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At first, everyone was surprised when Chloe accepted a job in an advertisement. And now, she had taken on a short drama. It was as if she no longer had the freedom to choose, just grabbing any opportunity that came her way.
In the world of showbiz, short dramas were seen as a step below mainstream films and TV projects.

Chloe froze for a moment before shaking her head. “Not really,” she replied briefly.

Eloise had gotten to know Chloe’s personality well. On the surface, she seemed cold and distant, but in reality, she was sensitive and easily hurt. Most of the time, she pretended to be strong just to protect herself.

Eloise acted as if she hadn’t heard Chloe’s reply and asked again, “Is Gabriel the one bothering you?”

She wanted to ask outright if Gabriel was using work to pressure Chloe into doing things she didn’t want, but Eloise stopped herself. She didn’t want to put Chloe in an awkward position.
Still, Chloe was smart enough to understand the meaning behind the question.

A flicker of surprise crossed Chloe’s face before she looked down. “He’s the type who won’t stop until he gets what he wants,” she said softly.

Her words were clear, she was admitting it.

“Do you want me to help you?” Eloise asked directly.

Chloe glanced at her, a little skeptical. “Help me? Why would you help me?”

Eloise smiled. “Why not? Am I not allowed to?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Between the two of us, if I end up losing, you should be the one celebrating. So it feels weird that you’d even want to help me.”

“Hmmm, what’s wrong with that?” Eloise replied with a teasing smile.

“Fine, you’re open-minded. But if you help me, people might think you have bad intentions,” Chloe said.

Eloise raised an eyebrow. “Then let them think that. The truth is, I just don’t like what Gabriel’s doing. So why not mess with him instead?”

Chloe fell silent but didn’t argue anymore.

When they got home from the banquet, Eloise spoke to Cosmo about Chloe. She mentioned it calmly, almost like how she used to talk before the issue about Cosmo and Chloe’s past relationship came out.

Cosmo asked her, “Do you really want to help her? Is it because of your anger at Gabriel, or because you feel sorry for Chloe?”

Eloise smiled. “It’s just sad, you know. Being targeted by a creep is bad enough.”

Yes, part of it was revenge, but part of it was pity too.
Chloe never chose the family she was born into. She shouldn’t have to suffer because of her parents’ mistakes. She was a victim.

Cosmo knew Chloe wasn’t the kind of person to easily accept help. She would surely reject it at first.
But when it came to fighting Gabriel, both Cosmo and Eloise were willing to step in.

Cosmo investigated and confirmed that Gabriel was indeed involved. He had arranged for Chloe to be placed as an assistant director in a major project. On the surface, it looked like a consolation, but it was obvious he had manipulated the situation.

The news quickly reached Gabriel. And eventually, he and Eloise crossed paths.

Eloise gave him a sharp, cold look and spoke first. “You really went out of your way to find me, Gabriel?”

Gabriel sat across from her, a sly smile playing on his lips. “Of course. My cousin-in-law’s backyard is on fire, and yet you still have time to sip coffee and eat cake?”

Eloise sneered. “Are you talking about me or about yourself?”

Gabriel smirked. “So you already know?”

Eloise nodded. “You mean Cosmo helping Chloe? Yup, I know. In fact, I was the one who asked him to help.”

Gabriel’s smile faded instantly. “You were the one behind it? I didn’t think you’d be that generous.”

Eloise held her cup of hot coffee, her lips curling into a playful smirk. “I’m way more generous than you. I could never stoop as low as you do.”

He wasn’t surprised at Eloise’s sharp tongue. “So Chloe told you? She complained about me?”

“She didn’t need to say a thing. She clearly wants nothing to do with you. I just put the pieces together,” Eloise answered firmly.

Gabriel traced his finger across the table. “You really shouldn’t get involved in this.”

His plan was to use Cosmo’s act of helping Chloe as a way to stir up trouble. But to his shock, it was Eloise herself who had orchestrated everything.

