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Five

Elena never got angry, but today she had been disrespected in the vilest way possible, and she was blamed and thrown out.

She got up and changed into her work clothes. The soft, golden rays of the evening sun filtered through the lace curtains, casting a warm glow across the extra room she had turned into a cozy art studio. The room was filled with the scent of oil paints and the sound of classical music playing softly in the background.

Her long, hair dyed black was tied back in a messy bun, and her focused gaze was fixed on a blank canvas.

She put on the TV, and the first thing that popped up was Antonio Del Cruz, the famous actor who was about to land a major role in a movie that was much anticipated this year.

She looked up. She got angrier seeing his face pop on her screen. Even with his disgusting behaviors, he was still having it good in life. Of course that was the difference between the privileged and the less privileged.

She tried to open the paint bucket, but it was stuck. Her day had just been terrible. what else could go wrong?

She took a knife from the kitchen and tried to forcefully open it.

“Ouch!” Elena winced as the sting from her cut registered. She glanced down at her finger and sighed, reaching for a tissue to wrap around the wound.

She sat down, impressed by the work she had just finished, and he still managed to look so good in the painting.

She fell asleep after she finished painting.

Throwing off the covers, Luca swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, but his thoughts were firmly fixed on Antonio. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, fingers trembling with unease, and dialed Antonio's number.

It rang once, twice, before Antonio's groggy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Antonio, it's Luca," he said, unable to hide the urgency in his voice.

"Luca?" Antonio's voice was filled with surprise and a hint of confusion. "What's going on?"

"Did you check your emails?" Luca asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

There was a brief pause, and then Antonio's voice turned hollow. "Yeah, Luca, I did. I couldn't believe it when I read it. They backed out, Luca. The whole deal is just gone. They promised me the role, and now it's vanished."

Luca felt a lump rise in his throat as he listened to the despair in Antonio's voice. He could picture his friend's face, a mix of shock, anger, and heartbreak. It was a gut-wrenching sight to imagine.

"Baby, where are you going? It’s still too early to get out of bed,” A slender woman got out of bed naked.

Luca was so upset, the contract was guaranteed. The producers of the show have already said it. They had paid a lot of money to get it and why did they just cancel him like that?

“You should leave now. I have a meeting by 10 am and I want you gone before I get back.” He told the woman.

Felicia got up from the bed, she was not shocked. Luca and Felicia had something going on for years but she always wanted more.

Luca made it clear that he never wanted anything to do with her, she was just the person he needed when he wanted to de-stress and relieve himself.

Felicia was not from a rich family, she became famous after news got out that the famous heir Luca Avante and she were dating which was definitely not true.

She begged Luca to let her use the rumors to her advantage. During that period, she got various Modelling deals and other numerous offers and built an empire in a short time.

They called it the Avante effect, anyone who passed through them always became successful. It was just a known fact, everything they laid their hands on prospered.

“Shit!” Luca said.

The media had carried the news, Antonio’s scandals were all over the media, and TMZ was reporting. How could they have gotten hold of all this news? He tried his hardest to make sure Antonio always covered up his tracks. There were even cases of molestation and three victims were ready to stand as witnesses in court.

Antonio’s career was going to end in shambles.

Elena woke up the following day, her house was in a mess and the wound she had last night seemed to have worsened.

“I need to see a pharmacist or something,” She sighed.

She picked up her stuff and started tidying up. Her phone rang almost immediately.

“Girl, have you seen the news?” Zoey spoke at the top of her voice.

Elena moved the phone out of her ear, put it on loudspeaker, and placed it on the table.

“Zoey, I have many things to do, and watching Television is not part of it,” She told Zoey.

Zoey sighed, she was not surprised. Her friend was not a television person.

“Bitch, turn on the Tv and see what is going on.”

Elena reluctantly turned the television on, news of Antonio was flying around and she was so shocked by the news. How could this happen, everything was going the way she wanted but she felt so bad.

“How did it just happen like that? How did what she painted come to life?” She asked herself, the coincidence was too uncanny.

She received a call immediately.

“Ms., Williams, your rent will be due in seven days. Please vacate the premises if you are unable to pay,” She read.

She sighed and started cleaning up the mess she had made yesterday. She stared at the drawing she had made, there was nothing she could do with it so she decided to throw it in the trash can later.

The atmosphere in Luca's office was thick with tension. He sat behind his polished mahogany desk, his brow furrowed, while Antonio paced back and forth, his face a portrait of anguish. The news of Antonio's acting contract being canceled had been a bitter pill to swallow, but the allegations of molestation that had followed were very serious.

Antonio had come directly from the storm of media attention outside, his eyes haunted, his shoulders slumped. He had been swarmed by reporters clamoring for a statement, and paparazzi clicking their cameras incessantly. But here, in the refuge of Luca's office, he could finally breathe.

Luca looked at him and laughed.

“You knew this was going to happen soon right? I have spoken to you about this before and you never listened,” Luca told him.

Antonio was quiet.

“Where is your manager? He should have taken care of the rumors by now,” He asked him again.

“Help me one more time, use your name to pull everything down.” He pleaded with him.

Luca could not disobey his father; in as much as he wanted to help Antonio, his father had already made it clear that he was not to use any of his resources to help Antonio out again.

Luca heard his phone ringing, and his secretary handed it to him.

“Luca, have you forgotten about your meeting with Imani Salvatore?” He asked him.

Luca sighed.

“No, I will reschedule it. We can have the meeting anytime, it must not necessarily be today,” He said.

Zoey called Elena later.

“I got a job offer for you. My friend is a manager there. Be here by 10 am,” She told her.

Elena smiled.

“The place doesn’t have a name?” She asked Zoey.

“That is how their job interview goes. Just be there. The pay is unbelievable and I am sure you will get it,” She spoke.

Elena set out early and disposed of the artwork she created.

“Oh well, it is time to move on.” She said to herself as if the incident just didn’t happen yesterday.

She changed her bag and found a couple of spare changes she had been leaving. She used her hand to smoothen her hair.

“Let’s do this, Elena,” She cheered herself up.

Elena's heart raced with anticipation as she stood outside the towering glass building, an address she had never encountered before. Her friend, Zoey, had arranged a job interview for her, but Elena was left in the dark about the details. All she knew was that this was her chance for a fresh start, a way out of the dead-end job she'd been clinging to for far too long.

Clutching the crumpled piece of paper with the address Zoey had given her, Elena couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The building loomed before her, sleek and modern, with reflective windows that revealed nothing of what lay inside.

She looked up and read the letters at the top of the building.

“Avante Group,” She read.

She immediately called Zoey.

“Avante group? Zoey just yesterday I was sacked from the club and you want me to go back there again? You must be kidding!” She yelled at Zoey on the phone.

Zoey laughed.

“Trust me on this one. I told you to not go to Club Den but you went, so it’s not on me,” She spoke.

Elena sighed.

"I am going to give it a try, meanwhile, could you wire me some money? I haven’t eaten. I will pay you back,” she said.

"I got you” Zoey replied, and Elena disconnected the call.

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