Chapter 264: Night Three: Three Heads are Better

"Whatever." Andie huffed. "But we need to put an end to this."

The tide was turning little by little from what she could see on Twittah. Andie wondered if Eve knew exactly how many fans she gained. The mystery around Evangeline did make a few people suspicious but with Ambryan on her side, they usually kept quiet.

It sickened her how they always jumped at the chance every time Eve faced a scandal.

But now, oh, they had a wave coming.

Ambryan came back to the room. "Wen doesn't have all the details yet but it's most likely Jane."

Eve pressed her lips together and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You know about Jane?"

"How could I not know about Jane?" He said, flicking her forehead. "I was only waiting for you to say something. We tracked your activities as soon as I received your resignation letter. Did you think I'd never find out?"

"Not that you wouldn't find out…" Eve started to explain. "Well, I didn't know that you knew that Evangeline and I were the same person. But I believed you'd look into my resignation."

She had also asked Madison to put Riffle in her place since he was well affiliated with the big three: the President, the CEO and the Chairman. He also knew important people outside of the office. It wouldn't be easy for Jane to try and persuade him. 

"Something really needs to be done about that father and daughter." Ambryan sighed, sitting down on the bed. He and Eve faced different directions but they turned their heads towards one another.

"Exactly what I said!" Andie yelled from the phone. "They'll never stop! Okay?! This is insane! The two of you practically just told the word that you're planning on marriage but they still target Evangeline! Nothing will get through their heads!"

Snatching the mobile device, Ambryan switched it to loudspeaker. "I agree. It's taking a lot more time than I thought to dig up Stuart's underground activities. He has many connections to cover it up."

"Since when were you doing that?" Eve interrupted. She scowled at the sudden information.

"For a while now," he admitted. His lips thinned into a grim line. This wasn't progressing how he wanted it to go. Roadblocks kept coming up—just like this one. "Stuart spoils Jane a lot. It would be a lie to say I didn't see this outcome as a possibility."

Eve bit her inner cheek. She also had that impression. Only Ambryan and his family could do something to put a full stop to this. Her hand clenched into a fist. She wished she had more power—something to add on top of Ambryan's influence.

"What should we do until then?" She asked him.

"Pretend like we're not planning an attack."

Nodding, Eve glanced at the screen. This should be her focus right now. It was what they wanted. If she played into their hands, it might buy Ambryan more time. "Do you want me to seem like I'm affected by this?"

"This?" Ambryan sneered. He placed the phone on the bed and pointed to the laptop. "This will be easy to clear up. Don't cower in front of them, especially not Jane. She doesn't deserve it from you. She also never will."

Even if they won, Jane would always have that memory imprinted in her head. Ambryan refused to let her get that ounce of satisfaction. She needed to feel like she had no chance from the beginning—as she should have realized when he planned that fiasco for the photoshoot. 

Eve couldn't help but smile. "Got it."

"What about me?" Andie opened up. The sound of a scheme fueled fire in her blood. It was hard to contain the excitement to bring a bitch down. She wanted front row seats and a bucket of popcorn!

Ambryan picked up the phone again. "What are you doing right now?"

"Leading the fandom. We have this discord server where we talk and report about these things." Eve arched an eyebrow when she heard that. "We also do strategies so we're in unison. Any ideas on how to persuade the public?"

"Just always say that Evangeline is innocent and that it's fake. I'm not saying they'll believe it but the more they hear it, the more likely they'd start questioning themselves," he quickly responded. 

"And if they don't?"

"Then, they'll fall harder once the truth comes out."

Andie giggled, typing harder. "I like this plan."

"I trust I don't need to tell you how to argue with them?" 

"Oho, of course not. I got this. You go do your superman thing. We'll be here to build it up." Andie sent the current instructions to the fandom. She also reminded them to watch out for each other and the few bad eggs they have. "And, if you have anything to add, just message me."

