Chapter 130: The Art of Storms and Silence

"Have you been living under a rock? What else could be pissing me off? It's your sudden surge of haters, of course!" Andie growled. Lightning flashed in her stormy blue eyes. The continuous pings from her notifications backed up her statement. "Believe me when I say that I'll show no mercy when I find out who is behind this."

Eve took a step back, raising her hands in surrender. "I see you're on full blast mode."

The knives behind her best friend's tone could cut stones. Whenever this happened, Andie could be 100% calm but she would still talk in this manner. It was hard to rub off once she got used to it. 

"I can't let these bitches think they can get away with this."

"How are you sure they are women?"

"No one else could be this petty," Andie explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She looked at her screen and scrolled down the open page. Her vision clouded in red. "And what the hell is this? Which fudger dare to create this story?"

"You mean the fanfiction, right?" Jarrett asked. He shook his head as he reached the middle of the story. "There's grammar errors here and there. The flow is also off but I can see why others would eat this up."

Andie stuck out her tongue, saying, "It's clickbait."

Eve crouched next to her and skimmed it. She had never read a more forced story before this. With how many books she read, she could tell that the writer didn't know what he/she/they wanted to convey. It was a blend of different ideas being mashed together.

They were ingredients thrown in a bowl that won't mix—like oil and water.

"Even I can see the appeal," Eve whispered.

Andie glared at the both of them. "Why are you two siding with the enemies?"

Jarrett shrugged. "Knowing your enemies' strengths and weaknesses is a good thing. It helps us figure out how to counterattack. We need to break down whatever they are aiming for."

"Which is? Tear Eve apart."

He blew a raspberry. "What? No, that's just part of it. Based on everything I saw, it's always about Mikael and Evangeline. They're claiming that Evangeline is a social climber that is having an affair. And who is affected by this exactly?"

"Eve, of course," Andie insisted.

Her boyfriend gave her a knowing look. "It's Ambeevan. Evangeline as a social climber could have been done when she got that slot for Athon Luxury. They could have pointed out more reasons why they think of her this way but… they just keep talking about her and Mikael and the affair."

"It's to break them up," Jarrett concluded. His eyes swept around the room. "They want to put a wedge in between the couple. They can't target Ambryan for obvious reasons. So, they target the other person of the relationship."

Andie scowled. She looked back at the trending hashtags. There wasn't a trace of Ambryan's name. He was only mentioned in passing throughout the articles. Of course, the media wouldn't dare to drag his name too far. 

They must have feared what he'd do if they highlighted him too much.

"But this doesn't mean that you were wrong," Jarrett continued. "The first phase of the plan is to put the pressure on Evangeline. If she doesn't play into their hands, their plan fails. Either way, she's the one to make the move."

His gaze landed on Eve.

Eve bit her inner cheek, understanding what he meant. She stopped reading halfway through the fanfiction. Somehow, she had expected to find it appalling but the affair had been romanticized.

If they changed the names, it could be a good story.

Andie exhaled a long sigh through her nose. This wasn't a predicament that would go away overnight. It might even last for weeks. In that span of time, anything could happen.

She crossed her arms over her chest and made her decision. Pointing her finger up, she shared her thoughts. "I say ignore them. They are not worth your breath."

Eve snapped her head in Andie's directions. She didn't buy the advice. "Says the one who has been spamming relentlessly all day."

Her best friend rolled her eyes. Then, she stared straight into Eve's brown ones. "But I'm not Evangeline Reed. I'm not the person they are, in Cale's words, 'sabotaging'. They're provoking you. The best way to respond is get on with your life looking happy and unbothered."

Jarrett raised his hand. "I second that."

Switching her focus between the two, she could tell that they had made up their mind. Eve pressed her lips together and thought about it. It was still too early into the storm. Taking action right now would show that Evangeline was provoked.

If Evangeline was provoked, that meant the enemies won.

