Chapter 273 Indescribable Plot
After the lunch break, Leopold knocked on Ryan's hotel room door. His agent, Dashiell, was also there.
He was carrying an elegant fruit basket and flowers, while Lily held the hotel's exclusive gift set. It was clear they had come to apologize.
Dashiell said, "Please come in. Ryan's in the room reading the script. Have a seat, I'll go get him."
After placing the gifts on the table, Leopold casually glanced around the room, and Lily also looked to see if there was any takeout food. They found none.
Leopold said, "No rush, we can wait."
Shortly after Dashiell went into the bedroom, Ryan came out. Seeing Leopold, he said, "Mr. Wipere, I'm fine now. No need to worry."
Leopold first expressed his apology. "When you were discharged, Dr. Stone told me your diet should be light recently. I had a nutritionist create a custom meal plan for you." He handed over the paper. "Take a look and see if anything needs adjusting?"
Ryan took the meal plan and said, while looking it over, "Mr. Wipere, you've gone to a lot of trouble."
Dashiell brought over two glasses of water. Lily stood up to take them. "Thank you."
After reading it, Ryan said, "No adjustments needed. This works."
Leopold said, "According to the allergen test results, it's more likely you ate something by mistake. Since checking into the hotel, have you eaten any unusual foods?"
Dashiell caught the implication in his words and thought Leopold was trying to shirk responsibility. He said unhappily, "Mr. Wipere, we haven't even ordered takeout since checking into the hotel. How could it be accidental consumption?"
Leopold smiled warmly and said in a friendly tone, "Don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to avoid responsibility. I'm just worried that if we don't identify the allergen clearly, you might accidentally eat it again and have another allergic reaction. Mr. Ashford would be the one to suffer. This time, we were lucky—it happened before filming started, we got treatment quickly, and kept it confidential. But what if next time you accidentally eat it during filming? It could affect his work. And if someone with bad intentions takes photos and posts them online to create news, could the media attention affect Mr. Ashford's other projects? For actors, filming time is very valuable."
Hearing this, Dashiell nodded. Leopold's words did make sense.
Currently, Ryan was still endorsing a well-known skincare brand, and the contract was about to expire. If photos of his face breaking out were leaked, the brand would very likely not renew. Plus, several movies and TV series were waiting to start filming. They really should identify the allergen.
Ryan said, "Mr. Wipere, on the day I arrived at the hotel, I only ate vegetarian food. For my next role, the male lead is someone with a serious illness, so I've been intentionally losing weight to make sure I look thin and frail before joining the production."
Leopold asked again, "Have you ever had an allergic reaction to any type of meat?"
Ryan almost immediately gave a negative answer. "No, never in my life. Wait, I'm allergic to chicken, but I don't eat chicken. I haven't eaten any."
If he knew he was allergic, he definitely wouldn't eat it. Leopold and Lily exchanged glances. Where exactly was the problem?
Chicken?
A scene suddenly flashed through Lily's mind. He looked at Dashiell. "Summer said she brought local specialties for everyone on the production team. Did she give you some?"
Dashiell said, "Yes."
Lily said, "There was shredded dried chicken jerky in there."
Dashiell suddenly froze, then turned to look at Ryan and asked, "You didn't eat the jerky I left on the table, did you?"
The dried meat had outer packaging, but inside were individually sealed packages without labels. You couldn't tell what it was just by looking.
Ryan had been cutting fat, but occasionally he'd eat some beef as a supplement. He mistakenly thought what was on the table was beef jerky he'd bought.
He said, "I ate one piece."
Dashiell quickly went to check the bag and sure enough found the opened package of dried chicken jerky. Coming out of the bedroom, he said with an embarrassed expression, "Found the problem. Summer saw me in the lobby and said everyone got a share. I was rushing to catch the elevator, so I didn't pay attention to what was inside." Then to Leopold he said, "Sorry, Mr. Wipere. It really was a misunderstanding."
Having found the root cause of the allergy, they exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving.
Coming out of the room, Lily was in great spirits. They'd found the source of the guest's problem, and the hotel's PR crisis had passed.
Only after getting in the elevator did he breathe a sigh of relief, saying, "Allergic to chicken—the world is so big, there's no meat you can't be allergic to."
Leopold said seriously, "From now on, when guests order meals, we need to add another step—ask if they have any food allergies."
Lily said, "Got it. I'll notify the food and beverage department right away."
As dusk settled, Caroline emerged from the kitchen carrying two plates of Mexican burritos and a large bowl of guacamole. Erica mixed the sauces and said, "Dig in, Caroline! The food is ready."
"Coming!" Caroline replied, hanging up her apron as she stepped into the dining area.
Maddox was out of town for business and wouldn't be back until the day after tomorrow. Caroline had invited Erica over for dinner, and since Leopold was away, Erica would stay the night.
The table was filled with vibrant and aromatic dishes. Caroline picked up a piece of a warm burrito, dipped it in guacamole, and took a bite.
"By the way, Leopold asked me to remind you about wedding preparations. If you have any ideas, you should probably check with Maddox," she said.
Erica chewed on a tender piece of beef. "What? Did Maddox say something to Leopold?"
"Not really. After all these years, they know each other well enough, don't you think?" Caroline replied, using tongs to place some beef on Erica's plate. "Maddox may seem carefree, but he's actually quite dedicated. Ever since you two got engaged, I've noticed a real change in him—he's really been pushing himself at work."
Erica added a few more pieces of lettuce to her plate. "He's definitely been working hard, and he's so serious now. He used to dress so flamboyantly, but now it's all about that 'serious professional' look. Can you believe he's wearing a blazer to business meetings? I've never seen him like this. It's like he's become this reliable, corporate type."
"He used to love going out, but he's let his club membership lapse, and all his skateboards, skydiving gear, and climbing equipment are packed away. Now, it's all blueprints and tools everywhere. It feels like I've switched boyfriends! But honestly, seeing him in a suit gives off a bit of an executive vibe. Every time I see him so serious, I feel like I'm the pampered wife in a romance novel."
Caroline couldn't help but laugh. "You're getting creative with your pregnancy! If you ever write a book, it'll be full of gibberish and probably get flagged for inappropriate content. They'd pull it off the shelves the next day!"
"Eat more," Caroline added, serving her some meat. "You're going to be a mom, so keep your mind clear! We don't want to influence my future goddaughter's innocence."
Erica, still munching, replied, "Are you sure this baby is a girl?"
Caroline chuckled, "Who knows? But I'd love a girl."
Erica shot back, "If you want a girl so badly, you should have one yourself! You two have such great genes; your kid would be beautiful and smart. Unlike me and Maddox, who are both stubborn—our kids will probably be just as hardheaded."
"Is Maddox really that stubborn?" Caroline asked.
Erica laughed, "Not him—me!"
Their laughter filled the dining room, creating a lively atmosphere. Just then, both their phones buzzed with incoming video calls.
Caroline glanced at the screen and hit accept.