Reborn: The Tyrant's Obsession-Chapter 235: Keeping it from Ella

"It doesn’t make sense to me. Her feelings for Adrian went from extreme hatred to... complete obedience out of nowhere. It’s abnormal..." Ronan frowned, folding his arms as he looked at the closed door.

Ji Yan hesitated for a second. "In fact... Miss Yu doesn’t really obey the Second Master."

Ronan scoffed. "How else is she handling him so well then? Ace is literally hooked around her little finger."

"At first, it seemed like that. But, then, when it comes to things she cares about, she doesn’t really budge," Ji Yan said thoughtfully as he recollected the past events.

Be it going to the university.

Moving to dorms. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Getting back on social media.

Being involved in business.

And even... going back to the Yu Family.

"Those were things the Second Master would never have allowed before," Ji Yan added. "From a distance, it looks like he has the upper hand. But if you look closely, it’s Miss Yu who sets the boundaries. He’s the one changing himself for her."

A complicated look flickered across Ronan’s face. "In a few days, you’ve started admiring her."

Ji Yan let out a soft breath. "Dr. Knight, maybe you should try looking past your own prejudices too."

Ronan didn’t respond.

"So..." he muttered after a moment, "are you suggesting we let her know?"

Ji Yan’s face paled slightly. "Before his condition relapsed... The second Master made it very clear that Miss Yu shouldn’t know. But..."

His eyes turned to the closed door. "I’m afraid I won’t be able to hide it from her for long."

"It’s not that difficult," Ronan said with conviction. "Ella doesn’t know anything about this place."

Ji Yan opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but he held back in the end.

"Alright. Keep an eye on Ace. I’ll make the preparations for further treatment once he wakes up."

Ji Yan nodded.

...

"Where are we going?" Ruby asked as Ella dragged her toward the changing room, mostly empty by now.

A few girls inside, still doing makeup, looked at the ’Imperial Goddess’ with starry eyes and then at Ella with thinly veiled poison before packing up and walking out.

Ella: "_"

Once they left, Ella locked the door behind them and turned to Ruby.

From the bag she’d been carrying all morning, she pulled out a white dress, the same one she had shown in the picture.

In person, it looked even more ethereal. Clean silhouettes, pearl buttons trailing down the back, soft sheer sleeves, and a skirt that flowed like moonlight.

Ella held it up and turned to Ruby.

"Put this on."

Ruby blinked. "...Me?"

Ella nodded.

Ruby looked at the dress, then at Ella, confused. "Wait, why would I wear it? You’re the one auditioning for the lead role."

Ella didn’t answer.

Instead, she walked over to hang the dress on a hook, smoothing out a faint crease near the collar.

Ruby’s gaze slowly dropped to the dress again.

The size.

The way Ella had insisted she practice every line to perfection, brushing off her own mistakes like they didn’t matter.

The realization hit her like cold water.

"...Ella," she whispered. "All this time... all those rehearsals... they weren’t for you, were they?"

Ella’s hand paused on the fabric. Her back was still facing Ruby.

But she didn’t deny it.

Ruby stared at her. "...Why?"

"Do you love Max?" Ella turned around, her voice calm but sharp.

Ruby’s eyes widened.

She thought Max was a forbidden topic between them.

Something they both silently agreed never to bring up.

"Do you love him?" Ella repeated, stepping closer.

Ruby dropped her gaze. "We’re getting married... of course, I—"

"Ruby, you looked at the drama poster with more passion than you’ve ever looked at him."

Ruby froze, "It was not..."

"Before you deny it, let me ask you. Don’t you know what kind of a life you would live in the Hill Family if this marriage goes through?"

"Are you willing to give up your dreams just to be with a man like him?"

The rims of Ruby’s eyes reddened, "It’s too late..."

Ella looked at Ruby wordlessly.

Ruby clenched her fists and unclenched them, "If this marriage doesn’t go through..." Then she would not know what would happen to her mother, if that man lost his calm again.

She tried to speak but no words came out of her mouth, "He..."

Ruby’s words faltered when Ella stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug.

The memories of her past life replayed in front of her.

Back then, Ruby was no longer the Imperial Goddess that everyone adored.

No longer this cold and aloof, yet charming girl that one couldn’t help but admire.

Her hair was unmade, her skin had cracks. Her voice was lost and she had lost all her spark.

Back then, Ruby was just a shell of herself.

A trophy wife of a man who cheated on her with the entire town.

Ruby was locked up in that unhappy marriage, she was pregnant, abandoned, and eventually... she died.

And worst of all, Ella had never been there for her.

She had never put her ego aside to reach out to the person she had once called her best friend. She misunderstood her till the day she died.

And when she realized her mistakes, it was too late by then.

A drop of tear escaped Ella’s eyes...

"Ella...?"

Ella wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and blinked a few times before she pulled back.

"It’s not late at all," Ella smiled at Ruby before she turned around and pointed at the dress.

"The dress is ready. The scene is ready. You are ready..." She beamed, "As long as you take the step, it is not late at all."

Ruby remained silent.

"The batch of people auditioning for the role of the female lead have already been shifted to the room," Ella said softly.

"Ella, I cannot..."

"Ruby, you don’t have to say anything to me right now. Be here and think about what you want. Kade and I will be there in the audience section, waiting for your performance just in case you decide to come..."

After saying that, Ella did not say another word as she left the room.

As the door locked behind her, Ruby glanced at the white dress in the center of the room.

She took a step forward but in the next moment, she stopped.

Clenching her fingers, Ruby turned around and left the room.

...

"I think we are just wasting our time here. Ruby isn’t coming to audition for the role," In the back row of the audience section, Kade uncaringly declared.

But in the next moment, he stiffened, feeling a murderous gaze piercing through him.

"What? I am just stating a fact," He turned to Ella who just seemed to lack a knife to sharpen, "At first, I thought you were auditioning for the role. I mean even though you won’t get the role, it is still believable if it’s you..."

"Why won’t I get the role?" Ella looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Because you only know how to play the white lotus... cough... cough cough... My throat has been itchy lately," Kade grabbed his neck and looked away.

Ella squinted, "Coward. The money must have made you too comfortable."

"You... Don’t jinx my money," Kade glared at her.

After all that hardwork, his brother had finally let him have some money. He couldn’t risk becoming poor again.

Ella turned to the stage where the girls were auditioning for the main role.

After one person, it was Ruby’s turn.

Amongst the panel members, she could see some familiar faces from the industry.

But one face was extremely familiar to her—Mo Jun.

Mo Entertainment had invested a lot of money in this drama.

In her past life, that was also one of the reasons why Esther managed to land the main role so easily.

Hearing a long sigh beside her, Ella turned her head, "What is it?"

"I say... I don’t really think Ruby is coming here. Just look at her..." Kade fell speechless for a moment, not knowing how to describe it, ’’noble... and stiff persona. Do you think she can even act?"

Ella looked away from the man and tilted her chin, "When she was young, she wanted to be an actress."

"Who doesn’t have dreams of youth? But when you grow up..." Kade shut up when Ella shot him another scathing glare.

At this moment, the crowd erupted in applause as the girl on stage finished her scene and gave a quick bow.

A staff member stepped forward with the next cue card.

"Ruby Ambrose," he called.

Silence.

No one came.

Ella’s shoulders tensed.