The Bargain Undercover

Fruitful Autumn

Xander frowned slightly.

Eliana said with her eyelashes lowered, "I remember it so well. She took me to the rooftop and forced me to stand at the edge with her. The building was tall, the floor was slippery, and the raindrops were freezing. I cried and begged her to go down, but she initiated a video call with my dad to threaten him that she would jump off with me if he didn't show up in twenty minutes."

Since that day, Eliana had been haunted by nightmares of rain. Even after nearly twenty years, the chill of those raindrops remained vivid in her mind. Eliana took a deep breath, suppressing the shivers in her voice. "My dad wanted to break up with her, so she went to extremes to make him stay."

"Did it work?" Xander asked.

"To her, yes, because my dad stayed. To me, he hasn't been with her from the very beginning." Eliana said faintly, "But you know, when you're four, you have no choice when an adult asks you to do something, and that sucks."

Xander didn't say anything.

Eliana shook her head, pulling herself together with a smile. "It's a complex story, but long story short, I'm scared of rain, and I didn't mean to yell at you. Sorry."

Xander looked at her quietly for a while, and she was a bit shocked to see a trace of sympathy in his eyes.

It wasn't what she had wanted or expected at first. She had buried this story long ago because it had caused her so much pain. She felt compelled to tell him today simply because she didn't want him to feel offended.

But what shocked her more was that Xander walked closer to her.

And then, he placed his hand on the back of her head, rubbing it tenderly.

It was his way of showing gentleness.

"I'm sorry, Eliana," he said. "I didn't know."

Eliana hadn't expected him to apologize, blinking her eyes. "Then how do you want to make it up to me?"

Xander retrieved his hand, looking at her naughty smile.

She rarely let her weakness show. Just moments ago, she was drowning in the pain that had haunted her for years, but now, she already gathered herself together, carrying the old scars but moving forward.

She bounced back quickly. Xander appreciated that tenacious vitality.

He pressed his hand on the back of her waist and exerted a bit of strength, pulling her closer.

"It's still raining. Your mom will have to wait," he said.

Eliana pursed her lips. "Then let her wait."

"So we have plenty of time." His deep voice enveloped her.

Eliana giggled, "Yes, we do."

The raindrops pattered on the rooftop, creating a harmonious melody. The moonlight melted into the embrace of the clouds, slipping into a sweet dream.

***

As autumn leaves began their descent, Eliana and Tyler accomplished their first collaboration as agreed: shooting his debut music video.

Draped in a fairy-tale dress, she danced by the lake with Tyler, their on-screen chemistry suggesting a romance that was as fleeting as it was intoxicating. Her presence had significantly boosted Tyler’s debut single thanks to the surge in her own popularity and the numerous fans she had attracted during the summer season. She still remembered the shock of receiving her first bouquet from a fan waiting at the back door after a show. Though it had become a familiar routine, she never took these moments for granted, cherishing every fan who loved her dance.

However, one day after the training, she was shocked again to see Tyler waiting for her downstairs with a bunch of roses in his hands.

"You look like a painting. The two of us will get famous." She walked up to him, smiling.

"That's even better." Tyler handed the roses to her. "I came to say thank you, my beautiful female lead."

"My pleasure." Eliana took the roses and hugged him.

She heard whistles and applause from her colleagues as they left the company, but she didn't mind. Rumors could be beneficial for boosting their popularity, but only in this case.

It would be a different story if the rumors were about her and Xander.

***

This autumn seemed fruitful for many people.

"Look! Look! A hundred! Me!" During the lunch break, Ophelia pattered Eliana's shoulder after checking her phone, uttering some incoherent words.

Eliana stopped eating and grabbed her hand to cease her attack. "What are you talking about?"

Ophelia was bouncing in her seat with excitement. "My fans! My fans!"

Roselyn guessed, "You have a hundred fans?"

"Thousand!" Ophelia exclaimed, "A hundred thousand!"

Eliana widened her eyes. "That's incredible!"

Ophelia pounced on Eliana. "Thank you, Ellie! It really worked!"

