Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen novel Chapter 416

Eileen: "..."

Eileen: "........."

Eileen: "..............."

Egbert: "..."

He pressed his lips together.

Pulling the sides of his robe back over himself, he covered up again. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at the girl in front of him. "What did you just say?"

Eileen snapped back to reality, her gaze darting away from—well, away from something she definitely shouldn’t have been looking at. Her cheeks burned scarlet as she tried to compose herself. "Oh, um, I was saying… I mean… what was I saying again?"

Egbert: "..."

He looked at her coolly.

Eileen swallowed hard, hurriedly taking a step back and stammering, "I—I didn’t see anything just now! Nothing at all!"

Egbert said nothing.

Eileen grew more anxious. "Seriously, I swear I didn’t see anything! Really, really, really!"

Egbert let out a breath. "You don’t have to keep insisting. If you regret it, I can always undo it and let you take another look."

Eileen: "!!!"

She started waving her hands frantically. "No, no, no! That’s really not necessary!"

Egbert: "..."

He spoke flatly, "So, Blue Cheese’s secret?"

Only then did Eileen remember why she’d come in the first place. She fumbled for her phone. "Right, right, it’s here, hang on…"

She held the phone out to Egbert, standing as far away as she could while stretching her arm to full length, desperately trying to keep her distance.

Egbert took the phone. It was a photo of the old townhouse—they’d pored over this photo before, inspecting every corner, even the backside, but nothing had turned up.

He zoomed in on the image and glanced at Eileen.

Eileen tiptoed closer to point. "There. Right there."

"Come over here and show me," Egbert said.

Eileen scratched the back of her head, suddenly shy. "I’d rather not. Men and women shouldn’t get too close. I wouldn’t want to sully your reputation."

Egbert: "..."

He rubbed his forehead.

Then Eileen blurted out, "But why weren’t you wearing underwear?!"

Egbert replied coolly, "Didn’t you say you didn’t see anything?"

Eileen was momentarily stunned.

"I was taking a shower," Egbert added.

"You’re a total perv! Who takes a shower without underwear on?!" Eileen shot back, scandalized.

Egbert: "..."

He let out an exhausted sigh. "So where, exactly?"

Eileen snatched the phone away, zoomed in as much as possible, and centered the suspicious area before handing it back to him.

She had focused on the collar around Blue Cheese’s neck. The image was grainy, making it impossible to see any detail, but you could just make out a yellow tag dangling from it.

Eileen reached into her pocket and pulled out her own keychain, handing it to Egbert.

He took it.

Eileen explained, "This keychain was my grandfather’s. He used it for years, and after he passed away, I kept using it. I only just realized—Blue Cheese’s collar is exactly like this keychain. I think, after Blue Cheese died, Grandpa kept the collar as a memento and turned it into a keychain. Look, there are two letters engraved on the back."

Egbert turned it over and read aloud, "H… T."

As the letters left his lips, his eyes flickered with sudden intensity.

But since his head was bowed, Eileen didn’t notice.

"HT is the only thing that seems like a clue," she said, "but what does that even mean?"

Egbert’s gaze remained steady; he said nothing.

"Well, at least it’s progress," Eileen continued. "I’ll go home and think about it some more." And with that, she bolted out the door.

After she’d gone, Egbert shook his head, closed the door, and made a call to his superior.

"Halley is connected to HT," he reported.

Eileen spent two more days at home.

Then Ophelia called, summoning her to the company for a meeting.

When Eileen arrived, the engineering team was updating the lobby display. They were rearranging the life-size posters of the company’s stars—and hers was now front and center, right in the spotlight.

Grinning with pride, Eileen nudged Janice. "Does this mean I’m the company’s poster girl now?"

Janice laughed. "Absolutely, Eileen. You just won the Oscar, and there’s no actress in Crestonia hotter than you right now. The business department’s phones haven’t stopped ringing with offers—every big director wants you as their leading lady!"

Eileen preened. "So I’m this popular—does that mean the company’s going to give me a raise?"

Janice shrugged. "Don’t know about that. I mean, I’m the only personal assistant to an Oscar-winning actress in the whole agency, basically top of the assistant world, and I only make four thousand a month. No holiday bonuses, either."

Eileen: "..."

Suddenly remembering she was the one paying Janice’s salary, Eileen ducked her head and slipped into the elevator, not daring to discuss the topic further.

Ophelia had called her in to discuss her new contract.