When Nothing Goes Right (English)

02

Chapter 2

"Good morning, Ishaan!" I practically bounced out of the kitchen, my voice bright and cheerful. I'd spotted Ishaan's bodyguards leaving the living room, which meant he was up and ready for work.

"Ishaan! Breakfast!" I called out, already heading towards him.

He was fiddling with his necktie, looking as sharp as ever. "I don’t eat this early," he said, his voice smooth and cool. "Just coffee."

I handed him a container of soup. "It’s light, perfect for before a meeting," I said, trying to sound casual.

He eyed the soup with a hint of suspicion. "What’s in it?" he asked, his gaze holding mine.

"Nothing bad, I promise!" I raised my hands in mock surrender, trying to lighten the mood.

"Aren't you going to your agency today?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, I am!" I said, quickly taking off my apron. I was already halfway out the door, but he stopped me.

He looked surprise, and I understood why. I never showed up at the agency early.

He grabbed my arm, his grip firm. "Don’t even think about running off with Reign again. I’ll break your legs," he warned, his voice low and serious.

"I’m not running away anymore," I said, trying to pull my arm free. He was so strong, and I was already feeling my bones creak under his grip.

"Drop me off at the agency then," I said, trying to sound confident. "It’ll save you gas and you can see for yourself that I’m not going anywhere."

He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t let go either.

As we pulled out of the mansion, I saw Ishaan settle into the backseat. His secretary, a guy with a sharp jawline and a serious expression, looked surprised to see me.

"Ishaan," I whined, sliding closer to him.

"Let go," he said, his voice flat.

I refused to budge. I was determined to be close to him, even if it meant being a bit of a pest.

When he shifted to the other side of the window, I scooted over again, making sure we were touching.

I felt the secretary’s eyes on us in the rearview mirror, so I gave him a bright smile and a playful wave. He quickly looked at the road, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"What's your name, Mr. Driver?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Ishaan’s gaze snapped back to me. "Why are you suddenly interested in my secretary?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

"I see him around all the time," I said, pretending to be confused. "I just thought it would be nice to know his name."

His eyes narrowed, and he looked out the window again. Was he actually annoyed? I found it strangely amusing.

"Ishaan, look at me," I said, reaching out to cup his cheek and turn his face towards me. "I want to know everything about you, your friends, the people who are important to you. That's why I'm asking."

He hesitated for a moment, then turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting mine. I gave him a big smile and leaned back against him.

"Koen Sullivan," he said, his voice a low rumble.

"Your secretary's name," he continued, as if I was being dense. "You were asking, weren't you?"

Koen? The name sounded familiar. I tried to place it, but it was just out of reach.

When we arrived at the agency, I grabbed a face mask. I was about to put it on when I saw Ishaan watching me.

"Hey, Ishaan," I said, trying to sound casual. "I'll be home early, okay?"

He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable.

"I don’t have a car, so… pick me up," I said, giving him a charming smile.

Before he could answer, I reached out and touched his cheek, giving him a quick kiss. "Bye bye," I said, already halfway out the door.

I was delighted to be back at the agency, even if it was early. I slipped on my face mask and walked into the building.

As soon as I stepped into the lobby, everyone turned to stare.

"What's he doing here?"

"Isn't he with Jasver?"

"Shhh… I saw him with Miss Kitty earlier."

I rolled my eyes and ignored their gossip. I walked towards the elevator, not giving them a second thought.

The elevator doors were about to close when someone yelled, "Wait!" I quickly pressed the button to stop them.

"Ranran, baby!" a girl squealed, practically bouncing into the elevator. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her and she pulled me into a hug.

It was Yexian Kayle Navier, my best friend since college. We’d both entered the entertainment industry together and she was the only one I could really trust in this crazy world.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, pulling back slightly. She cupped my cheeks and shook me gently. "Are you sick?"

She looked worried. "Did Reign give you a hard time again? I told you, that guy is no good. Don’t listen to anything he says. He’s an i***t!"

I couldn’t really respond. I was mesmerized by her features. Why had I never noticed before that she looked so much like Ishaan? Even her way of speaking was similar.

"Yexi… don’t leave me, okay?" I said, pulling her back into a hug. "No matter what happens, we’re still best friends. I’ll do my best to protect you."

She pinched my side, her smile mischievous. "What kind of drama is this? What are you saying?"

She stepped back, her expression a mix of amusement and annoyance. Even her way of pulling away reminded me of Ishaan—in denial, then grumpy when embarrassed.

When the elevator doors opened, I practically dragged Yexian out. I grabbed her bags, offering to take her to the practice room.

"Ranran, do you need money again?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"No, I’m good," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

She stopped walking and pulled my arm. "Since we got out of the elevator, I haven’t heard the word 'Reign,' and you were acting all dramatic earlier. Fine, I’m in a good mood. How much do you need? One big 'no' for rent on the island for Reign, okay? My brother will have me shot if I use the island again without his permission," she said, pulling out her black card.

