Reborn: The Tyrant's Obsession-Chapter 236: She will protect her, regardless of her choice

The crowd had long fallen silent.

Nobody believed that their Imperial goddess who was literally so untouchable, pristine and unapproachable would want to be a part of the entertainment industry, let alone auditioning for a role.

Seconds stretched into minutes but the stage remained empty.

Ella’s shoulders tensed further, her gaze fixed on the side entrance of the stage.

But the door didn’t open.

Kade leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Guess she isn’t coming, just as I guessed."

Ella let out a soft breath. Her hands relaxed on her lap as she slowly stood up. "It’s fine."

Kade glanced at her, raising a brow. "Do you regret going through all this trouble?"

Ella remained silent for a moment before she gradually shook her head. "Whatever Ruby chooses... I’ll support her."

When she was given this new life, she had decided a few things. Some of her decisions changed and evolved over time.

What remained unchanged was her decision to protect Ruby, regardless of whether she stood up for herself or not.

Kade looked at her with a hint of surprise, "I didn’t know you were this good of a friend. Honestly, I thought playing the white lotus was all you are good at."

Ella gave him a side-eye. "Oh?"

Kade coughed, seeing the warning in her eyes, "But today... I might be seeing you in a new light."

She rolled her eyes and picked up her bag. "Come on, let’s—"

Before she could finish, a sudden wave of gasps swept through the auditorium.

Then—

"Goddess?"

"Oh my god—it’s really her!"

"She’s here?!"

"Ruby Ambrose is actually auditioning?!"

The quiet space burst into excitement and murmurs as heads turned, whispers turned to cries, and the camera shutters began to click from the back rows.

Ella froze mid-step and turned.

There, in the center of the stage, stood Ruby.

Clad in the white dress Ella had brought, clean lines hugging her elegant frame, pearl buttons glinting under the spotlight, the skirt flowing like moonlight down her legs.

Her flaming red hair was tied up in a neat bun. Her posture was straight.

And the way she stood there in the center of the stage, expressionless, and unbothered by the chaotic crowd made her look like an aloof snow lotus on the peak of a mountain, distant and divine.

Ruby’s eyes swept through the place before they locked onto Ella’s from across the auditorium.

And for a split second, time blurred.

Ella’s throat tightened.

In her mind, the image of the past Ruby flickered. The hollow-eyed woman who seemed to barely have any will to live.

And then, the sight of the current Ruby overlapped it as she stood there, shining with the glow of youth and courage.

A tear rolled down Ella’s cheek before she realized. Something akin to pride burst into her heart.

"Hey, are you going to keep standing there?"

Ella let her short hair cover her face as she blinked the tears away and took a seat beside Kade, "I told you she’d come."

Kade frowned, confused, "Hmph! You didn’t seem this confident a few minutes ago."

Ella clicked her tongue, "I was very confident. You must be seeing things!"

Kade: "_"

On the other side...

Whispers buzzed softly behind the panel’s long desk as Ruby stood beneath the bright spotlight.

"She’s quite beautiful," one of the producers muttered behind his hand. "Her appearance is an exact match for Rose."

"True, but..." another leaned closer, skeptical. "I doubt she can act the part. That character is all emotions. This one—" he gestured subtly toward Ruby, "—looks too cold and detached."

"Agreed," a third person chimed in, lowering his voice. "She’s got the face, but not the emotions. I don’t see Rose in her."

At the center of the panel, Mo Jun glanced sideways, his expression unreadable. "Let’s not judge too soon."

The panel fell silent.

Not a lot of people knew that the Mos were one of the major investors in the project. But the panel members knew it.

As much as they didn’t appreciate someone like Mo Jun sitting amongst them just because of his father’s influence, they were helpless against the power of money.

Clearing his throat, the director finally leaned forward to soften the tension. "Miss Ambrose, which scene will you be performing today?"

Ruby’s voice rang out, cool and clear. "The confrontation. The one where Rose finds out her husband has been cheating on her."

A murmur of surprise swept through the panel.

One of the producers whispered, "That’s one of the hardest scenes to pull off solo."

"She’s doing that one first?" someone else muttered.

The director nodded once. "Alright. Begin when ready."

The lights dimmed.

And silence descended in the place.

Ruby stood in the center of the stage, the white dress pooling around her feet as she took a step forward, her face lit by a single spotlight.

Then she moved again.

Her expression shifted in an instant, softening, warming as her eyes glinted with quiet love.

"Honey," she called gently into the imagined doorway, "How was your day?"

"It seems like you had a bad day at work again..." She took a few steps forward, as her eyes trailed from the end of the stage to the center.

"What should we eat tonight? Or should we... go out for once?" Her voice held a lightness, forced but sweet.

The soft smile on her face faded and suddenly, her expressions faltered.

"What?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling, "You’re not going to respond now?"

At this moment—

The sweetness shattered and her tone sharpened. "Don’t tell me you’ve been out with her again."

Her features twisted in hurt, "Why are you so surprised that I know about it? Did you think you could keep me in the dark forever?"

She laughed bitterly, "Everyday, I could smell the perfume that wasn’t mine. I told myself it must be because of work dinners and acquaintances. I told myself that the lipstick on your shirt must be an accident... But..."

"But... Yesterday, I saw the way your eyes lit up when you looked at her..." Her chest rose and fell sharply, hands clenching at her sides.

"I gave you everything..." Tears rolled down her eyes, the self mocking smile lingering on her lips, "I left behind my dreams, my youth, my self-worth, everything when I married you!"

Her voice dropped to a whisper, fragile as glass. "So tell me... Where did I go wrong?"

"Tell me, what did I do wrong that you choose my half-sister over me?!" Ruby screamed, her body trembling.

But after a few seconds, she powerlessly sank to the floor, shoulders curling inward.

As she did so, her bun came undone and her long crimson hair cascaded freely over her shoulders.

Her arms wrapped around her knees as sobs shook her.

The spotlight held steady while a pin drop silence took over the crowd.

Then—

Thunderous applause erupted across the room.

Some of the producers stood up instinctively, clapping with wide eyes, stunned into silence then into awe.

A panelist opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say a word—

BANG!

The director slammed his hand down on the table, his chair scraping back.

"Her." His voice cut through the applause like a whip. "She will play Rose."

Gasps rang out.

Everyone turned toward him in shock, including the other panelists.

The casting hadn’t even officially begun.

Yet here he was, putting an end to the search before it could even continue.

But no one dared to object. Nobody could find any reasons to disagree with the Director’s decision, especially after Ruby’s performance.

Amongst the crowd of audience, Kade clapped while Ella wiped her happy tears.

"Eh, what are you mourning for? She got the role," Kade warily said.

No matter what, he had recently got some of his assets back.

If Ella cried in his presence, won’t he be held responsible?

"She made it..." Ella beamed as she clapped.

Kade nodded, "I couldn’t tell that she really has some skills... Oh, interesting!"

The little shift in his tone caught Ella off guard.

She looked at Kade but in the next moment, she ended up following his gaze.

Near the backdoor entrance, a familiar figure greeted her vision.

Someone Ella had not seen in a few days—

Esther.

And Esther was dressed in a white dress, her hair tied in a bun. Her current appearance—