Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen



The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with an unspoken electricity.

Egbert was too close to her, his body heat seemingly enveloping her in a warm cocoon.

Eileen bit her lip, wanting to push Egbert away.

But she didn't.

Instead, she muttered, "You flubbed your lines."

His voice softened, "That was from the heart."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Eileen fell silent for a moment before pushing Egbert again, saying, "Get up first."

Eventually, Egbert rolled off and sat up.

After getting up, he reached out his hand to her again.

Eileen eyed his hand warily but ultimately took it, pulling herself up. Once on her feet, she quickly withdrew her hand and tucked it behind her back, saying, “Tell me, was it your idea to rehearse the bed scene and the kiss today?"

Egbert sighed, shaking his head, "No, it wasn't."

Eileen eyed him suspiciously.

Egbert took her hand again, gently pulling her to sit beside him on the couch, "Do you really think I'd dare?"

Eileen couldn't help it; she burst into laughter. But as soon as she finished laughing, she straightened her face, pretending the laughter had never happened.

Egbert watched her with amusement and asked, "Eileen, are we good now?"

Eileen harrumphed, turning her face away, ignoring him.

Egbert leaned in a little, "Are we?"

Eileen turned her face even further away.

Egbert leaned in closer, "Are we?"

Eileen couldn't turn her neck any further without hurting herself!

At that moment, Egbert chuckled and gently cupped her face, turning her head back toward him, smiling, "Are we good?"

Eileen pouted, looking as if she were conceding with great reluctance, "Then you can't do this anymore."

Egbert nodded, promising, "Okay, from now on, I'll listen to you."

Eileen awkwardly bowed her head, nudging it forward until her face buried itself in Egbert's chest.

Egbert laughed, wrapping his arms around her, and planted a tender kiss in her hair.

And so, after two days of a cold war and not even forty-eight hours of total argument time, the new couple made up.

The next day, the actress replacing Renee arrived.

However, being a backup, the new actress didn't quite fit Carrol's original vision for the character "Shirley," resulting in at least fifty percent of Shirley's scenes being cut, much of the content relegated to off-screen mentions.

Egbert's three-day schedule was quickly used up.

After a flurry of activity, they managed to wrap up all the scenes involving the older generation.

On the day Egbert left, Eileen didn't go to see him off.

Carrol watched with a tinge of sadness, "Didn't you two make up?"

Eileen looked at Carrol, her feelings complex. Who would have thought that after falling in love with Egbert, the first person she'd inform wouldn't be family or friends, but Carrol, a man unrelated by any stretch of the imagination.

Eileen sighed, "Yes, we made up, but so what?"

Carrol prodded, "Then why didn't you see him off?"

Eileen blinked, "SO what if I didn't, what does it matter?"

Carrol clicked his tongue, "Don't you have something heartfelt to tell him?"

Eileen replied, “Can't I just call him?"

Carrol lifted his chin, "Then call him."

Eileen picked up her phone from the table, where the screen had gone dark, and lit it up for Carrol to see.

He looked down and saw the phone displaying an ongoing WhatsApp call with Egbert.

And the call duration-four hours and fifteen minutes?

Carrol was speechless.

Blinking, he asked in confusion, "You've been talking this long? But, weren't you just on set? And there's no sound from the other end of the call?" Eileen explained, "Yeah, there's no sound. Egbert went to take a shower and left his phone outside, just like how I left my phone in the makeup room when I was filming."

Carrol was baffled, "Then why not hang up?"

Eileen turned the screen off again, and said, "We just don't want to hang up, that's all. He's got hotel WiFi, and I've got WiFi on set, it doesn't cost anything. You don't understand, Carrol, this is how young people in long-distance relationships do it nowadays."

Carrol was dumbfounded, "Is that so? Is this what long-distance relationships are like now?"

A week later, the lead actors joined the production.

The lead male character in "Feathers of Fate" was named Chester, and the female lead was named Paulina.

Both were A-list actors; Chester was one of the best-resourced young male actors of the new generation, rumored to come from a powerful family. Paulina, older than Chester, had become a big-screen actress after starring in three hit TV series.

Upon meeting Eileen, Paulina immediately extended an olive branch.

Eileen, at first, didn't understand why and asked Carrol, “Is it because I'm just so likable? Like, universally adored?"

Carrol glanced at her and said, "Paulina and Aurora Bell are rivals."

Eileen was taken aback, “Oh, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, huh!”

Then the normal shooting resumed!

But a few days later, the atmosphere on set became strained again!

After a scene wrapped up, Eileen was reaching for her water bottle when Chester, who was in front of her, suddenly turned around, smiled, and handed it to her, saying, "Ms. Lopez."

Eileen paused momentarily, then took the bottle, replying, "Thanks."

Paulina strolled over at that moment, chuckling, "Mr. Chester, how come you don't fetch water for me too?"

Chester pleaded with a grin, quickly grabbing Paulina's water glass and handing it over with a playful apology. "How could I ever forget our dear Paulina?"

Taking a sip, Paulina feigned indignation. "Dear? Paulina? You're aging me with those terms!"

With a chuckle, Chester switched gears, "Ms. Paulina, Ms. Paulina."

Paulina set down her glass, laughter in her eyes as she picked up her script. "Mr. Chester, care to run lines over there?"

"Sounds good," Chester agreed.

They walked off, scripts in hand, lost in conversation.

Eileen, seated comfortably, flipped open her script.

Suddenly, Janice leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "Eileen, don't you think Mr. Chester seems quite fond of you?"

Eileen replied with a toss of her hair, "Naturally. I'm more delightful than spring flowers. Who wouldn't admire me?" Janice rolled her eyes, pointing to a pen on the table next to them. "That's Mr. Chester's, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Eileen acknowledged.

She had misplaced her pen and was about to ask Janice to fetch a new one when Chester, overhearing, offered his own. Janice clicked her tongue, "That's no ordinary pen. It's pricey, over a thousand at the boutique."

Eileen's eyes widened. A thousand for a pen? Is it encrusted with diamonds?

She scrutinized the pen from every angle, searching for its extraordinary feature.

Then, Janice dropped another bombshell, "And Eileen, Ms. Paulina seems pretty fond of Mr. Chester."

Eileen blinked, puzzled. "So?"

Janice shook her head, "Haven't you seen it? You've unwittingly found yourself in a love triangle."

Eileen gasped, "Holy moly!"

She pointed at a safety sign on the wall, her voice laced with mock urgency, "No wonder the studio insists on 'No flammable or explosive items on set.' I knew it! I'm just too darn explosive. It was bound to cause a stir!"