Back to the present…
Ellen immediately ran to avoid the reporters who continued to chase her. Now she tried to contact Penelope to save her. Because the only person she could rely on was Penelope. But how could she survive this scandal? Why did she have to be the victim when the main perpetrator was Lauren? How stupid of her not to suspect Harley's increasingly suspicious behavior since playing this romantic drama together with Lauren. Harley always avoided her with various excuses, when in fact he could take time off if he really needed a break.
Now she was running down the emergency stairs, even though her feet hurt from forcing herself to run in heels. She looked like a fleeing criminal, something she didn't want to act like. Because she didn't have proof that she was a victim, she now looked like a coward. Many agency people had been contacting her, but she had consistently declined all calls because the current situation made it impossible.
Upon reaching the ground floor, she attempted to exit through the emergency exit, but reporters were already waiting there. She eventually continued running through the emergency stairs, meeting Penelope, who was also running to meet her at the emergency stairs.
"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Penelope screamed, gripping the actress's hand tightly.
Ellen ran with Penelope down the emergency stairs to the basement. Then Penelope led her into a white van. She drove at full speed out of the hotel before the reporters realized they were in the basement.
Throughout the journey, Ellen couldn't speak, her mind constantly haunted by all the hurtful words her ex-lover had said. She couldn't believe her lover, whom she had always considered a good person, was actually a scoundrel and an evil man. Furthermore, her best friend was also the main perpetrator of this incident, leaving her gasping for breath and crying. Penelope remained silent as she focused on driving to the condominium.
Upon arriving at the condominium, fortunately, there were no reporters around. Penelope immediately led the actress into her residence. Seeing her incessantly crying over the scandal made her blood pressure rise.
The actress walked limply into the living room and sat down on the sofa next to her manager. Her gaze remained blank, and her lips were pale, as if she hadn't had breakfast since being attacked by reporters.
"Penelope, can you help me monitor the CCTV footage in the control room?"
Penelope rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Harley is such a jerk! How dare he frame you when he was the one who cheated on you!" She ruffled her hair in annoyance. "Moreover, Lauren is a crazy woman! Even though she stole Harley from you, she's accusing you of something!"
A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "I feel like I'm almost going crazy because of them! It was clearly Harley who asked me out on the phone last night."
"But, that can't be used as proof that Harley asked you!"
"Basically, I just need the CCTV footage now. I have to prove that Harley has been visiting my house. Especially since he's been driving me home several times whenever I've been drinking."
Penelope patted her friend's shoulder gently. "Can you sit here alone?"
She nodded her head. "Don't worry. They won't attack me until I get here."
"For the time being, don't answer anyone's phone, including the agency's. You must remain silent until I can prove you're being framed, Ellen."
*****
Meanwhile, Flint is also anxious because he got into trouble that morning. His parents keep pestering him and demanding he return to the corporate group. He's actually worked hard to build a game company that's now going viral on social media. However, his parents still don't understand his feelings. That's what makes him want to escape from this luxurious condominium.
The only person he could talk to was his personal assistant. He didn't want to be alone in this luxurious condominium any longer, and he even had plans to move soon to a new home his parents couldn't afford.
The assistant, Alfonso, also became anxious after hearing the CEO's complaints. His eyebrows lowered, his hands clasped together. "Do you really want to run away, Flint?"
"I've made up my mind, Alfonso. I don't want to continue being my parents' puppet."
"But Fantasia Star was also founded because your parents were major investors. Is that okay?"
"They certainly won't be cruel to me just because of this. I just don't want them bothering me for a while. I need to rest, too."
A resigned sigh escaped his lips. "Well, I just so happen to have found a modest apartment fairly close to our studio. But, I wonder if you'd actually be able to survive there."
His brow furrowed. "What's wrong? Is the apartment haunted?"
"No. But the apartment is simpler than this condominium. The furniture is limited, is that okay with you?"
"I don't mind," Flint replied arrogantly.
"Then, you also don't mind if your room is smaller?"
"That apartment must have been very comfortable for me. Besides, I didn't live there forever. It was only for a few months until my parents gave up looking for me."
Alfonso rolled his eyes as he handed him his tablet, showing him various photos of vacant apartment units. "You can look at the apartment photos first. Maybe you're still looking for another one."
Flint immediately raised his right hand, saw a simple apartment that had one bathroom, a balcony, and one bedroom. Moreover, the apartment unit already has some furniture available. "I'll rent this apartment right away."
Alfonso rolled his eyes. "Really? Do you really want to live there?"
"We'll just swap out some furniture. I don't like using other people's used furniture."
"Okay, I will contact them immediately to book the apartment unit directly."
Now Flint was waiting for his friend to play online. However, suddenly, a notification appeared about a news story that was going viral across social media. When he opened one of his social media accounts, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. The viral news story was about his best friend, the main perpetrator behind an affair with a famous actor. His right fist clenched tightly.
"How can she be a criminal?"