Anyone who argued back with her seemed like ants now. The confidence in Ambryan's voice reassured her mind, causing it to become sharper. ``@NDdgaf: Blind rats! Evangeline has always been innocent. Whoever made this scandal, prepare yourself! You'll be 20 feet under!`` 

"Sounds good." Ambryan hung up. His violet eyes flickered in Eve's direction. A scowl had taken shape between her eyebrows. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just mentally preparing myself," she spoke softly. Her stare remained on the bed. She hardly blinked. Once he had everything he needed, this petty fight would be over. She had to play her part well for it to succeed.

"Why?"

"Tomorrow the video commercial and Jane will be there," she explained, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, her gaze shifted towards another spot on the mattress. "I have to be ready for whatever she'd throw at me. A few insults, passive-aggressive tone, etc."

Ambryan kissed the side of her forehead. "You'll be fine."

"Oh, I know I will be." Eve stretched up her arms. Pushing the laptop aside, she landed on her back and stared up the ceiling. "It's her who should be worried."

"Did I ever say I like this side of you?" He chuckled, bending down to parallel her position. His nose nearly bumped onto hers.

"No." She grinned. Her hands went to the collar of his dress shirt. She brushed the fabric with her thumbs. "Your scheming self is not too bad either." 

The two shared a kiss on the lips. Ambryan opened his mouth and coaxed her to do the same. Eve moved her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Their worries had fled to the corners of their minds and the rest of the world faded away.

"Huh," Eve whispered on his lips when she came up for air.

Ambryan twisted a loose hair strand on her head and played with it. "What?"

"You taste like tomatoes." She beamed.

"..."

Sometimes people find themselves to have become the thing they swore to destroy.

Among those times, it could come up in funny ways.

The deadpan expression on his face made Eve laugh. 

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"Now, remember. You can't go anywhere without me or Nanzie," Cale said. A purple scarf wrapped around his neck. "It's more dangerous than before. The paparazzi will try to sneak in just to get an interview. The angry people might harm you if you're close enough. It all sounds crazy but we can't be too careful."

He sat in the back of a sedan with Eve by his side. They were on their way to the set of the video commercial. Nanzie sneaked a peek from the rearview mirror. She spotted Eve staring out the window. The latter had been quiet since they left.

"I know, Cale. I know," Eve answered just to reassure him. "I won't wander around. I'd rather now anyway. I could get lost."

"Exactly. We can't know what will happen—!"

She shifted her attention towards her modelling manager and touched his arm. "Cale… I know you care about me a lot and that you're just worried. But do try to relax. We're supposed to act indifferent about the situation."

"How can we be indifferent?" He shot back, slamming his back against the seat. "We should be allowed to be furious with her. It's not the sophisticated route but this has gone too far. She should learn that we won't back down if she caused a fight!"

Eve scooted closer and gave him a side hug. Her temple rested on his shoulder. "We will have the last laugh. Don't worry. Then, you can't rant about it to as many people as you want. They'd die to hear about the gossip."

Cale stayed quiet.

The only sound came from the hum of the vehicle's engine.

Taking a deep breath, Eve closed her eyes. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet. Since she played a character at different stages in her life, she needed to go early for the makeup. Her first role would be the grandmother since it had the most features to work on. 

If it weren't for Jane, she would have been excited to see herself as an old lady.

"Have you thought about the training?" Cale whispered.

Eve stiffened in her seat. The document Mikael sent had been extremely informative. It gave her a wider view on what to expect and what to mull over. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Just tell me when you made your decision, okay?" He lifted his arm and returned her side hug. "Don't feel pressured to do it either. Every time you book a project is already a part of training."

"Yeah, but I want to try the runway."

Cale chuckled at her ambition. "Someday, dear. Someday. I'm sure of it."

The car soon arrived at their destination. The crew was limited since it was early in the day. Eve and Cale immediately headed for the makeup room. They spent nearly two hours to add 60 years worth of life onto Eve's face. Her cheeks now sagged, wrinkles had taken over her forehead and a white wig covered her head.

Like on the drive, Eve used this time to catch on more sleep.

"Ugh, I can't believe we're stuck with her."