Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen

 novelbin

Eileen nearly decked Egbert again. She yanked her hand back, rolled up the script into a makeshift tube and gave Egbert a light thwack on the arm. Egbert looked at her and remained silent.

Eileen stood up from the couch, ignoring him completely, and made straight for the stairs.

But she'd only taken a few steps when her wrist was seized. A quick yank pulled her backward, and she found herself plopping back onto the couch with a huff.

Eileen glared at Egbert, "What the heck?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Egbert, without another word, suddenly wrapped his arms around her from the side.

Eileen froze for a moment.

Egbert buried his face in the crook of her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. He murmured, "I really went to the hospital."

Eileen frowned. At this point, she couldn't tell which of Egbert's words were true and which were lies.

But after a silent moment, Eileen reached out, cupped Egbert's face in her hands, and checked his forehead with the back of her hand, then his cheeks, making sure his temperature was normal. She then grabbed his hand to check his pulse.

He allowed her to touch him, but when she tried to take his pulse, his fingers slipped and intertwined with hers, holding on tight.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Eileen asked, "Are you faking an illness?"

He didn't answer, only lowered his head again to embrace her. They held each other tightly.

Eileen sighed, ultimately indulging Egbert, and even reached out to hug him back.

But just at that moment, there was a click of a door opening.

The housekeeper, carrying a bag of groceries, walked in to see Ms. Lopez sitting on the couch, casually watching the news, while the young master was sitting on the floor not far away, his face dark as thunder. Puzzled, she closed the door behind her and casually asked, "Mister, why are you sitting on the floor?"

The silent Egbert didn't speak, just gazed deeply at the girl on the couch with his deep eyes.

That's when Eileen, feeling guilty, immediately stood up from the couch, blurting out, "I'm... heading upstairs."

With that, she sprinted up the stairs as if in a hundred-meter dash.

The housekeeper headed to the kitchen, passing by the living room where the young master was still seated on the floor. She couldn't help but mutter, "Mister, did Ms. Lopez hit you again?"

Egbert didn't know what to respond.

The housekeeper shook her head disapprovingly, holding back further comment out of respect for her employers.

The TV awards ceremony was two days later.

The night before, Eileen was busy with Nathan Finance business, working almost until midnight.

Luckily, the awards ceremony was in the evening, allowing her to sleep in until the afternoon.

On the day of the ceremony, Eileen arrived at the company in the evening.

Ophelia saw her and sent her to makeup before briefing her on the evening's schedule while she was getting ready.

"The red carpet event starts at seven, everyone's seated by half-past, and the ceremony begins at eight sharp. It'll be live-streamed, so behave yourself on camera. If the reporters ask you something, don't go off-script, got it?"

Eileen nodded obediently, "Got it."

Ophelia still seemed worried and added, "When you walk the red carpet, you'll be with the Fancy Island crew. There's a good chance you'll be paired with Bartley Forrest. You know him well enough, I heard you even invited him on Romantic Revelations. Ask him to look out for you, okay?"

Eileen gasped, peeking through the mirror at Ophelia. She hadn't shared her family business with Ophelia, and was too nervous to make a peep. After responding to a few journalist messages on her phone, Ophelia continued, "After the ceremony, there's an exclusive interview with a streaming platform. They've promised no tough questions, but you'll need to spare at least fifteen minutes."

Eileen bobbed her head in agreement, looking exceptionally compliant.

Ophelia was unsure why Eileen was being so well-behaved today and said, "This ceremony is just for you to show face, so people won't say you've snubbed the web series that made you famous. You know you've got plenty of haters already; we don't need to add an ungrateful reputation to the mix."

"But, while you're there, don't get your hopes up about winning. Fancy Island may have been a hit on a shoestring budget, but it's still a web series, and it's not highbrow. From the end of last year to the beginning of this one, there were several big-budget, well-written dramas. They may have flopped, but they had star power, large fan bases, and strong industry backing. So the awards will likely go to one of them."

Eileen turned to Ophelia and said obediently, "Okay."

Ophelia frowned and added, "I'm telling you this in advance so you won't be disappointed later. As long as you're mentally prepared, that's what matters."

Eileen responded, "It's fine, Ophelia. I'm just there to see Director Lenwood and the others."

After Fancy Island, Eileen shot Eyes on the Rendezvous. Before the former aired, she was relatively unknown, her online reputation tarnished. Being cast in Eyes on the Rendezvous, thanks to Lenwood, who was Galen's student and recommended her, was a stroke of luck for her at that stage.

Having been through the wringer in the industry, Eileen knew the value of such connections and support for a small-time actress like herself, and she had been looking for a chance to thank Lenwood in person.

Seeing that Eileen seemed to be in a good state of mind, Ophelia said, "Alright, hurry up. We need to leave by six."

After makeup and changing into her outfit, they set off for the venue.

However, they didn't anticipate the traffic on the way. When they arrived at the venue, it was already 7:40 p.m.

The Fancy Island crew had already entered!

Ophelia glanced at the guest list and said, “Here's the plan: you blend in with the two actors ahead of us. They'll likely stick together, which should free up a spot for you to slide in. You can handle yourself once you're in there, right? No stage fright?"

Eileen flashed an "okay" sign and replied with a confident grin, "I'll be fine."

Timing her entrance, Eileen shrugged off her coat to reveal a stunning sapphire blue strapless lace evening gown, clutching a matching pearl handbag. She stepped out of the car and made her way to the venue's entrance.

As she arrived, Eileen spotted the two actors entering together. She swiftly followed in their wake, slipping through the entrance just as the sound of a car engine revved behind her.

Parking at the entrance was a privilege not afforded to lesser-known artists, but A-listers could flaunt this rule with ease. That was the pecking order of celebrity.

Eileen, already inside, didn't have the luxury to turn around and indulge in the gossip of who might be arriving after her. She kept moving forward. However, after a few moments, she heard the rapid footsteps of someone approaching from behind. Wondering if someone was trying to get ahead of her, Eileen's thoughts were interrupted as a warm and familiar large hand suddenly took hold of her fingers.