```Mikael: It seems like we have a guest for today's modelling session.```
Ambryan thanked him for the information and dialed a familiar number. He could only think of one reason why Kyle would go to such lengths. Adrenaline rushed into his veins. He rose to his feet and paced behind his chair, hardly being able to contain it.
Then, the receiver picked up.
"Hello, Richard speaking," the voice said from the other line.
"Richard," Ambryan practically hissed. "Do you know why Kyle Rivers is in France?"
"Kyle?! Rivers?! That troublemaker of a hooligan?" Richard exclaimed, almost spitting out his water. "Why are you suddenly interested in him? He's never worth your attention."
"Because apparently he's been sending my girlfriend flowers."
This time, Richard choked on his drink. He stood up from his home office chair, coughing until his throat became dry. That had to be the most unexpected thing he had heard of. Someone had decided to step out of the shadows and wreak havoc.
"Does he want to die?" He said after recovering from his coughing fit. Then, he remembered who they were talking about. "Forget what I said. Of course, he does. He's always reckless."
Ambryan had the same thoughts.
Was it a coincidence that the heir to Peitho Entertainment appeared after Eros snatched the investment back? All arrows pointed to this as the reason for Kyle's behavior. Ambryan gritted his teeth. If the bastard tried anything on Eve, he would wish for death for what Ambryan had in mind.
As for Ambryan, he would enjoy every minute of it.
"Richard, is there a spy in your company?" Ambryan dared ask. He pushed his predatory instincts aside and focused on the rational part of the matter. The relationship between Eros Productions and Venus Investment could be on the line if his skepticism was taken wrongly.
The same thoughts ran in Richard's head.
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Ambryan, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that Kyle has impeccable timing on his trip to France. He also must be extremely lucky to have met Evangeline in a bar and fell in love with her at first sight. It doesn't matter if she was taken." Ambryan paused. He gripped the back of his chair, clutching it tight and using it to calm down. He'd never experience this before. Not even when Eros faced a financial crisis—the utter worry that something could go impeccably wrong.
He took several deep breaths and slowed down his speech so Richard could hear his implication better. "The story could simply just have a different ending."
Richard's facial muscles stiffened. His best friend's outburst now started to make sense. "You think he knows that the script is about you and Evangeline?"
"It's my current lead." Ambryan sighed. Exhaustion weighed down on his shoulders. He let his chair go and sat on its cushion. "But I'd greatly appreciate it if you look into it."
"Okay." Richard nodded. Then, he raised his voice louder. "Okay, I will. I'll call you back when I have something. In the meantime, drink some tea."
Ambryan ended the call and closed his eyes. Why was he reacting this way? Was it simply because Eve was in harm's way? No. Something from the corner of his mind hinted at its presence. It was a thought he refused to entertain because he didn't have a reason to.
But now...
What if Eve left him?
"Wen, please investigate Kyle's activities," Ambryan instructed, opening his eyes. This was what they wanted—to mess with his head. He should be stronger than this. "This could still be a distraction to a bigger plot."
"Yes, Mr. Hathaway." Wen noticed the change in the CEO's demeanor. She couldn't put her finger on it but she felt like she should say something. "Anything else?"
Ambryan remained quiet for a while. He turned his chair towards his floor to ceiling windows. No matter how far he looked, he would never be able to see beyond Maize City. His chest became hollow.
When he spoke, it was barely audible. Wen almost didn't hear it.
"There is one thing..."
.
.
.
.
.
Eve paled in horror.
It had to be a dream. No! It had to be a NIGHTMARE. She pinched herself on the side of her arm, desperate for this reality to vanish. She hid behind another model and squatted a little. It should be enough to shield from her sight.
Tiffany spotted her moving weirdly and frowned
"This is a golden opportunity and I wish you luck," the camp director declared from the platform. "The video commercial will need three female models. It's always good to be versatile and to widen your experience. So, I hope you all do your best to impress Kyle."
'Where do I sign that allows me to be disqualified by default?' Eve moaned in her head. Because this was a modelling camp, her actions would be under a lot of scrutiny. She wouldn't be able to do anything to him unless she wanted to be kicked out.
"How much do you want to bet that he'd play favoritism?" Mikael taunted from her right.
