Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen novel Chapter 402

"Pfft!"

Salome, standing nearby, couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing.

Galen was so furious it looked like steam might come out of his ears. He pointed furiously and shouted, "You! Eileen, get over here—NOW!"

Egbert was trying not to laugh himself. He stepped in front of Eileen protectively, his voice light with amusement. "She already apologized."

"That was an apology?!"

Galen was so angry he practically spun in circles.

The production assistant, biting back laughter, tried to calm him down. "Galen, the interview's about to start."

With no other choice, Galen gritted his teeth and decided to let Eileen off—for now.

A few minutes later, the journalist arrived.

Her questions were all straightforward, mostly about *Eyes on the Rendezvous*, occasionally touching on the main cast and crew.

Just as the interview was wrapping up, the journalist was called aside by her assistant. When she returned, she fixed her gaze on Eileen. "Ms. Lopez, it seems you had a bit of a dispute with a reporter on the red carpet earlier?"

Eileen blinked, then smiled. "A dispute? I just sang him a song, that's all."

The journalist pressed, "He uploaded the clip online, did you know?"

Eileen shook her head. "No, but he struck me as the petty type. Not surprised he put it up."

"And how do you feel about the fact that he’s now received more than ninety thousand hate comments online?"

Eileen shrugged with a calm, almost mocking smile. "People have always had a lot to say about me. I don’t pay much attention to others’ opinions. If you want a spoiler, ninety thousand is just the beginning. I’d say those numbers are only going up—maybe into the hundreds of thousands..."

"Eileen." Egbert suddenly interrupted, reaching out to gently smooth her hair, his voice low. "It’s not about you."

Eileen paused, confused. "Huh?"

Opposite them, Galen’s eye twitched. "She’s not talking about you!"

Eileen stared blankly at the journalist, completely lost.

The journalist double-checked her question card, certain she hadn't misspoken.

She repeated, with extra emphasis, "What do you think about that reporter getting over ninety thousand hate comments?"

This time, she stressed “that reporter,” hoping Eileen would finally catch on.

Eileen blinked, scratching her head. "The reporter?"

The journalist looked as if she’d lost all hope. How could such a young woman be so hard of hearing?

She clenched her fists and raised her voice. "Yes! He got over ninety thousand hate comments! What’s your opinion?"

Eileen still looked a bit dazed, glancing between Egbert and Galen for help. Finally, she asked the journalist, "Why are people hating on him?"

Grinding her teeth, the journalist explained, "After people saw the video, most thought he was more at fault. The Crestonia forums even had a saying—'If you start it, you deserve what you get.'"

Eileen nodded, finally understanding. "Oh, so that’s how it is."

The journalist asked again, "And your thoughts?"

Eileen scratched the back of her head sheepishly, smiling. "Honestly, I’m not used to not being the one people are mad at..."

After her last experience—accidentally picking a horror flick based only on its title—Eileen was extra careful this time. She did her research and double-checked, making absolutely sure she’d chosen a genuine romance.

Satisfied, she and Egbert settled in, happy as could be.

Ninety minutes. At thirteen minutes in, Egbert glanced over, completely unsurprised to find Eileen’s head bobbing, already fast asleep.

She always fell asleep during romances—a habit she just couldn’t break.

He gently pulled her hat a little lower, tilted her head onto his shoulder, and let her sleep comfortably.

Eileen only woke up at the end, roused by the sound of other moviegoers shuffling out.

She blinked, dazed.

When she turned, she met Egbert’s eyes—half exasperated, half adoring.

Face instantly flushed, Eileen mumbled, "Did I fall asleep?"

Egbert squeezed her hand. "Come on. Let’s go."

Outside the theater, the festival had set up stands selling romantic souvenirs—prime spots for couples.

A group of page boys, all in crisp white suits, wandered the crowd with bouquets of roses, looking for likely customers.

One of them spotted Egbert and Eileen, dashed over, and thrust a bunch of flowers toward Egbert. "Mister, mister, buy your girlfriend some flowers?"

Eileen grinned, ruffling the boy’s hair. "He’s not that old—call him ‘big brother.’"

The boy blinked, looked between Egbert and Eileen, and quickly corrected himself, "Okay! Big brother, buy your girlfriend some flowers for her?"