Reborn: The Tyrant's Obsession-Chapter 237: Need some bodyguards

"Don’t tell me she is auditioning for the role too?" Kade mumbled.

"She was about to," Ella murmured.

But now that Ruby was selected for the role, Esther did not even get the chance to audition.

After Ruby’s turn, the duo no longer lingered in the audition hall.

Ruby went back to the changing room, while Kade and Ella walked out of the crowd.

Ella dropped a text to Ruby to meet them outside after getting changed.

After getting confirmation from the girl, Ella was about to put her phone away.

But curiosity got the best of her. Once again, her fingers hovered above Adrian’s name.

Ella glanced at it for a long time before tapping on it.

But as usual, there was no response from the man. All her texts had gone unseen and unreplied.

"You look like you are about to cry," Kade tried to peek at her phone but Ella was quick to put it away, "Don’t tell me you are cheating on my brother?"

Ella: "_"

As she looked at the guy, she really couldn’t imagine him as that fearsome man from her previous life. This guy... really had too much of a one-tracked mind to cause any harm.

Feeling her intense gaze on him, Kade took a step to the side, "Time and time again, I have told you not to look at me with such a look. No matter what your intentions are with me, you can never get it..."

Ella sighed, "I want to ask you something."

"No thanks. I reject you. I have no feelings for you—"

Ella grabbed his elbow and yanked him away from that place when a few girls shot hateful glares at her, "Come with me."

Ella dragged Kade to an empty classroom.

Kade crossed his arms in front of his chest, "W-What do you..."

"Tell me all that you know about Adrian’s mom," Ella cut him off.

Kade stiffened, his joking stance disappeared in an instant as he looked at Ella.

"Tell me everything that you know," Ella whispered.

At first, she did not want to talk to Kade about this.

Kade was Adrian’s half brother. That meant that Adrian’s father had Kade with another woman.

So, Ella doubted that Kade and Adrian’s mom would have any sort of a pleasant relationship.

But at this point, Ella no longer had any second thoughts.

She was probably selfish for not considering Kade’s feelings, but after days of not hearing from Adrian, now the unease in her heart seemed to grow recklessly.

"Please..." Ella looked at Kade.

Kade sighed, "It’s not..." He ran a hand down his face, "The Madam dislikes me and I have never seen her before."

Ella froze, "You..."

Kade nodded, "We probably met when I was young but I have no recollection of it. She... despises me because I..."

"I understand," Ella cut him off gently, "I am sorry for bringing it up."

Kade paused, "What happened between our parents is a matter of the past and it is between them. It doesn’t really bother me as much so you don’t need to be sorry about it."

Ella observed his expressions closely and looking at him, he did not seem to be lying.

"In fact, after my father’s demise, the Madam had taken my brother and our... elder brother to Country A with her. But some time later, my elder brother passed away," Kade paused with every word that he uttered, as if he was hesitating to speak about it but also struggling to recall.

"What about... Adrian?"

"Brother stayed there for some time before my grandparents brought him back," Kade frowned slightly, "Why are you asking about this?"

Ella averted her gaze, "Curious."

"You..." Kade glared at her, "I thought it’s something important. Don’t tell anyone that I said anything about this," He grabbed his bag and left.

Ella dropped a text to Ruby before rushing back to the Eve Mansion.

...

On the other side, inside the dimly lit condominium, Ji Yan paced near the floor-to-ceiling window, arms crossed.

Behind him, the room was quiet, except for the faint hum of medical equipment and the occasional, shallow breath from the man on the bed.

Ronan walked over with a glass of water. "It’s good," he murmured, "that he finally managed to get some sleep."

Ji Yan nodded. "Hopefully, his condition doesn’t relapse again—"

Ring. Ring. Ring.

His phone buzzed sharply in his pocket, cutting him off.

Ji Yan frowned and pulled it out. The name on the screen made him freeze.

