Was Once the King: Chapter 26: The Last Performance
The days that followed the gala were oddly quiet.
No more notes. No more flowers. No unexpected appearances
at studios or backstage dressing rooms. Adrien Vale, the man who had hovered at
the edges of their lives like a persistent shadow, had vanished. Or so it
seemed.
Benjamin didn’t trust it. Hector didn’t either.
They went back to work—Benjamin shooting a limited series
with a visionary indie director, Hector preparing for an awards panel that
would mark his first public industry event in months. The rhythm of life
resumed with slow, cautious ease. But beneath the calm, they both knew
something still simmered.
And it arrived on a Thursday.
An online magazine dropped an exclusive 'tell-all'
interview with Adrien Vale, paired with a moody black-and-white editorial
shoot. The title splashed across social media like oil on water:
'Unfinished Scripts and Unspoken Chemistry: Adrien Vale
Finally Speaks.'
The article was laced with implication. Adrien never said
anything directly, but the insinuations were carefully crafted:
'Some connections don’t get the endings they deserve.'
I believe people are drawn to light, but sometimes they confuse it with
familiarity.'
'I won’t pretend I didn’t feel something. And I don’t regret a single word I
said.'
The piece ended with a quote that ignited chaos:
'Maybe we missed our moment. But moments come back
around, especially when the spotlight hits just right.'
Screenshots flooded Twitter and Instagram. Fans picked
apart every line, dissected every pause. The tabloids ran with it. Adrien and
Benjamin: The Untold Story? Was Hector Always the Third Wheel?
Benjamin tossed his phone onto the couch. "This
isn’t just speculation anymore. He’s trying to rewrite history."
Hector sat across from him, a laptop open but ignored. He
looked calm, but Benjamin knew that look too well—it was the kind of stillness
that came just before a storm.
"Let’s not do what he wants." Hector said
softly. "Let’s not play into the drama."
Benjamin nodded, but something in him felt raw. "But
I’m done being polite. I’m done letting people think there’s something between
me and him. You don’t deserve to have your name dragged into whispers just
because someone’s ego got bruised."
Hector looked at him then. Really looked. And then slowly
nodded.
"Let’s end this. Together."
They reached out to a trusted interviewer—Rina Solis, an
industry veteran known for her integrity and no-nonsense approach. The
interview would be filmed, lightly edited, and released as a special feature on
her media channel and podcast. Nothing live. Nothing flashy. Just clarity.
Rina welcomed them into a quiet, sunlit studio with
floor-to-ceiling windows and soft, amber lighting. The set was simple—two
chairs, a coffee table, cameras tucked discreetly around the edges.
The crew treated them with care. Benjamin appreciated
that. Hector, unusually quiet, let his fingers brush Benjamin’s knee as they
settled into their seats. It was the only sign of nerves he allowed himself to
show.
Rina didn’t waste time.
"Before we begin," She said, adjusting her mic,
"I want to thank you both for trusting me with this. And I want to say—off
the record—you don’t owe anyone an explanation. But I understand why you’re
here."
Benjamin gave a tight smile. "We appreciate
that."
The red light clicked on.
Rina’s voice turned clear and warm. "Today, I’m
sitting down with two people who’ve dominated the screen—and the headlines—for
very different reasons. Hector Brandon and Benjamin Wordsworth. Gentlemen,
welcome."
They exchanged a glance. Benjamin gave a small nod.
Hector leaned forward slightly, ready.
"Let’s get straight to it." Rina continued.
"There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding you two and your recent...
encounters with a certain third party."
Benjamin spoke first.
"There was never a triangle."
Rina raised a brow. "That’s definitive."
"It’s also the truth." Hector said calmly.
"We’ve been together for a while now. Quietly, yes, but genuinely. Any
implication otherwise is—at best—fiction."
Benjamin added, "And we want to be clear not because
we owe drama to anyone, but because we’ve seen what happens when silence
creates space for lies."
Rina nodded, letting the moment settle.
"Adrien Vale’s recent interview suggested some
unresolved feelings. He’s hinted at a connection between you two—Benjamin,
particularly. Care to address that?"
Benjamin didn’t flinch.
"Adrien and I were colleagues. We worked together. I
respected him, at one point. But any emotional undercurrent he’s referencing is
imagined. One-sided. And frankly, it needs to stop."
Hector didn’t look away from the camera.
"We’re not here to vilify anyone." He said.
"But we’re also not props in someone else’s narrative."
Rina’s eyes softened. "You’ve both been through very
public storms. Why speak up now?"
Hector smiled, the first real smile of the day.
"Because this time, we’re not surviving the storm. We’re walking through
it—together."
The rest of the interview focused on their journey—how
they met, how they stayed together when it would’ve been easier to walk away,
how they chose love every day despite the noise.
As the cameras cut, Rina leaned forward.
"That was brave. And honest."
Benjamin let out a breath. "It needed to be."
Hector took his hand. "We’re done being
rewritten."
The interview aired three days later.
It went viral within hours—not because of scandal, but
because of its calm, unwavering clarity. There were no shouting matches, no
jabs. Just two men sitting side by side, choosing truth over spectacle.
#LoveOutLoud trended.
So did #TeamHB.
Fans reposted the quote that resonated most:
‘Real love doesn’t need an audience. But sometimes, it
needs a microphone.’
A week later, Adrien posted a photo from a tropical
resort with a vague caption: ‘Every story has a final page.’
No one paid much attention.
The spotlight had moved on.
One night, weeks later, Benjamin and Hector lay on their
couch, the city glowing beyond their balcony. Their shoulders touched. A movie
played softly in the background, forgotten.
"Do you think he meant any of it?" Benjamin
asked quietly.
Hector was silent for a long time.
"Maybe. But it doesn’t matter."
Benjamin turned to him. "Why not?"
Hector smiled. "Because we’ve already written our
ending. And it doesn’t include him."
Benjamin leaned in, kissed his temple.
Outside, the lights pulsed like applause.
Inside, there was only peace.
And for once, the silence wasn’t holding its breath. It
was resting.
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