“Are you just letting Iris go like this?” Louis asked as he emerged from the utility room.
“Just like this, she will pay the price she deserves.”
Not pursuing it further didn’t mean she forgave Iris. She knew in advance what was going to happen next, and waiting for Iris wouldn’t be so simple.
Lorelei never made a bad deal. From the start, she only wanted to retaliate against Elisa, to have someone she trusted betray her and destroy something important to her, a retaliation with a double blow.
Mimi was important to Elisa, but to others, it was just a cat.
To exchange a cat for a million dollars was not worth it for Lorelei, especially considering that this incident not only didn’t affect Elisa, but also implicated herself.
So, how could she possibly give Iris that million?
One wrong step, and Iris would taste the consequences.
It’s right for people to remain kind, but when it’s excessive, it’s no longer kindness but sainthood. Elisa didn’t want to be a saint. After Iris betrayed her and indirectly caused Mimi’s death, she just apologized and forgave her.
Where in the world does such an easy thing exist?
She wasn’t forgiving; she liked the phrase “what goes around comes around.” The suffering she endured, the pain she tasted, the tears she shed, the nights of breakdowns-all of these people had to experience.
Whether it was Lorelei, Hamish, or even Finn, who had once tortured her, she wouldn’t let them off.
Iris’s fate was also their fate.
However… when it comes to tormenting people, she would never be able to surpass Hamish and Finn.
Finn inflicted physical torment, comparable to the worst tortures, while Hamish’s was a mental and physical double blow.
Hamish’s expertise lay in pinpointing a person’s greatest fears, such as knowing full well that Lorelei feared dogs.
In addition, he enjoyed destroying everything shining in a person, taking pride in their family background, self-esteem, and pride. Whatever they had, he would ruin.
[A. W.] Easily acquired X Entertainment, causing a great stir in the business world. Many people wanted to secretly investigate who the boss behind the scenes was, but they couldn’t find anything.
The more they couldn’t find anything, the more it proved that [A. W.] was not simple. Some people were secretly vigilant, some were trying to get to know them, and some were just watching and doing nothing.
Elisa left the affairs of the group to others because Iris’s betrayal made her no longer trust people. However, in such a large group, she couldn’t watch over everything as she had done before. So, she entrusted the selection of personnel to Louis.
Elisa looked up at the sky. “It’s about to change.”
Louis looked up as well. It was a clear, cloudless sky, and he wondered why she thought the weather was about to change.
“The weather forecast didn’t show any signs of change.”
Elisa smiled. Once Bankshire entered autumn, winter would quickly follow. It’s getting cold, let Lorelei feel the chill too.
…
Elisa opened her phone to find many missed calls and messages, most of them inquiring about her well-being, expressing concern.
Elisa replied to a few, then called Asher.
Louis had informed Asher in advance about her leave, apologizing for delaying the progress of the film crew. Asher understood her situation.
The film crew was a place with many people and much gossip. Concern for colleagues did exist, but most of it was due to competitive relationships. At most, there was superficial concern; behind the scenes, there were cold and mocking remarks.
In just two days, things had changed. From Elisa’s cat dying, to the involvement of Filippa in animal cruelty, and finally, even Lorelei getting involved.
Lorelei and Elisa belonged to the same company. Previously, at a dinner table, Lorelei had mentioned that she had a good relationship with Elisa, but in the blink of an eye, she was backbiting.
Now, no one dared to deeply associate with Lorelei. No one knew how they would end up falling into a trap. It had to be said, her award-winning acting skills were truly exceptional.
Apart from the “animal cruelty incident,” what people gossiped about was the closure of X Entertainment and the change of ownership.
No one knew what the future held for Lorelei and Elisa. A major shake-up in the company-either soaring to the top or hitting rock bottom-was a good thing for their competitors.
Lorelei’s future was uncertain, but Elisa shouldn’t be lacking. After all, not long ago, both Finn and Hamish had fought over Elisa. With either of these two backers, Elisa wouldn’t be short of resources.
With this analysis, the positions of Lorelei and Elisa had unexpectedly swapped in a short period of time.
Asher receiving a call from Elisa didn’t come as a surprise. He reassured her, “Don’t be too saddened. Filippa has been disfigured and blinded. I heard she injured a nurse while mentally unstable, and now she’s being sent to a mental hospital.”
Others might think that Elisa had only lost a pet and that a pet couldn’t accompany you for a lifetime, but Asher didn’t think that way. He had a dog at home, and upon learning about the death of Elisa’s cat, he felt strong empathy.
To people, a pet might just be a part of life, but to the pet, the owner is its entire life.
Elisa’s feelings for Mimi weren’t that simple. If it was just about having a regular pet, why would she keep it by her side all the time and have someone constantly look after it?
Everyone has a sense of beauty, including in relation to animals. Mimi wasn’t as attractive as other cats, with patches of baldness in its fur, physical deformities, and an unattractive appearance. Yet, Elisa never abandoned it. From this, it’s clear that the cat meant something different to Elisa. It was precisely because of this “difference” that it drew the revenge of someone with ulterior motives.
“I’ll give you a month off to adjust your mood at home. Don’t worry about the film crew. I’ll rearrange the scenes for the other actors…”
“Thank you, Mr. Kentala,” Elisa interrupted him. “I don’t need a month off. I’ll return to the film crew the day after tomorrow.”
Elisa had already filmed 45 scenes in the film crew, and her scenes were already limited. There were a few outdoor scenes of combat, and scenes opposite Lorelei.