He exchanged a glance with Ronan before answering, his voice guarded. "Miss Yu, do you need something?"

"I need some bodyguards," Ella’s clear voice came through.

Ji Yan straightened, his face paling gradually, "...Bodyguards? Miss Yu, did you encounter some danger?"

There was a pause before the line went dead.

Ji Yan nearly burst into tears as he glanced at the phone in his hand.

Ronan raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Miss Yu hung up..." Ji Yan said slowly. "After asking for bodyguards."

As Ji Yan spoke, he moved his phone, ready to call Ella again but at this moment, his phone screen suddenly flickered before going dark.

Ji Yan was startled, "Dr. Knight, did you see that?"

"See what?"

"My phone just acted strange..."

"What? I see nothing—"

The screen glitched again. But this time, only for a breath and then everything was back to normal.

Ronan and Ji Yan exchanged a glance.

"...Someone might be trying to breach the signal encryption," Ji Yan muttered, quickly turning off his phone without a second thought.

Ronan sat down casually but his gaze sharpened. "You think someone’s trying to track you?" He paused for a moment before adding, ’’Do you think Ella hired a hacker... or something?"

Ji Yan’s head snapped up.

Before, both the men would not have given it another thought, let alone assume that Ella was behind this. But now, they somehow could not overlook the possibility.

"Go keep an eye on her directly," Ronan continued. "If she’s planning something again, it’s better you’re close enough to intercept. Until Adrian regains his consciousness, it is better to keep her away."

Ji Yan gave a tight nod, his face tense.

...

Meanwhile, in the Ambrose Mansion.

The atmosphere was suffocating.

Ruby stepped through the grand doorway, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

She hadn’t even taken two steps in when—

"Oh, you are finally back?"

Mr. Ambrose’s low voice reverberated through the hallway.

Ruby’s footsteps faltered for a moment before she continued walking.

Mr. Ambrose pushed himself to his feet, blocking her path. "I received a call from the Hill family hours ago! Is it true that you auditioned for some show?"

Ruby tilted her head and glanced at him, "Have them been monitoring me?"

"Is that what you are concerned about?" Mr. Ambrose’s jaws clenched, "I am asking you something, Ruby."

Behind Mr. Ambrose, her mother, stood in silence, lips pale, eyes flickering nervously between her husband and her daughter, "Ruby... just... just answer your father’s question."

Ruby did not look at Mr. Ambrose. Glancing at her mother, she calmly said, "I auditioned for a role..."

’Pak’

Ruby’s face whipped to the side by the impact of the slap.

The only sound she could hear was her mother’s sobs as she begged, "Wait, she is still young... Just talk to her... Don’t hit her like that..."

Before Mrs. Ambrose could finish speaking, the man held her by her hair and yanked her away from Ruby, "It’s because of you that she has dared to do something like this today."

Mrs. Ambrose staggered, losing her balance. But before she could fall, Ruby grabbed her and slowly dragged her behind herself.

"Are you rebelling now?" Mr. Ambrose’s hand trembled with rage as he glared at Ruby, voice sharp enough to cut steel. "You are to marry Maxwell in some time and you know their conditions, don’t you?"

Ruby wiped the blood from the corner of her lip and straightened up, her eyes cold. It was strange that she had never thought of doing certain things, crossing certain lines before, because of the consequences.

But now she felt unafraid in the face of the said consequences, "The Hill Family’s conditions have nothing to do with me. I do not have to sacrifice my entire life for a marriage that benefits nobody but you."

"You—!" Mr. Ambrose’s voice cracked as fury overtook him. "You ungrateful wretch!"

His hand raised again with a force enough to shove Ruby to the floor.

But the strike never landed.

Shadows moved across the room.

A sharp gust of wind followed, and a group of men in black surrounded Mr. Ambrose, appearing out of nowhere like specters in tailored suits.

"It sure is lively here," A voice as gentle as the spring floated in the place.