Elena turned back to Lyra, completely unbothered, as if nothing extraordinary had just happened.
"Lyra," she said casually, adjusting her jacket, "call the police."
Lyra blinked. "Huh?"
Elena's tone remained light, almost thoughtful.
"Some time inside will do them good. Distance from the outside world helps people… reflect."
She glanced at the four boys on the ground, her smile gentle—almost kind.
"Their lives might actually improve," she continued. "Structure. Rules. Discipline."
She tilted her head slightly.
"When they remember today," she added softly, "they'll probably say thank you."
Silence.
The four boys went completely still.
"Logan's eyes widened. Blake forgot to breathe. Mark's face turned pale. Joj's mouth opened—but no sound came out.
Lyra stared at Elena.
"…You're terrifying," she said slowly.
Elena smiled. "I prefer educational."
Lyra swallowed, then quickly took out her phone.
"O-Okay. Police it is."
She turned away and started explaining everything—location, harassment, assault attempt.
The boys finally panicked.
"Wait—listen—this is too much—" "We said sorry!" "It was just a joke!"
Elena didn't even look at them.
"Jokes are meant to be funny," she said calmly. "Not memorable."
Sirens echoed faintly in the distance.
Lyra ended the call and looked back at them, a little dazed.
"They're coming."
The sound grew louder.
Within minutes, two police officers arrived. One quick look at the scene was enough.
The boys were hauled up, hands shaking, expressions empty—still trying to process what had just happened.
As they were taken away, one of them glanced back at Elena.
She met his eyes.
And smiled.
The police car disappeared down the street.
Lyra finally let out the breath she'd been holding.
Lyra kept staring at Elena for a few seconds, like she was watching a live show.
Then she burst out, laughing.
"You know," Lyra said, shaking her head, "I think working for you means I don't need entertainment anymore. Everything happens here." She counted on her fingers. "First drama. Then action." She grinned. "What's next—romance?"
Elena slowed her steps, pretending to think.
"Could be," she said lightly. "You never know."
Lyra's eyes sparkled. "Oh? If romance is next, when does it start? That's my favorite genre."
Elena shrugged, calm as ever.
"It'll happen when the right candidate appears."
As she said it, her steps paused for half a second.
Uninvited—
a face surfaced in her mind.
Sharp, well-defined features.
Deep-set eyes that looked calm but dangerous at the same time.
A straight nose, lips always carrying the hint of a knowing smirk.
That composed expression—like nothing in the world could surprise him.
Handsome.
Annoyingly so.
Elena shook the thought away.
"Candidates don't line up," she added casually. "They arrive."
Lyra gasped dramatically. "Wow. That sounded dangerous."
Elena smiled faintly.
"Romance usually is."
Lyra clasped her hands, eyes shining.
"Then I'll be waiting for the male lead."
Elena walked ahead, her smile unreadable—
and her mind very briefly,
very clearly,
remembered Roben.
.....
Lyra dropped Elena at the hotel and drove off only after making sure she went inside.
Back in her room, Elena took a long shower, letting the warm water wash away the noise of the day. When she came out, her hair was still slightly damp, a loose T-shirt falling comfortably on her shoulders.
She lay down on the bed, stretched once, and picked up her phone.
A game loaded on the screen.
Bright colors. Simple rules. Easy distraction.
Just as she was getting into it—
Buzz.
The game froze.
Lyra Winter flashed across the screen.
Elena sighed lightly, paused the game, and answered.
"Hello?"
"Elena, have you seen the video?" Lyra's voice came out fast, almost breathless.
Elena frowned slightly. "What video?"
"Your video," Lyra said. "The coffee incident. With Rachel."
Elena sat up, resting her back against the headboard.
"That one?"
"Yes!" Lyra exclaimed. "It's everywhere. It's gone viral. People are clipping it, slowing it down, adding captions—"
She hesitated. "Rachel's fans are attacking your account. Really badly."
Elena's gaze drifted to the window, city lights glowing quietly.
"I'll watch it first," she said evenly.
"No," Lyra said immediately. "Don't." Her tone softened. "Please don't read the comments. Don't let it get to you. They're just noise."
There was a short pause.
"Okay," Elena replied.
Lyra exhaled in relief. "I'll keep an eye on things."
The call ended.
Elena lowered the phone, thumb hovering over the video link—
when it rang again.
Mom.
"Elena," her mother said the moment she answered, worry clear in her voice. "Are you okay? I saw something online."
"I'm fine, Mom," Elena replied calmly. "Nothing happened."
"…Really?"
"Yes."
The next call came before she could even lock the screen.
Emma.
"I saw the situation," Emma said, professional but concerned. "Ignore the noise. I'll handle the PR and legal side."
"I know," Elena replied. "Thank you."
Another vibration.
Alex.
"You alive?" he asked bluntly.
Elena smiled faintly. "Very much."
"Good. Don't overthink it."
"I won't."
After the last call ended, silence settled over the room.
Elena lay back on the bed, phone resting on her chest.
So many voices.
