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Eloise knew that no matter what Caroline did to force their relationship, Lander would never truly like her. And since Lander always followed his family’s wishes, he probably only paid attention to Caroline because of them.
Because Eloise had married Cosmo, and because of the issue between Sasha and Lander, it felt like Caroline had a personal grudge against her. Most likely because of how Lander seemed to gravitate toward her.
Cosmo had made it clear before that he didn’t like any kind of connection between Eloise and Lander. He once even said, “You were Lander’s former fiancée. Now that you’re married, you should stay away from him. But the two of you still see each other from time to time, and that gives people a reason to be suspicious.”
He spoke directly, his expression calm, but his voice cold and firm. “Caroline is arrogant and was raised spoiled by her family. She may act sweet in front of me, but with you, she sees a rival. So don’t expect her to be polite.”
Cosmo rarely spoke that much, but tonight was different. It sounded like he was just talking casually about Caroline, but in truth, every word felt like a warning.
Eloise remembered when Cosmo told her to keep her distance from Lander. Back then, it felt like he was jealous, like he cared. But now, his tone had changed. It sounded like he didn’t feel anything at all.
Eloise looked at him quietly and asked, “Do you know who Caroline’s friends are?”
Cosmo paused to think, then replied, “I’m not familiar.”
Even though Caroline was his cousin, he’d never been interested in her friends or the people around her.
But as he looked into Eloise’s eyes, a certain someone came to mind. He stared at her a little longer, as if something had clicked.
Eloise looked away and smiled. “That makes sense. You’re busy with work and you’re very much a man’s man. Of course you wouldn’t notice those things. But I just noticed she seems a bit close to you.”
She didn’t directly ask the question, but her curiosity was obvious. If Caroline knew that person and was protecting her, they were probably really friends.
Cosmo gave a small smile. “We’re not that close. She struggled a bit in school before, so I helped her out once. I think she just looks up to me in some ways.”
Eloise smiled. “A lot of people admire you when it comes to academics.”
That made Cosmo remember something Eloise had said in the past, how she seemed to admire him once, too.
Admiration from a woman often turns into affection, but with Eloise, it had always felt like simple admiration, nothing more.
Their conversation drifted to other things. By the time they got home, Cosmo realized Eloise never actually answered his question about Lander. He smiled despite feeling a little annoyed, classic Eloise, always clever.
Half a month later, things had calmed down.
The historical drama Phoenix Star was officially launched. It was a project by Tanen Media, directed by a new but internationally awarded director.
The assistant director had more experience but had been previously shelved because of an issue. It was Lander himself who gave him another chance in the industry.
The lead actor, Ivan Pelayo, already had two successful online dramas under his belt, with millions of followers, he was somewhat well-known.
Sasha, on the other hand, was a newcomer, having only had one small role before.
At the project’s press conference, Sasha looked a little nervous at first, but once she stepped on stage, she composed herself and moved gracefully.
Eloise was with her at the event. When Eloise met the director, she was surprised, she looked young, like a recent graduate. What shocked her even more was that the director was a woman. And something about her felt familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it.
The director was wearing a simple white t-shirt and casual pants. She had fair skin, was slim, and had a youthful face. She spoke well and had a natural presence despite being new to the scene.
Sasha leaned in and whispered, “Director Chloe Baylon isn’t just pretty, she’s smart too. Just like you. I heard she was a top student and graduated from a famous film school in France.”
Eloise looked at her from a distance. “Really? How’d you find that out?”
“I just heard people around talking. They even said she’s from Tagaytay. We sort of have the same accent, but I don’t actually know her.”
“Her last name’s Baylon? Any relation to the Baylon family?”
There was a well-known Baylon family in Tagaytay, respected, scholarly, and low-profile. They rarely attended high-society events despite their status.
Sasha shook her head. “I have no idea! Maybe not. Her family seems really low-key, it’s hard to imagine them pushing for such a high-profile spot in the film and TV industry.”
Eloise smiled. “She’s a director, not a celebrity. That’s a whole different world.”
They chatted for a few more minutes until Sasha got called away, leaving Eloise by herself.
Lander approached her. “There’s a party tonight, come with me.”
As Sasha’s agent and assistant, Eloise had learned a thing or two after what happened with Vince. Even though Lander had handpicked the current team and she now felt more confident about the people around them, she still preferred to be there to keep an eye on Sasha.
“Alright,” she agreed.
Lander was one of the investors, so many people at the event were eager to talk to him. He gave Eloise a quick heads-up before being pulled aside by various guests.
The dinner party was held in a well-known hotel, inside its largest function room. There were two main tables for the guests.
One table was reserved for the core team, the director, assistant director, lead actors, and of course, Lander, as the investor.
At the other table sat Eloise, beside Ivan’s assistant. They chatted while eating and exchanged contact details.
Later, while in the restroom, Eloise saw Director Chloe leaning against the sink, clutching her stomach, looking pale and clearly in pain.
“Director Chloe, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?” Eloise quickly approached her, concerned.
“Ah…” Chloe could barely speak from the pain. When she realized it was Eloise who had approached, there was a flicker of something in her expression, but it was hard to tell due to how pale she looked.
“Is it stomach pain? Could it be dysmenorrhea?” Eloise asked, clearly worried. “Let me take you to the hospital.”
“I’m fine. It’s always like this every month, I’ve had this problem for a while,” Chloe said, forcing a weak smile.
She glanced at Eloise discreetly. Up close, she was even more elegant than the stories she’d heard.
Eloise understood what Chloe was going through and calmly replied, “You know how it is, this kind of pain in women can be harmless, but sometimes, it can also be serious. It’s obvious you’re not well. It’s better to get checked.”
“I don’t want to trouble you. I’m really okay,” Chloe insisted. Though she was curious about Eloise, she didn’t want to get too close too quickly.
“I can’t ignore this. If something bad happens to you, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself,” Eloise said firmly.
Because the pain was too much, Chloe could no longer refuse. Eloise insisted and accompanied her to the hospital. It was only after they got there that Eloise finally had the chance to let Sasha know what had happened.
The doctor prescribed some medication. Eloise got Chloe some warm water and made sure she took the medicine before she finally looked a little relieved.
“I’m Eloise, Sasha’s agent and assistant. I’m also a friend of hers,” she introduced herself.
Chloe was leaning back in her chair, still looking tired and in pain. In a soft voice, she said, “Chloe.”
Just like her name, her appearance and demeanor were clean, simple, and graceful.
“Your name’s beautiful,” Eloise said with a smile.
Chloe smiled back. “Yours too.”
Eloise’s name carried an image of nature and calmness.
They sat together at the hospital for about ten minutes before Chloe’s assistant arrived.
Eloise briefly explained what had happened before taking her leave.
“Is she Miss Viernes’ assistant-agent?” the assistant asked. “She looks young but composed, she doesn’t look like an assistant at all.”
Chloe didn’t respond, her lips pressed into a tight line. For twenty years, she had lived as a member of the Lopez family, and now, she was Cosmo’s wife.
At the mention of Cosmo’s name, Chloe’s eyes couldn’t help but cloud over.
Sensing her discomfort, the assistant stopped talking.