After listening to the audio clip, Rachel did exactly what Elena knew she would.
She came.
The café near Elena's hotel was warm and elegant—soft lighting, low music, the kind of place where scandals usually pretended not to exist.
Elena and Lyra were already there.
Elena sat comfortably, stirring her coffee slowly, completely unbothered by the storm she had caused.
Lyra leaned back in her chair, quietly enjoying the front-row seat.
The moment Rachel walked in, her eyes scanned the café.
And then—
she saw them.
Her steps slowed.
Her confidence hesitated for half a second.
But Rachel recovered quickly. After all, arrogance was her default setting.
She walked straight to their table, pulled out the chair, and sat down without asking.
No greeting.
No smile.
She lifted her phone, pointed at the audio clip on the screen, and said sharply,
"What is all this, Elena?"
Elena looked at the phone.
Then at Rachel.
And laughed.
A soft laugh.
The kind that felt… insulting.
"This?" Elena said lazily.
"My goodwill."
She tilted her head, pretending to be offended.
"Why? Didn't you like my gift? I thought it suited your taste."
Rachel clenched her jaw.
"What nonsense—"
Elena cut her off smoothly.
"I mean," she continued sweetly,
"you love videos so much. Filming, editing, angles—your hobby is very… creative."
She smiled wider.
"So I thought, why limit you to videos? Audio clips can be very expressive too."
Rachel's eyes burned.
"Elena," she snapped, lowering her voice,
"do you have any idea how many connections I have?"
Elena blinked.
Then laughed again.
"Oh?" she said.
"So this is you… begging?"
She turned to Lyra.
"What do you think? Is this what begging looks like?"
Lyra looked Rachel up and down carefully, then shook her head.
"Absolutely not," Lyra said seriously.
"This is just someone being loud."
Rachel slammed her palm on the table.
"You—!"
Elena raised a finger.
"Careful," she said calmly.
"This café charges extra for drama."
Then she leaned forward slightly.
"Dear," Elena said softly,
"you're really not in a position to show attitude right now."
She smiled—gentle, polite, dangerous.
"So keep it.
Save it.
Maybe frame it and hang it in your house."
Rachel's breath hitched.
Elena's gaze sharpened.
"Did you really think I didn't notice your little assistant that day?" Elena continued casually.
"The one who just happened to be standing at the perfect angle?"
Rachel stiffened.
"…Then why didn't you stop it?" she asked, forcing her voice steady.
Elena smiled brightly.
"Because life was getting boring," she said.
"And you're an actress, Rachel."
She shrugged.
"If you don't entertain people, who will?"
Rachel went pale.
Elena straightened, all playfulness gone.
"Alright," she said calmly.
"Enough warm-up."
She counted on her fingers.
"By tomorrow night, I want three things."
"One—your apology."
"Two—your official statement."
"And three—the complete, unedited video uploaded on Waibo."
She paused.
Then added sweetly,
"Otherwise… the small gift I sent you?"
"I'll livestream it."
Rachel stared at her.
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
No threats.
No arrogance.
No words.
Elena picked up her coffee and took a slow sip.
"Oh—and Rachel?" she added casually.
"My kindness?"
"It's very limited."
She smiled.
"And you've already used it all."
Saying this, Elena stood up calmly.
Lyra followed her without looking back even once.
Inside the café, Rachel remained seated.
Her face had turned a dangerous shade of red.
Anger, humiliation, and helplessness fought for space on her expression.
If looks could kill, the café would've been shut down for safety reasons.
People nearby suddenly found their coffee very interesting.
Outside, as soon as the café doors closed behind them, Lyra let out a long breath.
"Elena," she said, half-laughing, half-amazed,
"there is seriously no answer to you. You wrapped that green-tea queen so neatly, even gift paper wasn't needed."
She walked a few steps, then stopped.
"…But," Lyra added, narrowing her eyes,
"where exactly did that recording come from? Don't tell me it just fell from the sky."
Elena slowed her steps.
She glanced back at Lyra, her expression relaxed, almost lazy.
"Lyra," she said lightly,
"just enjoy the show."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Why worry about how the magician hides the cards?"
Lyra stared at her.
"…You're impossible," she muttered.
"And terrifying."
Elena smiled faintly.
She walked straight into the hotel, leaving Lyra outside.
The next day, Elena and Lyra arrived on set right on time and completed their shoot effortlessly. Everything went according to plan—no chaos, no delays, no drama.
Rachel, however, didn't show up at all.
Lyra glanced at Elena and said casually, "So… Rachel didn't show up today."
Elena didn't even pause her steps.
Lyra smirked and added, "Looks like yesterday's dose is going to last till tonight."
Elena stopped for a second, then simply smiled. No reaction. No comments. Just a slow, knowing nod.
They finished the shoot without any trouble and returned to their hotel. As soon as Elena stepped inside her room, her phone started buzzing.
She checked the screen.
Lyra.
"Yeah, Lyra?" Elena answered lazily.
Lyra's voice came fast, barely hiding her excitement.
"Elena—go check Weibo. Right now."
Elena unlocked her phone—and there it was.
The video.
The entire scene. Painfully clear.
Rachel offering her coffee with that fake-sweet smile… and Elena casually stepping aside, letting the cup miss her by a clean inch.
No edits. No cuts. No dramatic music.
Just raw, humiliating clarity.
Elena opens Waibo and sees Rachel's statement already trending at the top.
She reads it
@RachelOfficial_Heart:
I never wanted to hurt anyone.
Yes, Elena didn't spill coffee on me — and I stayed quiet longer than I should have.
I was trying to protect everyone's feelings, including my fans'.
If my silence caused pain, I'm sorry.
I hope people understand my position too.
I am sorry Elena.
I'm sorry, Elena, that because of me you had to go through all this for the past few days.
This was never what I wanted. I honestly thought the situation would fade away on its own.
I didn't speak earlier because I didn't want my fans to get hurt or confused, and I believed staying quiet would end things faster.
Unfortunately, silence created misunderstandings.
I hope you can understand that none of this was intentional.
Elena reads the statement till the end, then lets out a soft, amused chuckle.
She murmurs under her breath, eyes calm but sharp,
"You really are quite an actress, Rachel."
Elena scrolls further.
The comment section looks less like opinions and more like a live courtroom where only one side is allowed to speak.
@RachelForever_88
Queen finally spoke. She stayed silent only because she cared about us. That alone proves her heart.
@GreenTeaSoul
If Rachel wanted to lie she wouldn't have said anything at all. Her conscience forced her to speak.
@RachelOfficial_CN_FC
We stand with Rachel. Misunderstandings happen. Please stop attacking her.
@PureHeart_R
She thought about fans first. That's why she's different from others.
@OnlyRachel_97
Why is Elena quiet now? Rachel already explained everything clearly.
@TeaWithRachel
Protecting fans is never wrong. Silence was misunderstood.
@StarChaser_R
This industry loves drama. Rachel just wanted peace.
@SoftHeartedR
She apologized even when it wasn't completely her fault. That takes courage.
@EliteCircle_R
People forget how much pressure top celebrities face. Respect her decision.
@TruthSeeker666
Funny how some people enjoy attention when others clean up the mess.
@RachelAngel_FC
Apology accepted. Let's end this negativity.
@NoMoreHatePls
Dragging this longer only hurts everyone.
@GreenTeaQueenStan
Rachel is too kind. That's why people misunderstand her.
@SilentButStrong_R
Silence doesn't mean guilt. It means maturity.
@DramaFreeLife_01
At least Rachel addressed it. Others are just watching the fire burn.