So much concern. After a long moment, Elena unlocked her phone again.
She opened the video.
The clip started smoothly—too smoothly.
From that angle, it looked wrong.
Very wrong.
The camera caught Rachel walking toward her, coffee in hand.
Then Elena stepping aside.
The cup tilted.
The coffee spilled.
But the timing—
the framing—
the pause right before the spill—
It looked deliberate.
Like Elena had calculated the moment.
Elena watched without blinking.
The video replayed automatically.
Again, it looked like she had caused it.
"…Nice editing," she murmured softly.
Her thumb scrolled down.
Comments.
Thousands of them.
Most with profile pictures of Rachel.
Fan accounts.
Support pages.
Obsessed followers.
The words were sharp.
Cruel.
—
@RachelForever:
"So she thinks she's smart? Pushing coffee on a senior and acting innocent?"
@QueenRachelOnly:
"I knew it. New actresses are always arrogant. Fame got to her head too fast."
@PureAngelRachel:
"Rachel was being kind and THIS is how she repaid her?? Disgusting."
@SeniorRespectMatters:
"She clearly stepped into her on purpose. Watch it in slow motion."
@ProtectRachel:
"This Elena girl is fake. Playing victim after hurting someone."
Elena scrolled further.
The words got uglier.
—
Elena scrolled again.
The numbers kept rising.
Views.
Shares.
Comments.
The screen felt endless.
—
@AngelOfRachel:
"Zoom in at 0:07. She clearly moves her shoulder. Stop defending her."
@RachelIsMyWorld:
"My queen was trying to be kind and that girl humiliated her in public."
@OnlyRachelMatters:
"New actresses always pretend to be innocent. Same old trick."
@SeniorFirstRule:
"In this industry, respect comes first. Elena crossed the line."
—
Elena's thumb slowed.
More comments loaded.
Harsher. Louder.
—
@RachelWifeOfficial:
"I swear if I ever see this Elena in real life—she won't walk away so easily."
@RachelHusbandNo1:
"She planned this to get attention. Cheap tactics."
@ProtectOurQueen:
"Rachel is too kind. She's still defending Elena even after getting hurt."
@TruthHurts999:
"Elena didn't even apologize properly. Look at her face—zero guilt."
—
Some comments laughed.
—
@DramaAddict:
"Honestly? She enjoyed it. You can see it in her smile."
@IndustryInsiderFan:
"This is how juniors climb. Dirty games."
—
Others demanded punishment.
—
@JusticeForRachelNow:
"Boycott Elena. No second chances."
@RespectYourSeniors:
"Public apology or leave the industry."
—
Elena scrolled once more.
Among the chaos, a few different voices tried to surface—
—
@NeutralViewer:
"Camera angle is weird. Can't judge from this clip alone."
@LyraWasThere:
"I was on set. Elena didn't touch the cup."
Those comments were buried quickly.
Drowned.
Elena stopped scrolling.
Her grip on the phone loosened.
"So this is fandom," she said quietly.
"Loud. Loyal. Blind." She locked the screen and placed the phone beside her.
Elena lay still for a long moment, staring at the ceiling.
Then she smiled.
A slow, knowing smile.
She sat up, reached for her laptop, and placed it on the bed. Her fingers moved calmly, confidently—like this wasn't the first time she'd done something like this.
A few minutes later, information appeared on the screen.
Location confirmed.
Rachel Currently staying at a luxury hotel.
Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting."
She leaned back, tapped a few more keys—and quietly activated a live recording from Rachel's phone.
The screen flickered.
Audio connected.
Voices came through.
Rachel's voice was unmistakable.
Low. Careful. No trace of the sweet senior actress from the set.
At first, there was soft laughter.
Rachel's voice—low, lazy, very different from her public image.
"You booked the best suite," Rachel said lightly. "Trying to impress me?"
A man chuckled.
"For an actress like you? Of course."
Rachel laughed again, slower this time.
"Careful," she said teasingly. "People might misunderstand."
"Oh?" the investor replied. "Isn't that what you're good at? Making people believe whatever you want?"
There was a brief pause.
Then Rachel spoke, her tone playful—dangerously so.
"You like mischiefs women, don't you?"
Another laugh. Closer this time.
"I like women who know how to use their charm," the man said. "And you're very… convincing."
Rachel hummed softly.
"Charm is part of the job. Especially when investments are involved."
Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.
The man's voice lowered.
"So… what do I get in return for supporting your next project?"
Rachel didn't answer immediately.
When she did, her voice was sweet. Too sweet.
"You already know," she said. "I never disappoint my supporters."
A faint sound followed—too intimate to be accidental.
Rachel laughed softly again.
"Relax," she said. "We're adults."
The investor chuckled.
"And professionals."
"Exactly," Rachel replied smoothly. "Business and pleasure… blend well."
Elena leaned back slowly, her expression unreadable.
So this was the real Rachel.
Not the injured senior actress.
Not the innocent victim.
She glanced at the recording timer.
Still running.
"Perfect," Elena murmured quietly.
She saved the file.