The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

"LET'S not beat around the bush and just go straight to the point," Ellis said.

"I agree," Olivia said with a nod.

Ellis waited for the other to say something other than that, but no such thing happened. Olivia just stared at the wine glass in front of her. "Well? Why did you go into all this trouble just to put my artist into that program?"

Olivia finally picked up the wine glass and took a sip. "Maybe it's just a coincidence."

A slight frown appeared on Ellis' face. "I thought we would not beat around the bush and just go straight to the point? So, what's with the vague response?"

Olivia chuckled. "Well, will you believe me if I say I did it so you would contact me on your own accord?"

Ellis frowned even more. Especially since she remembered the nonsense Astrid told her earlier. "You- you're not planning to ask me to have an affair with you, right?"

Olivia stopped, as if perplexed by what she heard. Then, she straight out laughed out loud. "Gosh, when did you started to have that kind of sense of humor?"

"Please, that was not my idea. Astrid was the one who insisted that you must have some nefarious reason for doing this," Ellis said with a dry tone.

"And his idea of 'nefarious' was me wanting to have an affair with you? How cute," Olivia said in an amused tone. "The idea is certainly attractive."

"Yeah, right," Ellis said, rolling her eyes. "So, what is it? What's your real reason?"

A moment of silence passed by before Olivia responded. "Because I know you wouldn't want to meet me unless I do this. And I also needed a viable reason to meet you."

That answer had Ellis frowning once again. "As I've said, I think it's better to just tell me directly what you want."

Olivia took a deep breath, as if trying to gain a bit of willpower. And if her habit was still the same, Ellis could bet that her fists were probably clenched tightly right now. Olivia was nervous. Very nervous, if she might add. The question was, why?

Ellis could feel that it was not simply because of them meeting again. No, it had something to do on why the other wanted to meet her in the first place. She didn't speak and just waited for Olivia to answer.

She thought that she still had to wait a few minutes more before the other finally had the courage to speak, but good thing that wasn't the case.

"It's probably shameless of me to ask you this after what I did. But, embarrassingly enough, I don't have anyone I could ask this of. Or rather, nobody would probably listen." Olivia raised her head and looked at Ellis. Her turquoise eyes were shaking, showing just how much she's trying her hardest not to let her emotions leaked. "I need help, Ellis. Badly."

Okay. That was actually unexpected. It took Ellis by surprise that she wasn't able to immediately say anything back. But soon, she managed to calm down and observed Olivia.

Her lower lip was trembling and she couldn't make eye contact with her. Ellis could see that she was not only nervous, she was also deeply embarrassed. Olivia probably didn't want to ask her of help. But just like the other said, she didn't have much choice about it.

"You're right. You're indeed quite shameless to expect me to help you just because you ask."

After Ellis said that, Olivia visibly flinched. Her whole face even turned red from embarrassment.

"You're right. But- but I really don't have anyone else to turn to. You- you're my last hope."

"What kind of help do you need exactly? No, before you answer that, there's something I want to know first," Ellis said. "You just up and leave me five years ago. The next thing I knew, you're suddenly getting married. So, for my peace of mind, can you tell me why? Thinking about the answer to that from time to time whenever it popped in my head from is seriously annoying. So, would you mind telling me the answer? I deserve that much, don't you think?"

The expression that flashed on Olivia's face showed that she didn't expect for Ellis to demand an explanation for that. Ellis almost laughed sarcastically and asked, 'seriously?'. If she wasn't already over the other, she would have been so pissed off that she might have already flipped the table over.

Olivia literally left her hanging in the air. They didn't even have an official break-up! The other simply ended her contract with the entertainment agency they belonged to that time. Without her knowledge, if she might add. She only found out about it via the company. Which was worse.

Then, the next day, the other posted an announcement on her [Cyberspace] account saying that she was retiring. Ellis seriously thought back then that Olivia might have been kidnapped of something. The other had just entered the top five of the [Star List]. Her series of actions simply didn't have any rhyme or reason.

But then, the next day, something happened to prove that Ellis' guess was wrong.

Olivia held a press conference where she did not only announced her retirement, but her engagement as well. To Benjamin Thornley. The eldest son and heir of Viscount Thornley.

The feeling of betrayal Ellis felt back then didn't even amount to the heartache she felt. That's how hurt she was. But after five years, Olivia seemed to still not want to give her any proper explanation. And that, after she just asked her for help.

If that's not the definition of shameless, then she didn't know what was.

Ellis let out a frustrated sigh. She was planning to just stand up and leave if the other didn't speak soon and give her any explanation. But as she was about to do that, Olivia finally spoke.

"If I said goodbye to you in person, my resolve might waver and the revenge I've been planning for years would end up for naught."