Fortunately, the scenes opposite Lorelei hadn’t been filmed yet, or it would have been a waste.
“Mr. Kentala, let’s replace the lead actress.”
Mr. Kentala was surprised by Elisa’s tone; it wasn’t a tone of discussion.
There was a strong sense of “with her, without me; with me, without her.” But Mr. Kentala knew Elisa well enough to know that she wasn’t someone who disregarded the bigger picture.
Lorelei had filmed a quarter of her scenes, and changing the lead actress now would waste what had already been filmed. It would require reshooting scenes with the supporting cast and the male lead, which would incur additional costs, not to mention the time and energy. There was also the matter of the contractual obligations with Lorelei. Asher had thought about replacing her before; she wasn’t diligent in her acting, and even required a body double for foot washing. However, the penalties for breaking the contract were too high, and with Lorelei’s large fan base, it wasn’t easy to replace her.
“Elisa, I know you hate Lorelei, but the film crew has a contract with her.”
“You don’t need to worry about the contract. I’ll cover any losses.”
Why did he not need to worry about the contract? Did Elisa know how high the penalty for breach of contract was? Even if she filmed for a year, it wouldn’t cover it, let alone the losses incurred by the film crew.
“Mr. Kentala, if you don’t replace Lorelei now, when the filming is done, it might be because of her that the whole film can’t be released. That’s the real loss. Don’t doubt what I’m saying. Her public image has already collapsed, and when it collapses further, think carefully if you still want to use someone with such a two-faced nature.”
Asher wasn’t stupid, and his reaction was quick. He sensed a hint of hostility in Elisa’s words.
“Elisa, what are you planning to do? Do you have some leverage against Lila?”
“Mr. Kentala, do you trust me? Replacing Lorelei now will only lose a small amount of time and energy. Finding a new lead actress will be better than Lorelei. I believe you must have other candidates.”
Not to mention, he really has a candidate. However, at the time of casting, there was a scheduling conflict, so it was changed to Lorelei. Now that person’s filming has been completed, they have plenty of time to join “Revenge and Love.”
Elisa gave him time to consider, not hanging up the phone. It was another five minutes before she heard a deep, long breath on the other end of the line.
“What should I do?”
Elisa’s lips curled as she explained her plans to Asher.
The conversation lasted a full forty minutes. Asher was cautious, asking about every detail and making sure there wouldn’t be any trouble before agreeing.
Elisa hung up the phone, and Louis handed her a cup of lemon passion fruit honey water, complete with a straw.
“After talking for so long, you must be thirsty, right?”
Elisa took a sip through the straw. There was plenty of honey, making it tangy and sweet, not cloying.
Lemon is known for its skin-whitening effects, and honey is good for soothing the throat and aiding digestion.
“Aren’t you curious how I know so much?” Elisa put down the cup. Others had noticed a significant difference in her compared to the previous “Elisa,” and Hamish especially had recognized it right away.
Someone as intelligent as Louis, she didn’t believe he hadn’t been suspicious.
Louis earnestly replied, “Of course, I’m curious. I won’t ask unless you tell me, but I’m here to listen whenever you want to talk. I’ll always be here, unconditionally trusting you.”
Everyone has curiosity. Although Louis hadn’t investigated, his agent often whispered in his ear, saying that Elisa seemed like a different person now, much more appealing in her appearance than before, and that her previous character wasn’t likeable and was easily bullied in the company, but now she had the ability to resist.
However, what made Louis curious wasn’t these things, but rather the fact that Elisa had never had any contact with Hamish in the past. How did Hamish know Elisa, and why did he seem so familiar with her?
The first time the three of them met was here. Hamish mentioned Mimi, and then Elisa went out with him and came back a few days later with a cat named Mimi.
It was one thing for Hamish to know, but then Finn also knew, and their relationship wasn’t simple.
The day Louis went to the set to pick up Elisa, he clearly felt the malicious glances from those two.
Unknowingly, he had gained two rivals, and those two clearly had known Elisa for much longer than he had.
In terms of family background, none of them were inferior, it wasn’t a lack of money but of time and patience, as well as the attitude towards the person they liked. Louis believed that his love for Elisa was no less than that of those two.
Besides… looking at Elisa’s attitude towards Hamish and Finn, it was one of disgust.
It was different with him; she would go home with him, chat with him via text, and when in danger, she would reach out to him first.
He had read online about the details of a girl liking someone, one of which was that she would gaze at him absentmindedly and smile.
A girl who would space out and smile upon seeing you-wasn’t that love?
And he had recently discovered another thing.
The name Elisa had given to the conglomerate, [A. W.]
A: Could be interpreted as Affinity, a close relationship, attraction (between men and women), and attraction to the opposite sex.
W, undoubtedly, stood for white. He just names White.
Putting these two words together, without him going into detail, from the literal meaning, it was clear that Elisa wanted to marry him.
Louis felt that the relationship between him and Elisa wasn’t far from what was written in fan fiction.
…
Elisa hadn’t expected that Louis would think so much in such a short time.
She was still stuck on the words Louis had said.
He said that he would always be by her side, unconditionally trusting her.
For her, the thing she lacked the most in her world was companionship, love, and trust.
“Last time, you said you could handle Hamish and Finn by yourself?”
“Do you want me to prove it to you?” Elisa wouldn’t suddenly mention those two unless they had provoked her now, or she had remembered something they had done to hurt her.
Louis had secretly sworn that he would be able to help her with anyone she disliked or was afraid of.