The Bargain Undercover

Sore Spot

Suddenly, a flashback swallowed Eliana, replaying what Jeffrey did to her in the car...

Eliana shook her head immediately to get rid of those bad memories, wondering if she should pick up Tyler's call.

Did Tyler know what kind of person Jeffrey was? Or even worse, was he Jeffrey's accomplice in the first place?

She wasn't sure. But the way Tyler talked about Jeffrey and their cooperation made it didn't seem so.

Eliana decided to trust her instinct, picking up the call.

"Hey."

"Hey." On the other end of the phone, it sounded like Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you wouldn't pick up."

"Then do you want me to hang up?" Eliana teased him.

"No, no! Hold on." Tyler stopped her. "Actually, I called to apologize. Mr. Warner stopped showing up the next day after GALA and I couldn't get in touch with him, so I managed to pry a bit... I'm so sorry, Eliana. I swear I had no idea."

He sounded sincere. Eliana chose to believe him. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"But still, I feel bad about it." Tyler paused for a while before saying again, "To make it up to you, I have an even better opportunity for you. Of course, that's only if you still trust me."

"What is it?"

Tyler explained to her, "I'm releasing my first single, and I want you to be the female lead of my MV."

Eliana was surprised. "Look at you! Stepping into the music industry now."

There were rumbling sounds on the other end of the phone. Eliana guessed it was Tyler scratching his hair.

Then, she heard him say, "Well, I have fans, so I want to give it a try. Now, what do you say?"

Eliana didn't hesitate. "I didn't know about Jeffrey, but I'm sure you're not a pervert. So, deal."

Tyler chuckled, "OK, deal."

***

On Friday, all the other dancers left Millwich Ballet Theatre, leaving only Ophelia, who was practicing Fouettes in the classroom, and Eliana, who was helping her.

After a few turns, Ophelia lost her balance, falling and exclaiming, "Oops!"

Eliana supported her in time. "You have to keep your body straight and tuck your tummy in. Your core is too loose now."

Ophelia wiped the sweat on her forehead away. "I know. I know. But it's easier said than done. I can't believe those ballerinas in Swan Lake can turn 32 Fouettes!"

Eliana patted her on the shoulder. "You'll get there one day. You already did better than yesterday."

She said this to give Ophelia faith, but it didn't seem to work. Ophelia's face wried as she shook her head. "No, no. I don't want to get there at all! I can't take the pressure of dancing in the center. Not in my lifetime."

Eliana blinked her eyes, recalling how she felt when she danced in the center for the first time. "But it's thrilling."

Ophelia laughed, "For you, yes. You're brave and ambitious. I can tell that."

Eliana grinned in response, "Come on! You're also brave but on a different track. How is your side job?"

Ophelia shrugged. "Still just a few fans. But you're right. For me, being an influencer is more attractive than dancing in the center."

"Ophelia Aiken." Eliana faced her, looking seriously into her eyes. "If you want me to help with your Fouettes again, promise me this - when you become an influencer, advertise me."

"Oh, that's not a problem!" Ophelia immediately promised. But on second thought, she asked, "What if you become a famous ballerina first?"

Eliana promised without thinking, "Then I'll advertise you."

Ophelia grinned, "That makes a bargain."

Under the classroom window, bathed in the sunset glow, the two young ballerinas made their pinky swear, anticipating a future that seemed as uncertain as it was promising. The moment their pinkies touched, the wave of loneliness that had accompanied them on their journey temporarily dissipated, replaced by the secure feeling of companionship.

No matter what challenges lay ahead, this moment was cherishing - a reminder of their shared dreams and the bond they had formed in pursuit of them.

Parted with Ophelia, Eliana walked alone toward the exit of the building.

She turned a corner with her head down, and then, bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," she immediately apologized, looking up.

Xander stood in front of her, immersed in the golden afterglow. "It's OK."

Eliana paused for a second before letting surprise take over her. "Director Lane! Weren't you supposed to come back tomorrow?"

"Plans have changed." Xander didn't explain much but just said briefly, "Tell your uncle, dinner next Friday."

