Chapter 6 Unexpected Call

• She gripped her outer garment tightly, surprised that he would be the first one to call her. She hadn’t seen the name properly, thinking that it was Henry. Her first instinct was to answer his voice.
• “Ezra, is there something I can do for you?” She subconsciously asked.
• “Yes,” he instantly affirmed. “Do you have time to meet this week?”
• She blinked rapidly, her eyes widened. Taking a deep breath, she inquired in a curious tone. “Is there something that matters, Ezra? Just set the time. I am quite free this week.”
• Basically, she was unemployed. She even wanted to go back to being a waitress in some kind of restaurant again, but Henry gave her hope. She had taken a job as a model before, but she was harassed by some man that made her uncomfortable, so she quit.
• When she saw that had Eleanor replaced her job, she knew that she had a hand in it, too.
• Of course, she wouldn’t put too much hope in someone’s favor. She might search for some vacant jobs again by tomorrow.
• “How about two days from now? Are you free in the afternoon? I’ll send you the information about the place later.” Ezra’s casual tone made her initial anxiousness dissipate. She finally could rest at ease after knowing that nothing happened to him.
• The first thing that came to mind was the thugs again. She thought that their cronies had come to bother Ezra, making him implicated in her matter further. Now, it shouldn’t be the case.
• “That’s fine.”
• ***
• Eleanor liked to interrogate her when she would dress up to go out. Today was no different. After Ezra invited her to meet that night, he didn’t forget and instantly sent her an address.
• “Sister, are you going to an audition again?” Eleanor tilted her head to the side. “Are you not afraid that something would happen to you?”
• Elara shook her head, and she calmly replied, “It’s not an audition.”
• “Then, it is a date? Do you have a date with Mason again?” Eleanor jumped up from the sofa and whined, clutching her arm. “That’s not fair. You two are going to have fun without me. Why don’t you invite me? Can I join, sister? I promise I will be good and won’t disturb the two of you too much.”
• She began to grow annoyed by this spoiled girl’s acting. Taking a step back, she pulled her arm from Eleanor’s hug. There was some redness on her skin already.
• “It’s not a date. Just ask Mason himself if you don’t believe me.” Elara took a deep breath and pursed her lips.
• Eleanor really called Mason just to confirm it, making Mason decided to arrange a date for them. Elara was right that they hadn’t planned a date. It was so funny. A couple’s date but always invite a third person to squeeze in between them.
• Actually, the relationship between sisters wasn’t that bad in the beginning. It was unknown when, but Eleanor began to grow more and more crooked. She would scheme against Elara.
• When she broke a doll, she would always blame it on Elara, making the older girl suffer punishment. Her skin would be red after she received a slap.
• As Eleanor grew older, her tricks were more reserved. She started to act sweet with Elara again, trying to gain sympathy.
• “Then, where are you going now?” Eleanor raised her eyebrows, visibly relaxing.
• “I am going to get a job.” Elara answered without emotion. “Do you still want to tag along?”
• If she offered this spoiled girl to tag along with her, it would lessen her suspicion. It was a subtle tactic that Elara had sometimes used. After all, there should be nothing good if Elara was willing to let her accompany her; it was currently what Eleanor thought in her mind.
• Eleanor became disinterested when the topic shifted to some jobs. She looked at her neatly trimmed nails and dainty fingers. “I am going to be an actress, sister. I need to keep my fingers perfect. It’s impossible to clean the mountain of dishes like you do… it will ruin my skin.”
• The younger girl took a peek at Elara, smiling innocently after she said those words. “I won’t disturb you again, sister. I hope you find a suitable job soon.”
• She ran off to her own room after that. With a mocking smile plastered on her face.
• Elara glanced at her back, that disappeared behind the door expressionlessly. Clutching her bag tightly, she went out of the house.
• “Where are you going?” Andre Whitmore, her father, asked as he lounged lazily on the terrace, sipping on some drink.
• “Looking for a job,” Elara replied and gave no more attention to him.
• She still managed to catch his sneering words. Andre still spat out ‘unfilial child’ in her ears. Such a calling would make the younger, formerly innocent self of hers panic, but she gradually felt numb now.
• If she was unfilial, so be it.
• Elara arrived at the agreed time ten minutes later. A waitress was currently leading her to a private room. It was apparent that Ezra had booked this room beforehand. A place away from prying eyes and ears.
• The two were people who liked to be on time. Soon after Elara arrived, Ezra also went inside the room.
• “Ezra,” She greeted him and he just nodded in acknowledgment.
• “Have you been waiting long?”
• She shook her head. Ezra called the waitress and then ordered some dishes, asking for Elara’s preference first. After listing the orders, the waitress left.
• “So, what do you want to talk about?” Elara had curiosity in her eyes.
• This restaurant wasn’t that expensive, but the building looked sophisticated. The decorations were made of carved woods, giving a sense of solemnity. The atmosphere was very calm and relaxing.
• Ezra pulled something and handed it to her, making her widen her eyes at the sight. It was her script that she had forgotten to take back from his car. She didn’t even realize that it was gone.
• “It’s yours, right?” Ezra raised his eyebrows.
• Elara clutched her script tightly and nodded. Honestly, it wasn’t that valuable for him to deliver such a thing to her in person. He looked to be someone busy. However, she still appreciated his gesture.
• “Thank you, Ezra.” She had a gratified smile on her face. “As my thanks, allow me to have the meals on my account.”
• “It’s not right for the girl to pay when the man is the one who invited her.” Ezra returned her smile. “You can invite me to a meal another time.”
• His smile made him look a few times more attractive and approachable, so enchanting. The crinkle of his eyes showed that he was genuine.
• “Alright. Thank you, Ezra,” She muttered quietly, withdrawing her eyes away from him.
• Now she was sure that from the suit he was wearing, he wasn’t some ordinary people like her. He was probably someone who was engaged in some business-related field. Compared to the people in the entertainment industry, the power of such people was usually more deep-rooted and stable.
• Well, actually, there was no comparison at all.
• Looking at his gleaming eyes, she vaguely felt that he had another intention of inviting her here.
• “Elara.” Her name rolled off his tongue in a pleasant tone, tickling her ears.
• She looked up with questioning eyes.
• “Are you an actress?” He stared seriously at her.
• After thinking about it for a while, she decided to shake her head. “Not yet. I am not a real actress yet.”
• “You still have some acting skills, right?”
• She subconsciously scrunched her face and then nodded.
• “Then, it’s good enough.” The tone sounded as if he had decided on something important, making Elara bewildered.
• With a slight wariness, she glanced at him. “What do you mean?”
• Although she was merely a minor actress in her previous life, she wasn’t completely innocent about the deals going on behind the screen. It was the darker part of the industry.
• “There’s no need to be so wary of me.” He chuckled, and then his face grew serious, as if he was making a promise. “I will never hurt you.”
• A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she had seen this man before yesterday, but his looks seemed to be a bit familiar. Maybe he resembled some people who had worked with her before, some actor?
• After all, if he had been in the entertainment industry instead of business, he would have been undoubtedly famous with his face alone.
• “Then…?” There was a questioning tone in her voice.
• “I want to ask you something, Elara.” He took a deep breath. His eyes weren’t on her and his fingers were tracing the edge of his cuff links.
• His next words sounded like thunder in her ears. “Are you willing to be my girlfriend?”