Although Flint was happy to see his best friend, his heart was still uneasy, remembering that his best friend had been framed by someone close to him out of jealousy. He wanted to find out what was behind this heated scandal before the problem escalated. Normally, he never wanted to do something so troublesome. However, for some reason, the silence now made him feel even more guilty. After all, their relationship was only just friends. Especially if they were now a couple. He couldn't imagine how possessive he would be to protect his beloved woman from any threat.
He once again asked Alfonso for help in finding additional evidence at his parents' hotel. Because he lacked the authority to access the hotel, he had difficulty finding evidence. He believed it was impossible for there to be no trace left behind.
Now in the living room of his residence, he sat next to his assistant, staring at the clock on the wall in front of him, counting down the hours until he could enjoy dinner with a woman.
"By the way, it's impossible for me to just ask for CCTV footage. I think you'll have to step in, Flint."
Flint continued to ignore his assistant's words. His tireless counting of time made Alfonso increasingly irritated.
He kept snapping his fingers in front of the CEO to snap him out of his reverie. "Flint, did you hear me?"
Flint immediately raised his hand quickly. "I hear you, Alfonso."
"Actually, I'm still confused by you. Why do you insist on finding evidence for just one woman? She's just a friend in an online game!"
"She's not just my playmate. She's my neighbor now."
Hearing the unexpected news nearly made Alfonso scream. He immediately clamped his mouth shut. "Really? Ellen now lives in the unit next door?"
He nodded his head. "Yes. Now she lives next door to me."
His eyes widened even more. For a moment, Alfonso jumped up from the sofa and paced back and forth excitedly. "Wow, this is truly amazing! Maybe you two were meant to be together!"
Flint laughed awkwardly. "Impossible. She and I just met."
"But you've known each other in-game for a month. Shouldn't you be dating?"
"If you say something weird again, should I hit you to shut you up?"
Alfonso sat back down on the sofa, putting his arm around the CEO's shoulders. "Think about it. You and she just moved into this apartment. And you've known each other for a month in the game. She's also interested in playing with you. Is this what they call fate?"
"Forget about that! What's certain is that from now on, I've decided to protect her." His hands were clenched tightly. "I'm so sick of reading all the negative comments about her. She's not a bad woman, though."
"That's why until now you still haven't given up on wanting to help her find that evidence. We also cannot ask the media to delete all articles on social media without a reasonable reason."
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "By the way, I'll be asking you for help with my personal matters more often."
"Are you still not used to living in this apartment unit? Is the air ventilation bad?"
"No. But I want to help Ellen secretly."
His eyes narrowed at the CEO. "Wouldn't it be more likely that you'd be the one troubling her? You're probably still not used to living a simple life."
"Even though I'm not my parents' biological child, I should be accustomed to living a simple, easy life."
Alfonso gently patted the CEO on the shoulder. "You'll adapt easily thanks to that woman, unless she's running out of patience with your fussy and fussy ways."
"Regarding the matter of finding evidence, I don't want Bastian involved in my efforts. Even though he's the hotel's CEO, I don't want anyone else interfering in my affairs."
*****
As night fell, Ellen had prepared a varied dinner for her special neighbor. She couldn't wait to see her friend again, constantly staring at the clock. But before that, she put on her makeup. She applied lipstick first, then wiped her slightly smudged lips with her thumb.
Hearing the loud sound of her doorbell ringing, she immediately walked quickly towards the door, then welcomed her special guest with a bright smile.
"Finally you have come."
Flint also flashed a cheerful smile, holding up his paper bag. "I brought you some snacks."
Her head immediately lowered. "You didn't have to bother bringing me food." She invited her special guest into her residence. "By the way, you don't need to ring the doorbell to visit me. You just need to enter my access code."
His right eyebrow raised. "Why are you so confident in telling me your house passcode? Am I your family?"
"No. But you're my best friend and someone I can rely on." She paused for a moment, placing the paper bag on the living room table. "The access code is 0508."
"Are you really telling me?"
"Why? Didn't you just say you wanted to cause me trouble? Instead of continuing to break my doorbell, you might as well just come in."
"By the way, don't you want to try my cookies?"
Her eyes widened. "Really? You really brought me cookies?" She immediately opened the paper bag, took out two jars of chocolate cookies, and placed them on the table. "I thought this was a dream world."
"What's wrong? You look like you've never eaten cookies."
Her head hung low. "I haven't eaten anything sweet since I became an actress."
"What?"
"You seem very innocent, Flint. All actresses, actors, models, and singers are not allowed to eat high-calorie foods. If we're caught eating sweets, the agency won't hesitate to impose sanctions."
Hearing this cruel news made Flint clench his fists tightly. "The entertainment world is truly cruel! They have no conscience!"
"Actually, I've never been interested in the entertainment industry from the start. It has something to do with how I first met Lauren." She tugged at her friend's shirt sleeve for a moment. "How about we talk while we eat? The food will get cold."
His head nodded. "Okay. I'm also curious about the dinner you made for me."
Ellen invited her special guest to sit on the dining chair.
Seeing all the food neatly laid out on the table, Flint's mouth dropped open. "You can really cook all this?"
"Actually, I was born into an ordinary family. That's why I've been learning to cook from my mother since I was a teenager." She narrowed her eyes for a moment. "I think I should slowly tell you about how I became an actress."