As they walked, Lander asked, “What exactly happened earlier?”Eloise remembered someone recognizing Lander at the set, and the issue could grow bigger if more people noticed. So she gave him a brief explanation of what happened.“Since they’re part of the production team, I’ll just have my people deal with it,” Lander said calmly. He was actually glad he happened to drop by the set and catch the incident in time to step in and help Eloise.Eloise sighed. “What are you planning to do? Get them fired? If you do that, it’ll just confirm the gossip that Sasha has a backer, someone pulling strings for her.”“But if we just let them be, won’t that make things worse? They’ll only spread more rumors,” Lander replied seriously. “Honestly, if Sasha had been the one who saw you being harassed, she wouldn’t have let it slide. She’s not afraid of gossip.”“I know!” Eloise quickly responded. “But I don’t want her involved. Ever since before, she’s always been a target of nasty rumors. I don’t want
Chloe was a few years older than both Eloise and Sasha. Her calm demeanor and soft-spoken nature made that clear. Despite being meticulous at work, she wasn’t the type to be aggressive or competitive. She kept to herself and didn’t seem interested in fighting for attention.So it wasn’t surprising to hear what she said earlier.“You and Eloise are really alike, Director,” Sasha said with a grin. “Eloise is so good at what she does, she often becomes the target of envy and gossip, but she just brushes it off. It makes people even more annoyed because instead of being discouraged, she just gets better, like she answers all the hate with her skills.”Sasha’s little speech carried a playful tone. “But of course, since she’s been around me a lot, she’s changed a bit. I told her, you shouldn’t let gossipers get used to stepping on you. Otherwise, people might think it’s okay to mess with you anytime.”Chloe smiled. “I really envy you two. You have such a strong bond.”“Don’t you have a clos
Just like the kinds of deception that are common nowadays, it starts with tempting offers and attractive benefits. You fall for it easily. Then suddenly, you’re hit with a huge problem until you find yourself completely trapped.“Do you want to warn your parents?” Cosmo asked as he looked at her. “But they probably won’t listen to you either.” He knew all too well how greedy people moved when money was involved.Arellano didn’t get the Bay Area project, so when someone offered him a potentially profitable one, he didn’t hesitate to take it. In his eyes, it was a great opportunity.But with any benefit comes risk. If your focus is only on profit and you don’t think about the consequences, you’re easily defeated the moment you lose control.“I know,” Eloise replied. At this point, it was hard for her to get involved in their decisions. She knew they wouldn’t listen to her either.“So what do you want me to do? Step in now and stop them, or wait until something happens and then come runn
Chloe was sharp, and she quickly noticed that Eloise didn’t want to dig deeper into the conversation.So she immediately apologized. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry into your personal life. I just happened to overhear that you were already married at such a young age, and it caught me off guard.”Chloe’s tone was serious and sincere, so Eloise didn’t feel insulted. Still, she wasn’t comfortable talking about such things, especially not with anyone other than Sasha.“It’s alright. It was just a light conversation anyway,” Eloise replied with a calm smile. Her tone was natural and composed, so nothing about the exchange felt awkward.After that, Chloe returned to her work while Eloise quietly waited for Sasha to finish hers.A few minutes later, Eloise received a call from Gabriel. She already had a feeling why he was calling.She didn’t answer, so Gabriel immediately sent a message: “Afraid to answer my call, huh?”Two minutes later, Eloise replied: “Gabriel, I’m out and I’m busy with s
Tania arrived at Stillwater Bay to visit Cosmo, but she wasn’t pleased that Eloise had returned home around eight or nine in the evening.“Didn’t I tell you to stop going out and stay home to take care of Cosmo?” Tania said sharply, clearly irritated.“I haven’t been going anywhere unnecessary. I always tell Cosmo where I’m going,” Eloise replied in a calm tone.“I know Cosmo understands you, and of course he doesn’t want you to get bored staying at home. But you have to think about his condition too. Isn’t it harder for him if you’re not around and he’s left alone?”It was rare for Tania to be this blunt. But this time, her words were filled with disapproval and frustration, and it showed in the way she looked at Eloise.Eloise couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, is this really about me not finding the old healer yet?”Tania shook her head. “No. We already have a lead on the healer. That’s not what’s bothering me. You are.”Eloise lowered her head, clearly hurt, and didn’t say another word.
If you’re busy during the day, it’s easy to momentarily forget what happened the night before. But once night falls and you’re alone, there’s a certain kind of quiet that feels different. It becomes intimate, almost unsettling, especially when you’re lying in bed and the memories come rushing back on their own.The distance that once separated two people in the same bed slowly disappears. Separate blankets become one, and everything feels a little closer.Beside Eloise was the warmth of a man’s body. Every breath he took carried that cool but familiar scent, something only a man could have.She felt shy and didn’t know what to say. “He’s already made a move twice. Have you thought about how you’re going to fight back?” she asked.Cosmo lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand. Under the soft yellow light, his expression softened. His eyes were gentle. “The issue between Gabriel and me won’t be settled in just one night.”Cosmo had been more attentive lately, especially now