The tide had turned. This time, it seemed the women were standing united. It didn’t matter if one was a former rival and the other the current partner of the same man, what mattered was they shared the same goal: Gabriel was the enemy.

Eloise’s tone was filled with pride. “If I want to get involved, I will. Who said I couldn’t stand up to you?”

Gabriel’s face twisted in irritation. “Don’t think that just because of my cousin, you can step all over me.”

Eloise gave him a taunting smile. “Well, you can’t beat your cousin, but I can.”

Gabriel bristled. “You think I can’t beat him? I just don’t want to be accused of bullying someone with a disability!”

In the blink of an eye, a cup of hot coffee spilled across Gabriel’s face. Quick and merciless.

He shot up from his seat, shocked, coffee dripping down his face and neck, sticky and humiliating.
“Eloise!” he shouted angrily.

But Eloise’s eyes were cold, sharp like knives. “Gabriel,” she said firmly, “if you can’t control your mouth, you might as well cut off your tongue.”

The weight of her presence was overwhelming. For a moment, she carried the same commanding aura as Cosmo himself. Gabriel glared at her, but after a brief pause, he turned on his heel and stormed away, his steps heavy with rage.

The anger still burned on Eloise’s face. She knew most people were afraid of Cosmo, which was why they never insulted him openly. But behind his back? She wasn’t sure. What she did know was that Gabriel had no respect.

If it were Cosmo, maybe he could just ignore it. But Eloise couldn’t. Not an insult like this, especially not from someone like Gabriel. Pouring coffee on him was actually too light a punishment.

A few days later, Sasha and Faro returned from their vacation abroad. They immediately invited Eloise and Cosmo to dinner, a formal way to make their relationship public.

It really was different hearing it straight from the people involved rather than through gossip.

Sasha brought gifts for Eloise: a bag, perfume, and a brand-new scarf, perfect for the chilly weather.

“You just got back and you already want to go public? Do you really think he suits you?” Eloise asked with a smile.

“That was his idea,” Sasha answered. “He said there’s no reason to hide something that everyone already knows anyway. And if I don’t introduce him to people properly, it’s like I don’t value him.”

Sasha let out a small sigh. “Honestly, I’d be fine keeping things private. But he wants everything out in the open.”

Eloise nodded. “That just means you’re important to him. If he was only after something casual, he wouldn’t bother organizing a formal dinner just to introduce himself to your friends.”

Unlike Eloise, who always thought ahead, Sasha cared more about the present. She was happy with Faro now, and that was all that mattered. She didn’t worry about what might happen tomorrow.

“Does Theo know? Isn’t Faro his brother? Did you know about that?” Eloise asked one question after another.

“Yeah, he knows. But they’re not real brothers. In fact, they can’t stand each other,” Sasha said casually.

She had only learned abroad that Theo and Faro were stepbrothers. She had expected some connection since they shared the same last name, but she hadn’t imagined that. By then, Sasha no longer cared about Theo. And when Theo eventually found out about her and Faro, he had stopped bothering her as well.

During dinner, Eloise couldn’t help but notice how attentive Faro was. Every time he looked at Sasha, his eyes were filled with affection.

All Eloise knew was that Faro was a lawyer and a friend of Cosmo’s. So she tried to pry a little.

“How many girlfriends has Atty. Andrade had before?” she asked Cosmo.

Cosmo smiled. “Are you investigating again for your best friend?”

“Of course,” Eloise replied. “I just want to make sure she won’t get hurt.”

Cosmo teased, “If you want, you could just investigate me instead. You’d understand more.”

Eloise frowned. “Don’t dodge the question. Answer me.”

Cosmo shook his head but still gave in. “Two.”

Eloise turned to him. “What happened with them?”

His reply was calm and straightforward. “The first was a classmate from college. After graduation, she went back home to manage her family’s business. That’s why they broke up.”

“Oh,” was all Eloise said.

“The second was also a lawyer. She was very career-driven, and she chose work over the relationship. They didn’t last long either.”

Eloise fell silent for a moment. “Wait… it sounds like he was the one who got dumped?”