Between Words

Alex didn’t respond to her earlier words.

Instead, he asked a completely different question.

“Why did you drink so much last night?”

The question caught Isabella off guard.

Her expression slowly turned serious.

She wasn’t someone who liked talking about her problems. For years, she had learned to swallow everything and pretend it didn’t hurt.

But for some reason… this morning felt different.

Maybe it was the hangover.

Maybe it was exhaustion.

Or maybe it was because the man sitting across from her had witnessed her most embarrassing moment already.

She leaned back weakly against the headboard and looked up at the ceiling.

“I’m afraid my role as Natalie Frostman… is gone.”

A faint look of surprise flashed across Alex’s face.

“Why?”

Bella let out a small laugh, but it sounded hollow.

“It’s just a small supporting role. You probably won’t understand.”

She glanced at him briefly.

“You’re a CEO after all.”

Her voice grew quieter.

“You don’t know how hard I worked for that role. You don’t know how happy I was when I finally got it.”

Her fingers slowly covered her eyes.

“All of you don’t know…”

The room fell silent.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Alex quietly handed her a tissue.

“Don’t be sad,” he said calmly.

“You’ve already done very well.”

The words were simple.

Yet somehow, they broke the last wall she had been holding up.

Bella didn’t even realize when the tears started falling.

When she finally stopped crying, nearly half an hour had passed.

She blinked in shock when she noticed the damp front of Alex’s shirt.

“…Sorry.”

Her face turned red instantly.

“I dirtied your clothes.”

Alex glanced down briefly.

“It’s fine.”

His tone remained calm, as if it wasn’t worth mentioning.

He stood up and adjusted his sleeves.

“Rest for a while,” he said. “I’ll have someone send hangover soup later. Otherwise you won’t be able to move today.”

Bella nodded awkwardly.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Sterling… for helping me.”

Alex paused.

He slowly looked at her.

“Mr. Sterling?”

Bella froze.

“After everything that happened last night,” he said calmly, “you’re still calling me that?”

Her face turned even redder.

“It’s not like that…”

She wished the ground would open and swallow her whole.

Alex sighed lightly.

“Forget the formalities. Just call me Alex.”

He took out a card and placed it on the table.

“My personal number.”

Bella blinked.

“Call if you need anything.”

He picked up his jacket and walked toward the door.

“Goodbye for now.”

The door closed behind him.

For a long moment, Bella sat frozen.

Then—

“Ahhhh!”

She grabbed her hair and rolled across the bed.

“Isabella, you idiot!”

“How could you embarrass yourself like that?!”

After the chaos passed, she lay quietly on the bed staring at the ceiling.

Sleep was impossible.

She was waiting for bad news.

Even if the directors liked her performance, that didn’t mean they could resist pressure from the sponsors.

Finally she sat up and opened her laptop.

She logged into iMessage.

starryeyes_bells: Are you there?

The reply came quickly.

darkknight24: Wow. The big star finally remembers me.

Bella ignored the sarcasm.

starryeyes_bells: Do you have money? Can you lend me 8 million?

There was a long pause.

darkknight24: What happened?

starryeyes_bells: Please don’t ask.

Another pause.

darkknight24: I just invested my spare money in a winery. It’ll take some time.

starryeyes_bells: How long?

darkknight24: Three days.

Bella exhaled slowly.

starryeyes_bells: Thanks.

Another message appeared.

darkknight24: Wow… first time you’ve asked me for something.

Bella stared at the screen for a long moment.

Then she typed again.

starryeyes_bells: When are you coming back? I’ll pick you up.

darkknight24: Thanks boo.

The chat window went silent.

Bella leaned back in her chair.

She hated owing people favors.

Especially him.

He was one of her exes.

But right now she had no choice.

An hour later, her phone suddenly rang.

It was Lilian.

Bella took a deep breath before answering.

“Hello?”

“Don’t forget filming starts tomorrow at nine,” Lilian snapped immediately. “Take a car yourself. I have to look after Vanessa.”

Bella blinked.

“What? Filming?”

“Are you still sleeping? Wake up! Don’t be late on the first day!”

The call ended instantly.

Bella sat there in shock.

She was… still in the movie?

She quickly dialed the director’s number.

“Hello, Director Phil! Sorry for disturbing you so early, but I need to ask something.”

“The matter about Director Hartley wanting to replace you?” Phil said.

Bella’s heart tightened.

“Yes.”

“Isabella, Producer Wale, Screenwriter Neil, and I are all very satisfied with you.”

“But the reality of the industry is cruel. Feelings alone can’t make a movie.”

“The one who invests the most money always has the final say.”

Bella’s heart sank.

She had been replaced.

Hadn’t she?

“However,” Phil continued.

Bella nearly shouted.

“Director, please just tell me!”

Phil laughed.

“You’re lucky. A new sponsor came in last night.”

“They specifically said Natalie Frostman must be played by you.”

Bella’s eyes widened.

“Really?!”

“That sponsor invested fifty million dollars,” Phil continued happily. “More than the Hartley family and Starlight Entertainment combined.”

“So the final decision belongs to them.”

Bella felt like she had just survived a roller coaster.

“I thought the only sponsors were the Hartley family and Starlight,” she said.

“Where did this new sponsor come from?”

“A last-minute investor,” Phil replied mysteriously.

“You’ll find out soon.”

Bella squealed and threw herself onto the bed.

“Yes!”

“Thank you God!”

Then suddenly she froze.

“Mr. Sterling… Alex?”

She scrambled to find the card he had given her and quickly dialed the number.

The phone rang three times.

“Hello.”

Bella blurted out excitedly—

“Mr—!”

She quickly corrected herself.

“Alex!”

She was practically bouncing on the bed.

“I got the role back! The director said the biggest sponsor insisted I stay!”

There was a brief pause.

“Oh?” Alex replied calmly.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you!” Bella said happily.

“Thank you sir—”

Alex interrupted her.

“What did I say about formalities?”

Bella immediately corrected herself.

“Sorry… Alex.”

“It’s fine,” he replied.

“Goodbye, Isabelle.”

Bella blinked.

“It’s Isabella—”

But the call had already ended.

She stared at her phone in confusion.

Then she shrugged and tossed it onto the bed before jumping around the room again in celebration.