Eliana didn't need the slightest effort to tell that his vibe was strange. She guessed it was because his meeting with the sponsor didn't go well, but she knew she shouldn't ask, at least for now.

"I will." So, she just nodded, thinking his bad mood was temporary and would dissipate soon.

However, in the following days, even when she met him at his place, he still emanated that horrible vibe.

He didn't say a single redundant word to her, simply ordering her to remove her clothes as soon as she stepped into his villa.

Eliana did as he ordered, but just when she sat down on the sofa, Xander's phone rang.

His phone was in the closet by the door, but he still stood up and went all the way to get it.

Eliana wondered who was calling him this late. Could it be that woman who picked up her call for him that day?

She didn't even know who that woman was.

Curious, she pricked up her ears, trying to hear what he said. But other than a few words like "summer" and "roles", she couldn't hear anything else.

At this time, Xander came out of the closet, still on the phone. Eliana immediately lowered her head, pretending that she wasn't eavesdropping. Through the corner of her eye, she saw Xander walking over.

"Sounds good. Thank you." With that, Xander hung up and put his phone on the end table.

Eliana kept her head low, waiting for his order.

Seconds ticked by. There was only silence.

She looked up, and her eyes met Xander's.

Xander asked in a flat tone, "How much did you hear?"

Eliana felt a sudden unease, afraid it was a call that Xander didn't want her to hear.

"Nothing," she said.

Unexpectedly, Xander sat beside her and started to explain, "It was the choreographer. He's choreographing for the summer season and wanted to brief me about the new dance."

Eliana looked at the clock on the wall. "He's so hardworking."

"Inspirations can come anytime," Xander said.

For some reason, Eliana felt his voice gentler than before, so she pushed further, prying into his thoughts on casting. "Do you plan to put me in this new dance?"

Xander nodded and briefed her on the story of the dance.

It was a simple story - the ghost of the wife came back to haunt her murderers: her cowardly husband and his manipulative mistress.

Eliana listened as she gradually raised one eyebrow.

The female protagonist, the wife, would be danced by a Principal ballerina for sure, leaving the role for her, a Second Soloist, obvious.

"So I will be the mistress."

Seeing the wry smile on her face, Xander frowned. "You have a problem with that?"

Eliana immediately shook her head. "Not at all!"

"Then what's with that face?"

Eliana explained, "I was just thinking it would be hard to empathize with the role."

"Why?" Xander asked.

Eliana was surprised by his question and the sarcasm in his tone. She wasn't blaming him for giving her the role of a mistress or saying that she didn't want to dance it. She just found it challenging for some personal reason. Did that annoy Xander?

But anyway, she needed him, so she had to please him. She put on her innocent smile and said in a sweet voice, trying to smooth things over, "I mean I'm sure the audience will like the wife and hate me."

While she said that, the childhood flashback kept playing in her head. Her crazy mother, her selfish father, her nightmares... As the daughter of a mistress, she actually couldn't think of a way to empathize with a mistress, just like she couldn't empathize with her mother.

But at this moment, no matter how vulnerable she felt, she had to not let it show.

Xander asked, emotionless, "So you want to dance the wife?"

Eliana's heart sank. "No, I didn't mean that."

"You'd better not." Xander stood up from the sofa, looking down at her. "Eliana, you're the most suitable one to dance the mistress."

Eliana was stunned by his affront.

It was like a knife stabbing into her heart.

In her twenty years of life, the thing she feared most was becoming like her mother - twisted, hysterical, unable to appreciate any of the good things in this world.

So, at every intersection in life, she chose a different path than her mother did, which meant she would never, ever become a mistress.

It was her sore spot that no one could touch.

But Xander touched it.

However, she couldn't offend him because she still needed him. She tried to calm down and smooth things over, but she couldn't force a smile, her tone much colder than before. "Thank you. I'll dance it perfectly."

Xander said nothing.

Eliana also kept silent.

The atmosphere between them turned weird. Luckily, soon after, another phone call broke the silence.

On the end table, the screen of Xander's phone lit up, and Eliana saw the caller's name.

Camila.

Xander slightly frowned when seeing that name.

Before Eliana could wonder why, he declined the call and looked back at her.

His tone was freezing. "You can leave now."