The more Eve played with the idea, the more she agreed with the other two. "By 'looking happy and unbothered', you mean in public, right?"

"Well, yeah." Andie shrugged. "If you stay indoors, they think you're hiding from shame. And the truth is the opposite. You have nothing to be ashamed about."

Since when did you become an expert at handling celebrity scandals?" Eve chuckled. "

"You learn a lot by reading them."

"I'm good. Thanks." She rose to her feet and plopped down on the couch. Her body leaned sideways and her head cradled on a narrow shoulder. Her voice turned into a whisper. "Hey, Cale."

"Hello to you too, beautiful," he greeted back.

Eve's chest constricted. Like Ambryan and Luna, he was also affected by this scandal. Her previous deliberation to do nothing suddenly became uncertain. "I'm sorry this happened."

Cale put his phone down and glanced in her direction, unable to see her face. "Why are you sorry? This is not your fault. People are just grasping at straws because they can't find dirt on you. Whoever they are, they're clearly jealous of your life."

"Maybe," Eve replied. She pulled herself back up and rubbed her temples. "But I should have been more careful. I should avoid other males from now on to prevent this."

"Sweetie, it's not wrong to be friends with Mikael. It's not wrong to be friends with the opposite sex. You're in the same agency. You're in the same apartment building. If anything, this is natural given your situation," the modelling manager reasoned. 

His eyes drooped at the corners. "And I'm the one who should apologize. None of my connections would even take you in."

"Oh. Cale. It's fine. I don't need—"

"No! No, it's not okay!" He yelled. He hopped off the couch and clawed at his scalp. When he released his head, his platinum blonde hair pointed in different directions. He walked over to the window and pulled the curtain. 

The world outside molded with his imagination. "I wanted to paint the whole city with Evangeline Reed. So, wherever your haters go, they'd always see your face."

He didn't have the same level of power as his other friends. He initially sought them out for help but Andie pointed out that Eve might not like it. If he wanted to support Eve, it should be by his own abilities.

And he was in charge of her modelling career.

Yet, he couldn't do anything. 

It pained him to be the person that couldn't contribute to their cause.

"Ooohh, I like that!" Andie cooed. Her mood elevated and her hot-tempered blood cooled down. It definitely sounded like a good idea. It would be a missed opportunity if they don't do it. "You can still do that once they retreat. Rub the victory in their faces."

"But win by silence?" Eve doubted for the nth time. She itched to do something more active. Doing nothing seemed… unaccomplished. Powerless. Handcuffed. It wasn't the message she wanted to send across.

Jarrett pursed his lips. They had to do it publicly but Evangeline shouldn't leave the house without a valid reason. "I still say we need to get Evangeline a gig. That's one way to look unaffected by the whole ordeal. If you have an endorsement even when they try to cut you off, that's a win."

"Where could I even go?" Eve asked. She went through a mental list of establishments that she knew. "Andie's workplace?"

Cale's ears perked up at the words, spinning on his heel. "Andie's workplace?"

Jarrett hung his head. His position gave him an upside-down view of the modelling manager. "Oh, right. You don't know. Andie works in a bakery. It's not exactly a place for someone to be a model of. They prefer to display pictures of the food."

"But having a model with the right expressions could entice customers to try the items."

Andie showed a tight smile. "I know but the owner really doesn't like it. If she did, I would have asked Eve that favor from the beginning."

Silence enveloped the room. 

Eve's gaze landed on the archway. "What is it, Nanzie? Is there trouble outside?"

The bodyguard had stayed quiet throughout the discussion. She just got off the phone when Eve addressed her. "Not here, Ms. Eve. At the apartment complex. Reporters have tried to break in, wanting a photo of you since you haven't responded to the articles."

"Reporters?"

"Yes."

Eve stared at the floor. Her mind worked on overdrive as inspiration struck. The light came through her eyes and brightened up her face. It could rival a star in the sky.

Andie narrowed her gaze, feeling suspicious. "What are you thinking?"