Beware the Mad Dog

Beware the Mad Dog

1
For ten years, Nina and I were the industry’s most notorious couple—and it was all an act.
If she dined with a male co-star, I flipped the table. If she filmed a kiss, I’d storm the set.
I fueled endless negative press to keep her in the spotlight, watching her rise to stardom while I became the most hated man in Hollywood.
It ended when she was photographed checking into a hotel with Felix, the new heartthrob. She issued one statement:
【It's real.】
Fans celebrated but warned Felix: “Watch out for Leo, that psycho.”
Felix mocked me on live: “A good dog knows its place. It doesn’t bite its master.”
Then Nina texted me:
【Don’t act this time. The brand wants us to play up our relationship. Be good.】
I laughed coldly.
She’d forgotten one thing: I, Leo Ashworth, am competitive. I hold grudges. I repay every debt.
The psycho was never an act.

When I crashed Nina's lovey-dovey livestream, the host was in the middle of a question.
"Nina, what are your thoughts on the rumors that you and Leo Ashworth have a toxic, on-again, off-again relationship?"
"We are not in a relationship."
Nina's voice was as cool and placid as ever. With one sentence, she severed our ten-year history. The live chat erupted with comments praising her for being so direct.
Just then, the host spotted me striding onto the set. In an instant, every camera swiveled and zoomed in on my face.
I met their lenses with a dead-eyed stare. Fresh scratches from my latest manufactured brawl marred my cheekbone. The fight had been simple: Nina didn't want to film a kissing scene with some rising star, so I'd shown up and made a scene.
She shot to the top of the trending topics again, her new drama a guaranteed hit before it even aired. I, on the other hand, spent the next two weeks being hounded by the press and had my head split open by a rock thrown by an extremist fan.
Seeing me, a flicker of panic crossed Nina’s usually unflappable face. Her brow furrowed, a wall of defense rising in her eyes.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, instinctively moving to shield Felix who was sitting beside her.
I just stood there, and the entire studio tensed, treating me like a bomb about to detonate. The live chat on the massive screen behind them scrolled with derision.
【OMG, the real couple makes it official and the psycho ex actually shows up? Look at his face, all scratched up. He’s here to make a fool of himself.】
【Did you see how Nina instinctively protected our sweet Felix!! I’m shipping it so hard! The psycho is just embarrassing himself!】
【Can someone get security? She already denied their relationship on live TV. Why is he still clinging to her? It’s pathetic.】
【Seriously, can this infamous industry troll stop leeching off Nina's fame? Every time he goes crazy, it’s terrifying. He's probably abusive IRL.】
Somewhere along the way, my name had become synonymous with "psycho."
I didn't argue. I just repeated her words back to her, my voice low and dangerous.
"Not in a relationship?"
It was half-question, half-accusation, laced with the bitter sting of a decade of sacrifice. She had promised me she would never be close to another man.
Nina met my gaze with that same infuriatingly calm expression, effortlessly sidestepping the weight of my question.
"Leo, just look at the state of yourself," she said, her tone dripping with disappointment. "Stop demeaning yourself like this. Go home."
Her composure was a stark contrast to my raw, unhinged presence. The live chat immediately exploded with praise for Nina's grace and compassion, lauding her for giving even a "maniac" like me a dignified exit.
She accepted their praise without a hint of irony.
After playing a part for so long, she seemed to have forgotten who it was that had thrown his dignity away to build her this "unhinged protector" persona in the first place.
A deep, unforgiving chill began to spread through my chest. The internet trolls had one thing right. I was a mad dog. And everything she had today, she'd gotten by standing on my back.
I deserved an explanation.
But before I could speak, Felix, the boy she was protecting, shot to his feet, placing himself firmly between us. He snatched a teacup from the table and flung its contents into my face.
"That's enough!" he cried, his voice trembling with manufactured bravery. "Stop harassing Nina!"
The scalding liquid hit the open scratches on my cheek, and a thousand tiny needles of pain erupted across my skin. I winced, my jaw clenching.
Felix, dressed in a simple white T-shirt, looked heartbreakingly fragile and defiant as he stood with his arms spread, shielding his damsel.
Nina saw my pained reaction and instinctively leaned forward, about to check on me, but Felix’s next words stopped her cold.
"The tea is lukewarm," he declared, his voice ringing with certainty. "You can act all you want, but no one's going to pity you. We all know what kind of person you are!"
Hearing his confidence, Nina’s expression hardened again.
"Are you still acting?" she snapped at me. "Was I not clear enough?"
My face was flushed red from the hot tea, but she didn't seem to see it. Or care.
The chat went wild with praise for Felix.
【Our boy Felix is so amazing, bravely standing up to the industry's biggest bully!! That tea splash was ICONIC!】
【It’s always the psycho beating up on others. Finally, someone puts him in his place. Felix, our little angel of justice!】
【He was literally shaking with fear but he still protected Nina. Tell me they aren't the real deal!】
【But won't the psycho retaliate? He's famous for getting revenge…】
【No way! Felix is protected by Orion Enterprises. Every big shot in the industry has to treat him with respect. Leo is just a D-list celebrity famous for being trash. If he touches a hair on Felix's head, the corporate overlords will crush him!】
Nina’s disgust was palpable. "Leo, stop this. Can't you have a shred of dignity?"
My heart plummeted. "Nina," I asked suddenly, my voice hollow. "Do you know how many scars are on my body?"
She blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"Fifty-nine."
For ten years, playing the part of the mad dog, I had chased away every man who got too close. She didn't want to drink with producers, so I crashed the dinner and started a fight. She didn't want to do a promo livestream with a co-star, so I smashed the set.
She rode the wave of controversy I created all the way to the top, becoming a household name.
In return, their crazed fans took their revenge on me. They put needles in my water bottle. They threw rocks at me on the street. The longest scar on my body came from a stalker who stabbed me in an alley.
She used to cry when she saw those ugly marks.
Now, all she could talk about was dignity.
Ten years. Fifty-nine permanent reminders of my devotion. What the hell was dignity? I'd forgotten long ago.
Seeing my silence, Nina grew impatient. "What does that have to do with anything? It's your own fault for being so extreme."
I stared at her, taking a slow step forward.
"You're right," I said, my voice dangerously soft. "And since you know how extreme I can be, you should also know I'm not the type to suffer in silence."
Realization dawned on her face. She moved to shield Felix again, her voice rising in alarm. "I told you, don't you dare touch Felix!"
When I didn't stop, she finally played her trump card. "Felix is with Orion Enterprises! Do you want to throw your career away? They'll have you blacklisted!"
I finally stopped. The live chat lit up with mockery.

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