I laughed and pushed the card back to her. "I don’t need money. I have my own allowance," I said, trying to sound confident.

She raised an eyebrow. "Don’t you give Reign all your cards?" she asked, her voice sharp.

I froze. I had completely forgotten about that. It meant I was broke. I slapped my forehead, feeling a wave of panic.

"Here, take this. It has 10 million in it," she said, holding out a card.

"No, it’s okay. I’ll ask someone for money," I said, quickly pulling out my phone. I called Ishaan. After a few rings, he answered.

"Husband, can’t you give me some money?" I asked, trying to sound sweet.

I heard Yexian cough and pretend to puke. I stuck out my tongue at her, trying to tease her.

"No," Ishaan said, his voice flat.

"Ah…" I started to protest, but the call ended before I could say anything. I pouted and muttered, "Cheapskate."

"Reign won’t give you any? That jerk has the nerve! It’s your money, right?" Yexian said, punching the air. I wasn’t sure if she knew that Ishaan was her brother, or if she was just acting clueless.

"It wasn’t Reign I was talking to," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

Yexian stopped, her eyes widening. "Who did you call earlier and why did you call him 'husband'?" she demanded.

Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. I checked it and saw a notification.

My eyes widened. My account balance had increased. Ishaan had just sent 25 million.

I grinned and texted back, "Thank you," adding a kiss emoji.

"Come on, Yexi! Let’s take a selfie!" I said, grabbing her arm.

We both made peace signs for the camera and I sent the picture to Ishaan. Then, I linked my arm with hers and took her to the practice room.

Yexian was part of a dance group. She was incredibly talented and sometimes she even took on drama roles. I was so proud of her.

"Let’s have lunch together, baby. Bye bye!" she said, waving as she walked away.

I smiled and waved back, but when she turned away, I slowly lowered my hand. Tomorrow was the day our friendship would be ruined, all because of a simple misunderstanding.

It would be the reason I’d be envious, jealous and angry at Yexian, leading me to agree to Reign’s prank.

But things were different now. I wasn’t the old Eiran Hael Morreli anymore. I wasn’t greedy, self-centered or obsessed with Reign. I had a new purpose.

From: Babe

Love, sorry I didn’t answer your call last night. I just got back from a trip.

That was the first thing I saw after opening Reign’s message. I just replied, "Okay," and put my phone in my pocket.

I headed to my dressing room at the company. When I opened the door, I was greeted by a collection of designer outfits, all from the U.S.

Ishaan’s professional staff were waiting inside, along with my manager, Seana. Her face immediately clouded over when she saw me.

"Good morning, Sir Hael!" the staff said.

Seana didn’t bother with pleasantries. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone sharp.

I closed the door and crossed my arms. "As far as I know, Ishaan hired you for me," I said, looking her straight in the eye. "You’re still getting paid even if you’re just sitting here. So what if I came here?"

I understood why Seana was so cold. I’d only entered showbiz for Reign and I’d never taken my work seriously. I’d accepted all the support from Ishaan, including investors and money for Reign. I’d even treated the staff like spies, doing everything I could to push them out of the industry.

I hadn’t realized that they were the reason why I’d managed to stay afloat despite my lack of talent and all the scandals. I’d always been offered work, and my problems were always solved.

"As far as I know, there’s a live streaming at 10 pm tonight for the new product that Ishaan’s company is releasing," I said calmly. "Get me ready and give me the script."

They were all shocked.

"Wa-what? You’re actually going to work?" Seana asked, her eyes wide.

I lowered my head and bowed. "I’m sorry for what I did in the past," I said, my voice sincere. "I understand that you can’t forgive me right away, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to make things right."

I felt everyone looking at me. When I looked up, I saw their expressions soften slightly. The tension in the room had eased.

"It’s our job," my makeup artist said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "And unfortunately, your husband pays for our consciences too. You’re lucky you have a generous husband."

I laughed. "Thank you," I said, trying to sound genuine.

They made me sit in the swivel chair and started doing my hair. I looked at myself carefully in the mirror.

I remembered changing my style of clothing because of Reign. He didn’t like me wearing girly stuff, especially in public. I’d thought he was concerned about me, but I’d later learned that he was just embarrassed to be seen with me.

"Change my hair color back to the old one and throw this away," I said, taking off my black coat and handing it to my assistant. I never liked black stuff. I remembered Ishaan once telling me that style didn’t suit me.

"Manager, prepare me for an audition tomorrow," I said, my voice firm.

Seana looked stunned. "What have you been eating?" she asked, her voice full of disbelief.

"Secret," I said, giving her a wide smile. I knew she’d use Ishaan’s influence to get me accepted.

At this point, I wanted to achieve something with my own abilities. I wanted to learn my strengths and adapt.