Roselyn put down her fork, confused. "What worked?"

Ophelia turned to Roselyn, pointing between herself and Eliana. "It's our deal. Whoever gets famous first will help promote the other."

As Eliana's fame grew, Ophelia started posting video clips of herself practicing with Eliana. It quickly gained attention for her, and then, her video series on healthy eating and workouts began attracting an increasing number of followers. Now, she was the online icon of MBT.

Roselyn supported her chin with one hand and sized them up with a smile. "You two are so sweet!"

"I know. It's hard to have genuine friendships at the workplace." Ophelia held Eliana's hand. "But I knew we have one when I felt nothing but pure happiness and no hint of jealousy seeing her success."

Eliana felt her heart soften. She squeezed Ophelia's hand. "I'm happy to see your success, too."

Ophelia's eyes reddened. She squeezed Eliana's hand back and said heartfully, "Thank you."

Eliana knew she should switch the topic before they started hugs and ugly cries. She turned to Roselyn. "But we still have a long way to go before we reach Roselyn's level of success."

Roselyn waved her hand dismissively. "I'm just a Principal. It's no big deal."

"Shhh!" Eliana immediately stopped her. "They will hate you if they hear that."

The three of them giggled, sharing in the joy of their achievements. When they talked about the music video Eliana shot, Roselyn asked, "Are you and Tyler dating? I saw him bring you roses yesterday."

"No, we're not." Eliana explained, "And he's gay."

"Oh!" Ophelia was surprised. "Then you two are good at acting. The chemistry between you two in that video is absolutely electric!"

Roselyn kept gossiping, "Ellie, are you dating anyone?"

"No." Eliana shook her head. The one she had been seeing once a week didn't count.

"It's weird. All the outstanding girls I know are single, including you two." Roselyn narrowed her eyes, analyzing seriously, "Is it because outstanding girls only focus on their careers?"

Ophelia chuckled, "Miss Roselyn, you're one of the girls you said."

"Pfff! Men!" Roselyn rolled her eyes. "I don't trust them."

Eliana shrugged in approval. "Reason found."

"But there has to be reliable men out there, right?" Roselyn was indignant. "Why can't we meet one?"

Ophelia answered, "They were snatched right away and will never come back to the market."

Roselyn sighed, mentally going through the list of all the men she knew. Then, she leaned closer to them, whispering, "Do you guys think Director Lane is single?"

Ophelia nodded. "I think he is."

Eliana believed so, but suddenly, a name popped up in her head.

Camila.

She still had no idea who Camila was - whether she was his friend, his family member, or something more.

But it was Xander's privacy. She wouldn't ask unless he told her first.

"Isn't that weird?" Roselyn continued in a low voice, "He meets all the high standards. Although he looks serious and doesn't talk much, that shouldn't be a big problem, right?"

With that, Roselyn looked at Eliana, seeking her approval.

Eliana shrugged. "Maybe."

Roselyn pressed closer to her, a sly smile playing at her lips. "Ellie, would you date him?"

The topic became touchy. Eliana started her acting, shivering. "My goodness! Dating the boss?!"

Roselyn kept pressing. "What's wrong with it? The boss can give you good resources."

Eliana frowned with disdain on her face, leaning back to stay away from Roselyn. She calmly threw the question back. "But he's the boss. Would you date the boss?"

Roselyn thought for a while and had to admit, "Yeah, it's weird. Leave me alone outside of work."

Then the three of them changed the topic. Eliana chatted and laughed, showing no sign of being affected by their previous conversation.

She had long known that acting skills were as important as ballet skills for survival, and she was sure that she did it smoothly this time, leaving no trace of nervousness or awkwardness.

She knew she was walking a fragile line, so she had to be cautious and smart, like a rabbit staying alert for tigers hidden in the grass. Unfortunately, there were too many hunters out there. When the rabbit perked up its ears to listen for danger in the grass, it might not notice the eagle swooping down from above. That night, when Eliana went to Xander's place, she still had no idea what awaited her the next day.