Date The CEO.com

Chapter 162: Keep the Secret! Sssh!

"Whoever sent that billboard signage must have been out of their minds!" Cale paced back and forth. For the upcoming season, he chose a bright orange button-up shirt underneath a charcoal jacket. He tucked his top in his jacket's matching trousers. The shine on his leather shoes could rival a newly painted car.

Eve stood on a round podium. Her crimson wig was up in a ponytailCale had added more to the collection in the closet. A number of them already pre-styled for any occasion. She wore a pair of 2-inch heels and a shirt dress. 

The latter opened at the front with brass buttons. A belt had been provided to emphasize her waist. It looked quite sophisticated if Eve had anything to say about it. What she felt uncomfortable with was its puffy sleeves. 

It took the outfit a little higher than she'd like.

The seamstress walked around the podium, holding a measuring tape. She instructed Eve on how to pose for each dimension of the dress. Her right hand raised her phone up to her face. Left hand on her waist and hip swayed to one side, she snapped a photo from the mirror in front of her.

Her caption read: ``I haven't posted a selfie in a while but my outfit is rocking and it needs more attention than my face. @CaleFisher always keeps it classy. P.S. I am still very cute just in case you're wondering.``

"Evangeline, are you listening?" Cale frowned, marching over. He crossed his arms over his chest. The light from the windows gleamed on his gelled platinum hair. "For someone targeted for the second time, you're quite calm."

"That's because you have magic powers." Eve chuckled. "This entire look is banging. I feel so good in it. I could care less about a person hiding behind a screen and/or a billboard."

Cale glanced at his phone and saw the post. He peeked at her through his eyelashes. Eve scrunched her nose before turning back to the mirror. The seamstress told her to stretch out her arms.

She focused on her posture and left her modelling manager alone.

Working on an angle, Cale turned his head sideways and captured a selfie with Evangeline in the background. He wrote: ``If you need proof, here. @EvangelineReed's undeniable cuteness to grace your screen!"

Eve felt her phone vibrate. She returned Cale's expression earlier back at him.

"All's fair in love and war, darling," he explained, fluttering his aqua blue eyes. Then, he went back to business. "Any news on that billboard person by any chance?"

"The person was really good. Hardly left a trace that could lead to a solid source." Eve sighed. She had expected for the drama to be over once Ambryan got involved. It turned out not everything was a walk in the park for the CEO.

"So it can be someone as influential as the Hathaways?"

The seamstress wrapped the tape around her bust. Eve was amazed that she didn't need an assistant or to write anything down. "It could just be someone really good at computers. It was an online transaction."

Cale spun on his heel and sat on the pink sofa. He laid his head on the backrest, tilting his chin. "They should know these mediocre tricks won't work on you and Ambryan. It's so childish that I want to barf. You are grown adults. These petty things can't come between that easily."

He exhaled sharply through his nose. The whole incident gave him a headache. To distract himself, he scrolled through Slowgram and went through reactions for Evangeline's post. One top comment caught his eye.

The profile picture was the back of a 

``EliasWalker: Just as gorgeous as the day I met you. It's a shame that I couldn't hold onto you.``

"Who is this?" Cale muttered. He clicked on the user's photo and looked up the profile. The account had little followers. His thumb scrolled down the page. An ominous feeling tickled the back of his neck.

After the landscape pictures, the user didn't have a theme. They were random photos uploaded without a second thought. They portrayed moments in his life that he wished to share.

``Happy birthday, gorgeous! It's not much but one day, I'll give you the best of everything. I promise,`` the post read. Behind the candlelight cupcake, a woman smiled with her head bowed. Her red hair was tied in a big white bow at the back of her head. 

A pendant in the shape of an 'E' hung around her neck.

"Oh, this bastard," Cale breathed out. He checked the other pictures. Elias hardly posted his own photos among them. He made a clear display that he was a photographer. The same red-haired female would appear frequentlyher face never fully exposed.

The earlier the dates, the clumsier the poses and shots became.

But Cale understood its purpose just fine.

"Cale? What is it?" Eve asked, stepping down the podium. She thanked the seamstress and checked on her manager. The latter's scowl deepened every second from the time she saw it.

"Do you know who this could be?" He showed her the Slowgram profile. 

Eve raised an eyebrow. "No."

Cale hopped to his feet. He also gave his appreciation to the dress shop as he tugged Eve towards the exit. Nanzi was waiting outside with the car. Eve composed her facial expression, spotting a large group outside. Her security team guarded the doorway and the pah towards the car.

Maybe she shouldn't have posted that photo...

"We need to talk. In private." Cale hissed in his model's ear. Once they stepped out, he flashed his bright smile and waved at the onlookers. Screams pierced his ears but he didn't let it show. "My, my, my! Lovely people out here! You all look wonderful! My day has been blessed by your presence!'

Eve followed his example, choosing a more timid approach. She kept her lips closed and waved her hand close to her ear. Cale had his arm completely stretched out to reach the ones at the back. 

Nanzie rushed them to the car. Since the two paid attention to the crowd, they became a bit difficult to control. "We have to go. Let's not linger for too long."

Cale blew a kiss before he slid into the backseat after Eve. He waited for them to gain a good distance then dropped the smile on his lips. "I don't know if Avery had seen it yet but I sent her the person's profile that I showed you."

"Why?" Eve asked. "Can I see it?"

"Sure."

It didn't take long for her to notice the problem. 

"No one would think this is me, would they?" She wanted to believe her words. She really did... but people had different minds. Because of the photo aesthetics, they could defend that the woman's face was meant to be hidden.

"How" Eve mouthed a pause. "How did this even happen? Evangeline doesn't have that kind of past. "

"Evangeline doesn't have a past at all. That's the problem," Cale replied, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, their green flecks had darkened. "It's possible that someone is on to us. They are trying to scare us by making up a story about Evangeline. If that's the case, we can't refute it so easily. They might play an even bigger card."

Eve returned his phone. She stared out the window. Maize City passed by in a blur. Had she been complacent? Secrets weren't invincible. Someone was bound to find out. Because of this, she had been wary of the people she knew.

But it blinded her from strangers.

"This is something that we can't tell Ambryan, isn't it?" Her lips whispered.

Cale flickered his gaze in her direction. They softened at the sight of her sagged shoulders. He reached out to hug them with one arm. "I'm afraid not, dear."

Eve clenched her fists. What was power? How did one wield it? These people could lie right through their teeth. They perceived their surroundings as they saw fit. It didn't matter what the damage was.

If it got the job done, it was good enough.

The rate of her pulse increased. Who were they to mess with her? Who were they to butt in her business? If they were displeased by her behavior, they should come forward with the truth and spit it on her face.

This cowardly act had to stop. If they would go to this length then, it was only right to play along and not let their efforts be wasted. It was about time they sniffed out the culprit. What better way to do that than to counter their moves?

Eve snatched her phone, opened Slowgram and swiped for the story feature. She opted for neither a photo nor a video. The timed post would only be a simple white text over a white background.

``EvangelineReed: Life isn't always what it makes out to be. After a lonely road of 26 years, you may find comfort and warmth from an iceberg.``

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``EvangelineReed: I'm just kidding. He's more like a sculpture. :P``

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``EvangelineReed: By the way, don't tell him I said that. Keep the secret! Sssh!``