Chapter 141: The Distance Between Us

``Hear this song as you sleep,

A tale of a maiden who lays in her feet,

Under the willow at night she danced,

With only the whispers of winds she has.``

Evangeline's face changed as she sang the lullaby. With the children quiet, even online viewers could hear her well. Her technique was nowhere near a professional's but each syllable was clear. The tone matched her pristine expression, 

It was simple and pleasant.

``Tip toe, there she twirls,

Around the tree where she met the lad

Tip toe, she stretched her hand,

But no one was there in where she stands.``

The clip lasted for 15 seconds.

"What's gotten into you?" Richard's question broke his best friend out of his reverie.

"Nothing." Ambryan locked the phone screen immediately. He wore a hard look on his face. His eyes closed as beads of sweat emerged on his forehead. 

Richard didn't buy it. He'd never seen his best friend this rattled. He only saw a quick glimpse of the clip. What was it? Evangeline's singing? She sounded normal. Although…, he didn't recognize the song so he couldn't comment on her accuracy.

Color slowly seeped back into Ambryan's face.

His breathing also stabilized.

Clasping his shoulder, Richard said, "Come on, they're looking for us. I told them you had an emergency at your company so we couldn't finish the course."

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"That damn bitch!" Charlee wailed, throwing her hot pink phone. The mobile device's edge hit the carpet and jumped off. It landed on its back with barely any damage. The screen displayed her news feed on Twittah.

She stood up and stomped her foot. Her mocha hair tangled together under her scratching fingers. "She just had to rub it in everyone's faces that Ambryan sent her bejewelled roller skates!"

Her foot kicked the air.

Harper pulled off her headphones and spun the chair. Her lips kept quiet and her face remained impassive but her mind raced with activity. She remembered how Charlee had done the same thing when Ambryan gave her an anklet.

The only thing missing was the letter.

'Goes to show which one mattered to her more,' Harper remarked quietly. Game music echoed out of her headphones. It was tempting but she knew Charlee would throw a tantrum if she ignored her.

"NDdgaf, insert username and Meiha Natsu are so annoying," Nicole groaned. The first one had become inactive but the other two continued to mock her defeat, spamming her notifications. "Guess birds of the same feather really do flock together."

She slammed her laptop closed. 

Scrambling off the bed, she pulled her blonde hair out of its bun. 

"This can't be the end of it." Charlee sneered as she looked out the window. "There has to be something else we could do. Ms. Goody-goody can't get away for long. She merely got lucky this time because of the photo."

"Yeah, but what?" Nicole snorted. She crossed her arms over her chest and swayed her hips to one side. "It took us weeks to even get here. She's rarely seen in public. It's not like we have the skills to hack into her phone."

"We don't?" Charlee's indigo eyes flickered towards Harper.

"I'm only a gamer, not a hacker. Besides, father wouldn't allow such a thing," Harper replied, hiding her irritation. It didn't even matter if he did. She wouldn't approve of it herself. "We are dealing with Ambryan Hathaway's girlfriend. There's protective armor around her even if she didn't lift a finger."

Nicole scoffed at her words. "How convenient."

Harper scratched her temple. 

She pressed her lips together. It wasn't like they couldn't find another way. Hacking? There should be tons of offers on the internet. They just came with risks if one was willing to take them. As a test, she opened the browser and searched the dark web. 

It only took less than five minutes.

Not that she'd tell her friends about it.

The hottest single played in the air. Its energetic beats contrasted against the heavy atmosphere. The lyrics provided encouraging statements as if ridiculing their defeat. The hot pink cell phone lit up as an unknown caller ID appeared on the screen. 

Charlee marched to pick up her phone.

"Hello?" She almost yelled into the mic. Then, she remembered her latest auditions. It could be a callback for the 2nd female lead. She wouldn't want to make the wrong impression. Evangeline couldn't take her career away too.

A sultry voice chuckled from the other end of line. It was sickly sweet, almost nauseating to the ears. "So, you failed at destroying Evangeline Reed."

