Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen



Without uttering a word, Eileen pushed Egbert's face away from hers with a deft hand.

Egbert didn't force the issue. He simply stood there, a genial temperament about him, silently watching her with his deep-set eyes.

Eileen turned to the director and said, "Reshoot what? He's the one who asked for it, not me. Why should I have to do it?" As she spoke, she gave Egbert a nudge before turning to leave.

The director wasn't having it, though. He bellowed, "Ms. Lopez, you've signed a contract. It clearly states your obligation to comply with the necessary storylines for the show!"

Eileen was taken aback, her brows knitting together.

Egbert remained expressionless, standing serenely as if he was the most innocent of all parties involved.

Seeing his demeanor only fueled Eileen's irritation.

After thinking it over, she finally said, "Cheating shot!"

The director blinked, clearly unhappy with the compromise.

Eileen stood tall, her voice firm. "The most I'll do is a cheating shot. Take it or leave it!"

In the end, the director had no choice but to agree, deflated. "Fine, let's do this."

Eileen turned to face Egbert, warning him, "Don't you dare pull any stunts."

Egbert chuckled lightly but didn't respond.

Eileen had expected Egbert to play some trick, but surprisingly, he was incredibly respectful. When she said a cheating shot, he kept it at just that, not crossing any boundaries.

But even with a cheating shot, their lips were perilously close.

Eileen didn't want to look into Egbert's eyes, so she focused on the tips of her shoes instead.

The shot required a specific angle to capture the illusion of a passionate kiss, which meant they had to hold the pose for an uncomfortably long time. As the seconds ticked by, Eileen's concentration began to waver.

She caught the faint scent of Egbert's cologne - the same one he used in his suitcase sachets. She often smelled it on his pajamas when they were at home.

Her mind drifted until Egbert before her spoke up, "We're done."

Eileen looked up, startled.

Egbert turned to confirm with the director, "Was that okay?"

The director, sounding underwhelmed, muttered, "Should be fine."

Egbert then looked at Eileen and said, "Let's go."

Together, they walked towards the rest of the group. Egbert was the picture of calm, dignity, professionalism, and restraint - the very image of a gentleman.

Eileen suddenly felt ashamed. She had so wrongly judged Egbert earlier.

'Actually, Egbert is pretty...'

She paused, suddenly noticing that at some point, Egbert had taken her hand in his.

She pursed her lips and, after a moment, lifted their intertwined hands, asking, "What's this about?"

Egbert looked at her as if it were the most natural thing in the world, boldly saying, "Well, we've done the cheating shot. I figured a little reward was in order."novelbin

Eileen was speechless.

The shoot was over, and it was time to board the plane.

On the plane, the seating was boys with boys and girls with girls.

The flight from Frostsglow to Crestonia, the capital, lasted a grueling neen hours.

For eighteen of those hours, Eileen listened to Sylvia spout an endless stream of 'Phobia Facts.'

Sylvia spoke of a news story about a guy who burned all his girlfriend's clothes and locked her in the house because he suspected her of cheating, so she couldn't go to work or school.

Eileen was aghast.

Then Sylvia recounted a gruesome case where a couple, on the cusp of marriage, had a fierce argument over whose name should be on the deed to their house. The fight ended with the man accidentally killing his girlfriend and, in an attempt to destroy evidence, chopping up her body and discarding it at a landfill.

Eileen was speechless.

Sylvia was relentless, reciting nearly two decades' worth of domestic tragedies she knew of, each confirmed by Eileen's quick smartphone searches to be true and well-publicized.

When Eileen asked how Sylvia knew all this, she smugly replied that her whole family were cops.

Eileen, surprised, asked, "Then why did you become a celebrity?"

Sylvia confessed, "Because I'm a washout. I've always failed at physical fitness tests. My dad said I couldn't make it on the force and told me to find my own way, so I joined the entertainment industry."

Eileen was at a loss for words.

She could now understand why Sylvia was her fan.

"So, you like me because I can handle myself in a fight and because you know I'll be applying to military school?" Eileen inquired.

Sylvia shook her head and said, "Nope, I just think you're really cool when you fight and argue with people."

Eileen's eyebrow twitched. She held back her response, then finally burst out, "You're right not to join the force! Your sense of duty is seriously lacking!"

When they finally disembarked in Crestonia at midnight, it was nearly three in the morning by the time they reached their accommodation.

As soon as she entered the house, Eileen collapsed onto the sofa like a rag doll.

Egbert took their luggage upstairs, but when he came back down, he found Eileen crouched by the floor-to-ceiling balcony door, tinkering with something clandestinely.

Approaching her, he was greeted by a piercing, familiar meow.

"Meow~"

It was that damn troublesome cat again.

Today, the cat looked particularly haggard, with a bald patch on its back, a thinner frame, and a dirty face.

Eileen gently stroked the kitty's head and, seeing Egbert approach, lifted the cat and informed him, "It seems to have been waiting for us all this time. Look, it's made a nest in the yard."

Egbert furrowed his brow and glanced into the backyard, where he indeed spotted a couple of tattered clothes discarded near the base of the wall. He asked in a measured tone, "Where's the owner?"

Eileen replied, "I heard from the staff that its owner sort of lets it roam free. It's more like a stray than a house cat, you know? The type that could be gone for days and the owner wouldn't even look for it."

Turning on his heel, Egbert said, "I'll get in touch with the staff."

With that, he went to grab the landline to make a call.

But he barely took a half step before his shirt was tugged at the hem.

Glancing back, Egbert saw Eileen clutching his shirt, gazing at him with big, pleading eyes. In a soft voice, she implored, "Egbert, can we keep it? Please?"

Egbert squinted at the girl before him, silent for a brief moment before responding coolly, "Whether we can keep it or not depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice."

Eileen was taken aback, looking at him quizzically.

Egbert extended his hand and with the tip of his index finger, he gently tapped his own lips, the gesture laden with suggestive meaning.