CHAPTER 40: BITTERHEART

"You don’t understand, Andrew. I had to drop Carla because of her behavior," Noah said.

Andrew, sitting right before Noah, sipping tea, looked at the man with observant eyes.

Now, he might not be well-versed in the entertainment business, but even he knew this was not related to her talent at all. Because if it were, they wouldn’t drop her out of nowhere, mainly when her tour show was almost sold out.

While he agreed his sister didn’t have the best voice in the world, she was appreciated by her fans for her character.

And Noah says that he dropped her because of her behavior.

"Is that so? What kind of behavior? What exactly did she do?" Andrew asked.

Noah looked at Andrew helplessly. What did he really do to be in the middle of this?

When the man didn’t look like he was about to answer anytime soon, Andrew placed the cup of tea on the table and leaned back on the couch lazily.

He looked at Noah with a cold smile.

"You don’t believe that I can’t force you to take her back, right? She is my sister. And she has been crying since she found out," Andrew said. The underlying threatening tone in his words made Noah nod in understanding.

"I understand, Andrew. You know what? Why should I take the blame alone?" Noah scoffed before standing from the chair, looking restless, barely controlling his anger.

"Why don’t you go and ask your sister how the hell she managed to make enemies out of Macros groups? They were the ones who called me and asked me to drop her, and if I didn’t, they would make my life a living hell. I am not someone who gets scared easily, Andrew. I value my life," Noah said.

Andrew’s pupils dilated when he heard Noah’s words.

What did he say? The Macros’ group forced him to drop her? Why? There was no reason for them to do something like that unless...

Andrew’s mind went to the way Daniel had arrived at that club and held Elara close to him, almost standing between her and him...

No. What the hell was he thinking? There was no way a man like Daniel, who only cared about profit and didn’t value life, would call for a nobody like Elara.

Andrew shook his head.

"Maybe there is some kind of mistake. They might’ve wanted you to ban someone else," Andrew said.

Noah scoffed.

"Do I look like a fool to you? Do you think I would almost crash my business over some mistake? They specifically said Carla Lloyd. Rather than blaming me, why don’t you ask your sister exactly what she did? Who knows? Maybe she offended someone close to Marcos," Noah said.

He was about to leave, but stopped at the door.

"Let’s face it, Andrew. Your sister wasn’t even talented. Most of her songs were sung and written by others with autotune," Noah scoffed before he picked up the file and left the meeting room.

After some time, Andrew stood from his place and took a deep breath.

He was about to walk to the elevator when he was reminded of Elara’s accident.

He walked to the staircase and descended the stairs, ready to leave, when he heard her voice.

"How long will it really take? My arms hurt like hell," Elara said to Nate.

Andrew opened the door to the third floor and walked out, only to see Elara standing near the studio.

With furrowed brows, he walked to her.

"What are you doing here, Elara?" Andrew asked.

Before Elara could answer anything, Antonio stood before Elara protectively.

Andrew’s brows furrowed.

"For a bodyguard, you are awfully meddling in your employer’s business," he commented.

Antonio nodded.

"That’s my job. If only I had meddled like this earlier, my boss wouldn’t have been bullied by your family," Antonio said without hesitation.

Andrew’s brows furrowed at the blatant allegations.

Did his family hurt Elara? When? If that were the case, he would’ve known about it. Wasn’t this bodyguard crossing his limits by bringing his family into this?

And why was Elara standing like that and not saying anything?

"Are you just going to listen to him badmouth our family?" Andrew looked straight at Elara.

Nate raised his brows when Andrew said that, his gaze shifting to Elara for explanation because he remembered her saying she was only acquainted with this man.

Noah, who returned after talking to his secretary and ensuring she wouldn’t send any other people his way because his mood was ruined, also stopped at the entrance.

"Andrew, I knew you had problems remembering things, like earlier you forgot you had a wife when you went around displaying your secretary as your girlfriend at events, but how can you forget about the divorce I sent?" Elara quirked her brows before shaking her head.

"Our family? It’s your family. Families don’t push people down the stairs," she said, indirectly hinting to him that it was Clara who pushed him. However, if he still chose to turn a blind eye, there was nothing she could do to make him see it.

Her eyes narrowed at the man, almost challenging him to rebuke her words.

Andrew was about to speak, but someone beat him to it.

"You were married to him?" Nate asked.

Elara, who hadn’t thought about disclosing the matter, knew this was something she wouldn’t be able to keep a secret for long, especially from her loved ones, and sighed before nodding.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I thought that the woman who always comes with you to meet Producer Li was your girlfriend," Noah said, appearing confused.

Elara chuckled at the words. Antonio looked at her, a sense of pity clouding his emotions again.

It must’ve hurt her to see those things every day. Mentioning that was like rubbing salt on her wounds.

"That’s not the case," Andrew said, looking at Elara as if he expected her to take his side still and clear the misunderstanding, clear his name, or, should she say, clear Beatrice’s name before everyone?

The thought alone of how pathetically she used to defend Andrew before everyone, pretending everything was alright between them and that Beatrice was just a secretary, made her chuckle at her pitiful self.

"I am not here to talk about my pitiful past life or how I was a fool to fall for a man who would never love me back. I am here to set the tone for my song," Elara said.

She nodded at Noah and Nate to follow her inside the studio when Andrew held her right hand.

Antonio quickly snatched his hand back, pushing Andrew away gently.

"Don’t touch my boss," He seethed.

Andrew, who would’ve reprimanded the man earlier, focused on Elara instead.

"You are singing?" He asked.

Nate nodded.

"She will be the lead singer in Producer Li’s work," he said.

Andrew’s gaze turned a bit dark.

"That’s a lie. Tell me, Elara. You are not singing, right? Don’t tell me that my mom and Carla were right. That you were here to take Carla’s place," Andrew said, a bit of urgency in his eyes.

Elara looked at the man, her gaze disdainful.

This man had an epic way of ignoring her sufferings and always putting everyone else above her.

One wouldn’t even treat a stranger like this.

Was this his way of always telling her she would never mean anything in his life, and the red flags she ignored all the time?

She hinted to him that Carla might have pushed her, but all he was worried about was if she was taking Carla’s place, which wasn’t even her position in the first place.

She had lost all hope in this man the day she decided to divorce him, but every day proved to her that she had made the right decision.

"Why can’t I? I am pretty talented. I have a voice and can write good lyrics; the only reason your ’good-for-nothing,’ ’talentless’ sister got to the top," Elara deliberately used the words his mother always used to call her.

There were many other filthy words that she had to endure, but she wasn’t a dirtbag like them. She didn’t want to stoop to their level by talking badly about filthy people. It was like soiling your clothes by throwing stones in mud.

"You—" Andrew stepped forward.

Antonio stepped between them again.

Elara gently placed her hand on Antonio’s hand and asked him to sidestep.

Antonio was a bit hesitant but complied, ready to throw hands if Andrew tried anything.

"Does the truth hurt that much, Andrew? Next time you think you have the right to talk shit to me, don’t forget that if I can lift Carla, I can pretty much destroy her," Elara said.

Andrew glared at the woman before her before gritting his teeth.

"I didn’t know you were such a vile woman, Elara. And to say I took your side before my mother and—" Andrew started, but Elara’s laugh cut him off mid-sentence.

"You know nothing about me, sweetheart. Wait. You aren’t a sweetheart. Should I call you Bitterheart? Because every time I see you, I can only remember the filthy character you have. Don’t expect me to hold back when you showed me no compassion ever," Elara said before she turned and entered the studio, leaving Andrew speechless.