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"I think you have the wrong number." Charlee breathed out. Her thumb hovered over the end call button. No one outside of this room knew about their schemes. She would have to be close to death before she'd admit them.

"Isn't this Charlee Edwards?" The voice asked innocently.

"Yes, and who are you?" Charlee bit her tongue when she realized her mistake. 

She had given away her identity. 

"Don't you remember me? We're allies!" The woman laughed. It sounded like bells on a sleigh, promising a beautiful Christmas morning. "So don't be so sour. You and I are on the same team. I'm not someone you should be wary of."

Charlee scrunched her eyebrows. She made eye contact with Nicole. Her friend understood it immediately and came closer, listening in on the conversation. "What do you want?"

"The same thing as you." The woman chuckled.

"Which is?"

Harper frowned from her seat. Shivers trickled down her spine. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped a few degrees despite the summer weather. An ominous feeling shrouded her senses. 

A storm was coming.

"Why… Bring Evangeline Reed down, of course."

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Another week passed and Eve had her third photoshoot session.

She stood inside a store at the Parthenos Mall where it was still too early for customers to visit the establishment. Most of the staff stayed outside while a professional camera crew occupied the inside and provided the appropriate lights. 

For this campaign, Eve wore the brand's latest Fall collection. Her crimson hair and amber eyes fit along with the warm ochre clothing. She posed at different spots inside the store. The other items in the collection hung on racks and sat on shelves. Her photos would be plastered on the walls like a 2D mannequin.

She had tucked her left hand inside a pant pocket and threw the tangerine jacket over one shoulder. Her right hand rested on a glass countertop. Brown slacks covered her legs while skin-tone stilettos boosted her height. The latter matched the color of her top. 

Dark caramel gloss coated her lips.

"That's a wrap!" The director called out.

Eve blew out a breath and relaxed her posture.

The waistband of the pants had a tight fit. She had to suck in her stomach just to keep it from ripping open. The last thing she needed was to pay for the clothes. There should be another shoot for when winter rolled in.

She preferred to work with familiar people as much as possible.

"You did so good!" Cale gushed. He patted the back of her neck. The heat from studio lights shouldn't be underestimated. "Let's get you changed so we can leave. Don't forget you have a minor shoot tomorrow. Make sure nothing happens to your bottom half."

Eve snorted at his reminder. 

Then again… maybe she should wax again for good measure. It wouldn't be good to recognize her own legs just from the patches of hair on them. Andie would have a field day if that happened.

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``Yan: Are you done? I can pick you up.``

``Lin: It's okay. It's not far from the apartment.``

``Yan: Alright. If that is what you wish.``

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"If that is what you wish…" Eve muttered. Was there something wrong? Ambryan didn't sound like himself for the past few days. Her apology for posting the photos without his permission went to deaf ears. He barely acknowledged it before going offline.

She walked out of the dressing room, wearing a buttoned denim dress. 

"What's troubling you?" Cale asked as they left the premises. 

"Either I am overthinking it or… Ambryan is acting a little weird," she admitted under her breath. Their chat window still had their usual greetings but every time she attempted a conversation, he'd disappeared within two minutes.

There wouldn't be an explanation either.

The replies would just stop.

Cale tugged the corner of his lip. "Even at work?"

He and Eve headed for a black vehicle. Nanzie sat on the driver's seat while the two of them occupied the backseat. The wheels rolled over the barren parking lot and drove through the bustling streets.

"Well…," Eve thought out loud, biting her lip. Her mind recalled the memories of the past week. With the scandal over, her tasks carried on like clockwork—as if she had gone back in time when her double identity didn't exist. "He seems the same but I guess since I think something is wrong, I'm taking it the wrong way?"

"Did you do anything lately?"

"Other than the post, nothing." She sighed. That particular conversation circled around her head. "When I said I was sorry, he said it was okay. I don't want to look into it much but it's bothering me. I might have offended him without knowing."

She could probably ask him but his closed-off nature planted doubts in her head. The fear of rejection lingered in her veins. Since when did she worry about such things?