Emelia’s Pov I blinked for a moment, then let out a small laugh.“Elijah,” I said, leaning my head back against the seat with a sigh, “Melanie’s moving faster than I thought. I was expecting something like this next week, but I guess she’s really desperate now.”Nathan went quiet on the other end. “You’re laughing?”“I already knew there was another recording.” I replied calmly. Eliza mentioned it earlier when she was telling Elijah and I what Melanie had planned, “Melanie probably got desperate when she realized the first one wasn’t enough to bury me. She’s throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.”“But, Emelia, this one looks…”“Real?” I cut him off with a light snort, “That’s the thing about forgeries, Nathan. They always look real until someone breaks them apart.”There was a pause before he asked, “So what are you going to do?”“Don’t worry about it.” I replied, brushing my fingers through my hair and glancing out the car window. The streets were familiar now, home wa
Emelia’s Pov “Yes, I've been a student there for as long as I can remember. I have a bit of authority there as well.” I nodded, watching the spark in her eyes ignite into something brighter, hope. “Yes.” I said calmly, “And if you’re serious about this, if you’re truly willing to study and put in the effort, I’ll help you.” Eliza blinked rapidly, like she didn’t believe what she’d just heard, “You… You’ll really help me?” “Mhm.” I confirmed, this time louder, “I’ll talk to the director of the institution. You’ll study for a few weeks, and if you pass the entry assessment, you’ll be admitted into the program. But make no mistake…” I added, leveling my gaze at her, “You’ll get in only if you deserve it. This isn’t a favor. You’ll earn your place.” Suddenly, Eliza gasped, her mouth falling open before she let out a squeal. Before I could prepare myself, she jumped at me, grabbing both my hands tightly. “Miss Emelia!” She cried, eyes shimmering with disbelief, “I promise, I swear,
Emelia’s Pov “If you say so.” Eliza sighed, “I'll do as you ask. But how would you know if she agrees to meet me? Once I reach out to her, she may suspect that I did that out of ulterior motives so she might be watching me.” “You don't need to worry about that.” Elijah pushed himself off the wall that he was leaning on, “I'll take care of that, just do your job. Once you're done, I'll complete the medications for your mother and you'll finally be free from the entertainment industry that you're in. You told me that you wanted to leave that place, didn't you?” Eliza's eyes widened as she nodded frantically, “You'll do that?? You'll really do that?!” She questioned, even slightly jumping on her feet. I just noticed that she was even limping. Her left leg looked like it had been… Amputated?! She was using a prosthetic leg! I raised my head up in alarm, meeting her eyes. “You…” I wanted to speak but I trailed off, not even knowing what to ask. However, she noticed what I was looking a
Emelia’s Pov I blinked, “You don’t mind?”She smiled faintly, a little shy but resolute, “Not really. If anything, being implicated might actually bring me more attention. I’m an actress, remember? Even bad press is still press. It might give me more opportunities.”I stared at her, unsure whether to admire her bravery or call her insane, “Eliza,” I said slowly, “Don’t you think this kind of attention could… break you? Mental health isn’t something to gamble with. Once the crowd turns on you, it gets ugly fast. You might regret it.”But she just shook her head, her smile still in place, “I’ve endured worse, Emelia. My dad walked out on us when I was nine. My mom’s health has been failing since I was fifteen. I’ve worked jobs where the directors screamed in my face, made me rehearse in freezing weather, called me useless, ugly, talentless. I’ve gone to sleep hungry more times than I can count. You think a few people calling me names online is going to shake me?”I sat back, struck by
Emelia's Pov “But it did.” I cut in, my voice unkind. Eliza bit her lips and lowered her head, “I have no excuses for what I did. Despite the fact that I knew it would cause some problems to others, I still did it and accepted the money. If I had fought harder, I would have been able to escape Melanie. I'm sorry once again, I really am.” Eliza bowed, her voice apologetic. I glanced at Elijah who shrugged. She looked really sorry. I sighed and walked towards her, placing my hands on her shoulders. She was only one year older than me, and yet, she was already taking on huge responsibilities like this. What she did was bad but I wouldn't blame her, after all, circumstances have its way of treating others so badly that it would make them forget their morals. “As long as you know that what you did was wrong, I forgive you. However, I still incurred quite a lot of scolding and I'm still bitter about it.” Eliza laughed, “It's okay. I'll receive any punishment that you give me. I can't c
Emelia's Pov I rolled my eyes at Elijah’s overly proud expression and crossed my arms, “Can you help me set up a meeting with Eliza?”His smirk widened like he had been waiting for me to ask, “Already ahead of you.” He said smugly, stretching his arms behind his head, “I actually sent someone to check on her the moment I saw the video. We can go see her right now if you want.”I straightened immediately, “Right now?”Elijah pushed himself off the bed and grabbed his car keys from the nightstand, “Yeah. She’s safe. I moved her out as soon as I got the footage and realized Melanie might still try to use her or silence her. I wasn’t going to take that risk.”I followed him to the door, surprised but also… grateful, “You gave her a place to stay?”“She didn’t really have much of a choice.” He said, holding the door open for me, “Melanie threatened her and her sick mother. I wasn’t about to let her go back to that broken-down house with a target on her back.”We didn’t talk much on the dr