God, I knew Jack couldn't be trusted."

The mention of "Jack" wasn't just a reference to 'Titanic', but also a nod to a classic American joke—"Jack" being one of the most common boy names in the West. Yell "Jack" on a street corner, and you'd probably get a few responses.

With that, Scarlett turned and briskly walked away. Renly, unhurried as ever, nodded politely to Leonardo and Blake before following suit.

Leonardo stood there, dumbfounded, with a head full of questions. He turned to Blake, hoping for answers, but she seemed just as lost, her wide-eyed confusion silently asking, "What just happened?"

Luckily, Leonardo's experience kicked in, and he quickly followed after Renly and Scarlett. "Wait, wait!"

As they emerged from behind the rockery, the light brightened. Leonardo spotted Scarlett and Renly sitting comfortably not far away. Without overthinking it, he marched straight over. "Scarlett! And... this gentleman. The paparazzi were obviously following you two! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been noticed."

Blake caught up, just in time to hear Scarlett retort without hesitation, "Then what were you doing hiding behind the rockery? Not avoiding the paparazzi? Or are you going to tell me you were in such a hurry you didn't even want to go back to the hotel?"

Her blunt, cutting words made Leonardo falter. Blake's cheeks flushed slightly, but she found Scarlett's boldness amusing and couldn't help but smile. Meanwhile, the unfamiliar man waved them over, his eyes glinting with a hint of exasperation. "Sit down. Standing there, you two are like lighthouses in the dark, attracting all the moths and bugs."

Blake burst into laughter, especially at the sight of Leonardo's embarrassed expression.

She sat down beside Scarlett and patted the empty space next to her, motioning for Leonardo to join.

Grumbling under his breath, Leonardo sat down in the last available spot, still feeling unsatisfied. "It wasn't us, definitely not. We just noticed the paparazzi and decided to leave, but I'm sure..." He trailed off, about to explain that the paparazzi hadn't followed them, but was interrupted again.

"And did you ever wonder why the paparazzi were at a tourist spot like the cultural center in the first place?" Scarlett shot back, leaning forward to peer at Leonardo around Blake, then offered Blake an apologetic smile for the interruption.

Leonardo wanted to argue, but no suitable words came to mind. In the end, he sighed dramatically and widened his eyes. "Who knows? Maybe they're here because of you! How do you know it's us?"

"You mean me?" Renly casually chimed in, breaking the rhythm of their argument. For a moment, all three were left speechless. Leonardo, in particular, looked slightly stiff, unsure how to respond. Renly, however, remained unfazed, offering a friendly smile and extending his right hand. "Renly Hall."

His words made it clear: he was a nobody compared to the likes of Leonardo. Even Blake Lively was more famous. There was no way the paparazzi would have followed him.

Leonardo hesitated, realizing that responding with "I meant Scarlett" would sound rude, as if he were belittling Renly's lack of fame. So, he awkwardly grasped Renly's hand, unsure how to react.

The atmosphere grew tense for a brief second, an awkward silence settling in. Scarlett struggled to suppress her laughter—Renly had timed his interjection perfectly, completely deflating the argument.

Finally, Blake broke the silence by shaking Renly's hand and introducing herself. Leonardo followed suit, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor as he said, "Leonardo." But when he shook Renly's hand, he held on for a moment longer, his expression complicated.

Renly didn't seem to mind, smiling warmly. "Nice to meet you. If we had more time, I'd tell you what 'Titanic' and 'Inception' meant to me. And by the way, your performance in 'Romeo + Juliet' was remarkable. But I don't think this is the best time for that."

Renly spoke calmly, but his words flowed seamlessly, leaving no room for Leonardo to respond. Just as Leonardo was about to share his thoughts, Renly let go of his hand and glanced over Leonardo's shoulder. "What we need to do now is stay calm and pretend we're just tourists taking a break."

Leonardo didn't understand at first. He turned around—and saw the paparazzi!

Damn it, the photographer was relentless. Leonardo quickly ducked his head, and Blake linked arms with him, the two of them pretending to whisper to each other.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leonardo could see Scarlett and Renly. They were much more relaxed. Renly had crossed his legs and leaned back against his chair, as if unwinding, while Scarlett rested her arm on Renly's right shoulder, her head lying on her arm as if exhausted.

Both of them looked perfectly natural, their faces cleverly concealed yet not in a way that would draw attention. It was flawless.

But by now, it was too late for Leonardo to change his position. He had to keep his head down, his neck growing stiff as the paparazzi hurried past, seemingly none the wiser. Leonardo breathed a small sigh of relief—they had dodged this one.

Elliot, however, was left baffled. He had definitely seen Scarlett, and the man with her looked oddly familiar, maybe even like Renly. But he wasn't sure if it was just because he had seen Renly on Sunset Beach earlier today, and his mind had automatically made the connection. Maybe it wasn't them after all.

He glanced around, seeing nothing but crowds of tourists. The paparazzi were nowhere to be found, leaving him with a sense of frustration.

Just then, someone behind him shouted excitedly, "Leo!"