Eve joined him on the sidelines, distant from everyone else. She avoided looking at Kyle's direction. Her brown eyes stared off into space as a result—just to be sure they didn't end up wandering towards him.
"I never thought of him as someone who took their job seriously," she shared. "I'm also broke but I'd bet Monopoly money that he totally would do that. Skills wouldn't be in his priority list."
Mikael stuck close to her side. Staff members handed out a script for the video commercial. It wasn't part of the original curriculum but they saw a good opportunity with the idea. One of the personnel handed Eve a copy.
It was at this point that someone else also noticed her.
"Evangeline!" Kyle called out, acting shocked to see her. Eve mustered all her willpower not to smack the grin off his face. "I didn't think I'd see you here. Small world, huh?"
Mikael turned his head away. Otherwise, he would have rebutted that statement. Without a name on those cards, he wouldn't be able to link Kyle to the flower bouquets. How much had he planned exactly?
Kyle tilted his head sideways, squinting at Eve. He leaned in closer and said, "Hey… uh… I remember your eyes being hazel from pictures. Are you wearing contact lenses?"
Eve blinked. Her eyebrows gradually rose up in surprise. Once again, she found herself walking on thin ice with this man around. "I actually just did an ad for contact lenses today. I'm fond of how they can change a person's gaze just by wearing them."
He rubbed his chin and continued to inspect her eyes. He had narrowed his eyes so much, Eve speculated he actually couldn't see a thing anymore. "So you're saying that those hazel ones were contact lenses?"
"I'm saying that you are more than welcome to speculate if I am wearing contact lenses now or not," She shot back with a wide smile. At the back of her mind, she made a mental note to inform several people about this small encounter. It was another suspicious topic—the 'suspicious' part meaning Kyle's terrible acting.
From the corner of her eye, Eve noticed the camp director walking towards them.
"You know Ms. Reed?" The director asked.
"Oh!" Kyle answered. He spoke again before Eve or Mikael could contribute to the conversation. "We're actually both from the same city. She's quite famous there if I do say so myself. I've heard nothing but good things about her career. Her first project was even for Athon Luxury! I'm honestly a secret fan of hers."
"Oh, my…" the camp director gasped. Her gentle expression warmed up Eve on the inside. She couldn't bring herself to deny Kyle's words. "Then again, I shouldn't be so surprised. She's one of our top models this year. With your compliments, I guess we can expect more great things from her then."
"Shall we discuss future endeavors?" Kyle offered his arm to the camp director. He glanced over his shoulder once as they left the studio. "I'll be looking forward to your performance, Ms. Reed."
They disappeared among the crowd in the nick of time.
"I'm also famous. I'm also from the same city. I don't hear any praises come my way," Mikael muttered. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at a far wall. "I've never heard a more scripted dialogue in my life."
Eve smacked the back of her hand against his stomach. She had her lips pressed together to restrain herself from laughing. "Now, now, don't be jealous. Keep acting like this and I'll start bragging about you the next time we attend the same party."
"Please don't."
"But that's no fun."
.
```Lin: Still no luck on who the guy could be? We spoke today and he noticed my eye color. I guess it should be a normal reaction but he kept staring at me.```
.
Late in the night, Ambryan paused from doing extra work in his home office. He pushed his eyeglasses up his nose bridge. It was going to be a long night ahead. The cats decided to sleep on his desk—as if sensing that he would be staying for a while.
He caressed Kiri's head after sending a reply.
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```Yan: We've found him.```
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Eve scowled at the message. She waited a few seconds…
Then, half a minute passed by. Was Ambryan leaving it at that?
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```Lin: Please inform me when you decide on telling me. I'm starting to think I should know who he is. He seems both familiar and not familiar. It's driving me insane.```
```Yan: Hm…```
```Lin: Well???```
``Yan: I think you can figure it out. Just ponder over it a bit more.```
```Lin: So I know him?```
``Yan: Yes and no.```
```Lin: Any hint?```
```Yan: I can give you one for a price.```
```Lin: What price?```
```Yan: A kiss.```
```Lin: :*```
```Yan: A real one.```
```Lin: Now, you're just teasing me.```
.
Eve stuck out her bottom lip.
Did he really not plan on telling her until she gets back home?