Chapter 175: Sourness is Not Just a Flavor

Eardrums burst from the sound. People that were further away stood in shock. The words entered one ear and went out in the other. Only the security team and guards bolted into action. They dispersed and looked after the perimeter. 

Ambryan leaped off his seat, hitting Sam's backrest along the way. The director toppled off his folding chair. Luckily, his feet landed on the ground first. It gave him a chance to regain his balance. Jordan also grabbed the chair in time—so it wouldn't fall on him. 

Eve typed a quick message and informed Nanzie of the problem.

If Elias managed to slip through, at least, there could be someone outside to be watchful of him.

The person in question left the counter before Mikael could get another word in. A muffled radio noise came from the other side of the door. Elias walked through the tables and away from the model's sight. Mikael sensed that he only came to cause a scene, choosing not to pursue him.

The ex-boyfriend spotted in Eros' studios?

What a way to grab even more attention.

Crew members around him put down their camcorders. He sighed, relaxing his stance. His Commotion occurred outside as people in suits ran down the sidewalk. One guard escorted him back to the equipment area.

It seemed like his first day wasn't going so well.

Ambryan conjured a mental map of the vicinity. There were a number of options to which Elias Walker could use an exit. Why did he decide to show up? Ambryan didn't know but the timing couldn't be a coincidence. If this was a threat, they needed to pick up the pace.

"Wen, status report!" He yelled into his phone, entering an alleyway near the cafe. Three guards joined him. The four of them stopped halfway inside. There were no signs of movement. Ambryan resumed the pursuit with a walk and waited for the report.

"Target is in sight. He's headed for Gate 4. The outer area is a forest. He may be able to use it to his advantage but without a car, he won't make it far."

"Catch him" was all Ambryan said before ending the call. Then, he relayed his instructions to his companions. "Intersect Mr. Walker at Gate 4. We can't let him escape from our grasp."

"Yes, Mr. Hathaway."

Alone, Ambryan wrapped his head around the incident. That was a bold move from Elias, appearing in their territory. What did he want to achieve? Did he wish to be captured? Every time someone got close, he would always turn away—including the media.

Maybe he was waiting for a specific person to chase him?

Ambryan's lips straightened to a grim line. 

He did not like that idea.

Eve felt her phone ring. The madam's name flashed on her screen. Avery must have heard the news. Should she take it? Whirling her head around the equipment area, she didn't stray too far and answered the call.

"Mrs. Hathaway."

"Eve! Thank goodness! Are you alright?"

"I'm with the crew team. We're staying out of harm's way while Sir Hathaway and the security team pursue the target," she explained. There were ears nearby. The closest one was near her lips. Her role right now was Ambryan's secretary. 

She turned down the call volume as low as her hearing could pick up.

"Okay, don't go wandering off on your own. We don't know what that man might do," Avery huffed. "I really can't understand him. Our people had approached him several times but he refused to cooperate."

"And you just let him go?" Eve blinked. Surrendering didn't seem like the madam's style. Hell, if that were the case, the DTC site wouldn't have existed and neither would Evangeline Reed.

"If we take him by force, that's kidnapping. He could report us. Even if he failed to, he has so much exposure right now that he could always start it as rumor."

Eve nodded along, getting the point. She could argue that creating Evangeline was a form of lying but let it slide. That statement would also be aimed at herself. By now, it was too late to turn back around and change her mind.

"It's frustrating!" Avery continued to rant. "Now, he's at the studios? What does he want?"

Similar questions occurred to Eve. She put them away for her sanity. Would it be too much to assume that he knew she was his objective? Her? Everlee Hart? Not Evangeline? The questions piled up one after another.

She'd rather not have any of it.

"I'll send you an update once I receive one, Mrs. Hathaway." 

"Right. You're on duty," Avery said. "Sorry for calling out of the blue. I was just—you know, with Elias maneuvers—and him appearing out of the blue—I just—I couldn't help but—"

"I understand."

There wasn't anything else needed to be said. The both of them had the same worries. With someone else feeling the same, a dark thought murked in her head. It had surfaced for half a second when Director Sam almost fell on the ground.

What if she stopped all of this?

Wouldn't that erase these troubles?

The faces of her sisters came next. She held onto it. They were her sole reason to work hard—always had been. Her life hadn't been threatened quite yet. She had to keep going until the tightrope of her situation snapped. 

"Please be at ease, Mrs. Hathaway," Eve added after a moment. "Sir Hathaway will be just fine."

She hit the end button and walked back to the group. A crowd had formed outside of the shops. They searched for the source of the commotion, snapping their heads in every direction possible. The locked street proved to be empty.

Then, what exactly was going on?

Director Sam sat on his chair. Pain shot up from his legs. His sudden loss of balance placed pressure on his left ankle. He twisted it and tested its condition. Other than a dull ache, it seemed to be usable. 

He hoped it would fade away soon.

Ambryan marched into the vicinity, a disgruntled look on his face. The flecks in his eyes darkened. If lightning could flash in them, there would be a thunderstorm brewing. 

Sam got on his feet, hissing at the pain. He met the CEO halfway and demanded some answers. "M-Mr. Hathaway! Glad to see you're alright! Are we in danger perhaps?"

How did the circumstances affect the shoot? Was there another reschedule? If he knew this was going to happen, he would have refused to film the product placement today. The original timetable would have gotten something done.

Not this—This—

—This big pile of mess.

"No. Not in that sense." Ambryan paced around the spot. Lips pursed, his teeth grinded. He checked his phone every few seconds. With each look, his expression worsened. 

Eve approached him, using the call as an excuse. "Sir Hathaway, the madam called just now about the incident. She would like to know what the current status is."

Ambryan snapped his eyes in her direction. 

She winced.

'That can't be good.'

"I'll deal with mother later. Don't speak to her unless she calls again," Ambryan dismissed. He took a deep breath and tucked his phone away. "Let's head back to the office. Apologies for the interruption, Luna, but feel free to restart. There's still time to get the footage."

"Can you work in this condition?" She fired back, jogging to catch up. 

"I'm in pristine condition, Luna. There's no reason for this setback to cause a problem."

'Setback…' Eve repeated to herself. That meant only one thing.

Elias Walker had escaped.

"How was that possible?" She mumbled. Luna turned in her direction. She pressed her fingers against her lips then bowed her head. Her legs quickened the pace until she matched Ambryan's long strides.

The car appeared at the end of the street.

Wen stepped out with a small rectangular case in her hand.

She held out a hand. 

Eve understood the message and surrendered the surveillance frames. The bodyguard opened the case, switching the two pairs of eyeglasses. Since they were headed back, there wasn't a need for the extra security.

She certainly didn't want to overhear another suspicious conversation.

Ambryan stayed silent. He neither fiddled with his phone nor shared further instructions. His gaze stared out the window beside him. Trapped in his thoughts, he let them run rampant while he still had the time.

It was quite a day.

After a normal morning in his office, he attended a get together out of obligation. From there, he managed to negotiate with a streaming company and a broadcasting one. It seemed too much luck packed in one day.

And it was.

Now, here he was—empty-handed.

His hand clenched into a fist. Someone seemed to be having fun with too much freedom. It went as far as toying with his business affairs. If his mother didn't disapprove, he would have proceeded with other means.

Eve patted her pockets. She took out a small oval. The plastic foil wrinkled under her touch. Her brown eyes met Wen's teal ones. She gulped and shook her head. 'This was going to be difficult…'

But she persisted, clearing her throat.

Ambryan shifted his attention towards her.

"Candy, Sir Hathaway?"