Luna nonchalantly walked towards the sofa and sat next to Bella, not too far, yet not too close. But for Bella, this was an intimate distance, as if a silent monster that could eat her was sitting beside her, not knowing when it might suddenly lean over and take a bite. Elliana Lyle stacked several empty files on the table, and while organizing them, she glanced sideways at Bella. At this moment, Bella was simply lowering her eyes, admiring a set of Ru porcelain teaware on the coffee table with a calm expression as if she were merely appreciating the teaware. Yet, the slight curl in her hand wasn’t missed by Elliana’s eyes. Bella might be thinking about what they would ask and how she should fabricate lies on the spot to convince them. Seeing that it was almost time, Elliana stretched lazily on the chair, "Bella, what’s your relationship with Cameron Southwell?" "What?" Bella suddenly looked up, a hint of astonishment flashing in her eyes. The question felt out of nowhere; Elliana’s tone seemed casual, but Bella knew this was certainly testing her. She rolled her eyes as if reminiscing and calmly replied, "The chairman of Roland. I saw Mr. Southwell once when I was at Roland." After speaking, she pursed her lips with a smile, her fox eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at Elliana and laughed at herself: "Someone of my low status wouldn’t be connected with Mr. Southwell." "Is that so?" Elliana slightly furrowed her brow, her face showing a puzzled expression, as if she had hit some cognitive bottleneck. She then looked at Luna, hesitating to speak, as if seeking help. This reaction made Bella feel uneasy as well. At this moment, Luna said indifferently: "Cameron Southwell called us yesterday, wanting to buy you from July Media. We thought you were going to break the contract and switch sides." Before Bella could react, Elliana interjected, reprimanding: "Luna, don’t say that." Then she looked at Bella with a smile, seemingly guilty: "Bella, I recently recruited a batch of people who fit the current market, and they have legitimate credentials. You see..." She hesitated, somewhat difficult to continue: "You’re not bringing much value here. Coincidentally, Mr. Cameron Southwell from Roland specifically asked for you, the price is fair, and I plan to transfer your contract to Roland. What do you think...?" Stopping there, the opportunity to speak naturally fell to Bella. No matter the case, their words had already scrambled Bella’s thoughts; lying was no longer possible. After all, the question appeared to have only two possible answers: agree or not agree. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Originally, they wanted to scare Bella by using Shane Southwell, but the news of Shane’s death was well-known by now. Bringing out Cameron Southwell turned out to be more effective, as Bella might fear that the old man wanted to "avenge" his son. Although they didn’t know exactly what Bella knew, whatever it was that could make Shane Southwell spend money to find someone had to be significant. Bella’s eyes flickered uncertainly, her lips slightly parted, with a face of terror. After all, what Elliana and Luna mentioned was completely beyond her expectations; she never imagined that Cameron Southwell would... With this thought, a chill ran through her heart; if she went to Roland, it might be a grim fate awaiting. "Don’t worry, Roland is a bigger company than mine. You’ll have a better future there," Elliana said earnestly. Her words were like pouring oil on the fire. It was the effect she wanted. Bella’s mind was thoroughly stirred, leaving no room to question the authenticity of the situation. Two choices lay before her: agree or disagree. It was impossible for Bella to agree; the only choice was to disagree. To stay, she would have to prove her value. While she didn’t have the edge in looks or figure, her face was indeed highly recognizable. Time ticked away, and the ticking sound from the wall clock by the door became particularly noticeable. The whole office was as quiet as an ice cellar. Of course, it was to Bella, who was pondering with her eyes downcast. Exchanging a glance with Luna, they tacitly raised their eyebrows. A great part of the plan had already succeeded. At this moment, Bella suddenly turned her gaze towards Elliana, as if she had made a significant decision. But the next second, a look of panic appeared on her face, making her look somewhat dazed. Seeing this, Elliana smiled: "Have you decided?" "I’ll trade something with you, just don’t sell my contract to Roland." A low, somewhat pleading tone. This was the first time Bella showed such a begging attitude. "Something? What thing?" She asked knowingly. Bella took a deep breath and replied: "The thing you want." Upon hearing this, Elliana couldn’t help but admire Bella. Although internally anxious, she hadn’t lost her composure completely. She always kept some capital for negotiating with others. In that case, Elliana decided not to hold back anymore and be straightforward. "During those days I went missing, I was with Savanna Windsor, and she didn’t know Nancy’s whereabouts. Do you know?" Bella was startled, and without realizing it, excitement flickered in her eyes as she stood up: "You found Savanna Windsor? Where is she?" "Is it related to you?" Luna interjected, breaking Bella’s moment of excitement. Bella sat back down, somewhat dejectedly, her hands clasped together tightly as she slowly said: "I know some things about Roland. If you send me to Roland, Cameron Southwell won’t spare me. Please, have pity on me, let me stay, and I’ll prove my value to you." Elliana once again tactfully declined: "July Media really doesn’t lack people now." "One more of me wouldn’t make much difference." Bella’s voice suddenly rose, her eyes already slightly wet, and she quietly asked in the end: "Wouldn’t it?" Looking at Bella in this state, Elliana admitted she was a bit surprised, then let out a cold laugh, leaning forward, her elbows resting on the desk with her fingers interlocked, covering her chin. With a lowered brow, contemplating, she said: "Bella, initially, I kept you because you were valuable. I thought by keeping you, you’d tell me all you know truthfully." She paused there, looking up at Bella with some disappointment: "But you didn’t. Instead, you used it as leverage to discuss further terms with me." "I’ve fulfilled everything I promised you. Considering this decision, you can’t blame me." Luna lounged on the sofa, biting her nails as she watched the two. If only she had some sunflower seeds, it would be more enjoyable to watch the drama unfold. She hadn’t expected Elliana to be such a good actor; from the looks of it, there was no need for Luna to intervene further. Everything was progressing smoothly. "Don’t you want to find Nancy anymore?" This sentence from Bella came out particularly loudly. At this moment, the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point. Elliana’s almond eyes seemed almost to morph into phoenix eyes, her expression cold enough to send a chill. Like a normally mild-mannered person suddenly exploding, remarkably different from usual. "Of course I want to find her! With you or without you, it wouldn’t make it faster or slower, why do I need you? I’m telling you the truth today, Cameron Southwell offered me a hundred million to buy your contract; it’s a win-win for me!" Luna: ??? Is that line in the script?