Chapter 50: filler
"Today I am extremely happy to have the chance to interview two beautiful Oriental models. Welcome, Valerie and Amara!" The reporter opened with warm, fluent English, her energy bright and professional. Amara had to pause and wait for her earpiece translator to catch up before she could respond, and even then she could only answer in Chinese. I, on the other hand, conversed with the reporter directly and naturally in English, and within the first few exchanges, I could feel the reporter gravitating toward the easier, more comfortable conversation.
"I am aware that the two of you have generated quite a lot of attention because of this so-called battle between you. What are your thoughts on this collaboration?"
It was a loaded question, and Liam stiffened visibly from where he stood among the reporters. He was bracing himself for whatever I might say. But I kept my smile easy and answered without any hesitation. "I respect every job I take on. That is simply how I approach my work."
"Same," Amara added quickly, borrowing my answer to avoid having to produce one of her own.
The reporter nodded and moved forward. "What are your opinions of each other?"
Liam felt the sweat before it appeared. This was exactly the kind of question that could unravel everything. If I chose to do what I had done at the stage event and call Amara out in front of an audience, he would have no way to stop it in time. He held his breath and waited.
I paused for just a moment, as if genuinely considering it. Then I said one word.
"Confident."
To any outside listener, it sounded generous, even admiring. But it was not a compliment. Amara, however, heard it exactly as she wanted to hear it. Her expression shifted into something smugger, her chin lifting slightly as she looked down at me. She had been praised so lavishly in recent weeks that she genuinely believed I had no choice but to bow to her here.
Liam exhaled slowly.
The reporter turned to Amara, expecting something equally measured. What she got instead made the entire room pause. "The Valerie I see," Amara said with a confident tilt of her head, "is not very humble."
Not very humble.
Liam’s stomach dropped. He gripped himself back from physically stepping onto the floor. Had Amara lost her mind completely? Had the constant praise rotted her judgment? Comparing her to famous names she would never actually stand beside was one thing, because there was no real opportunity for anyone to measure the gap. But Valerie was sitting right next to her. They were about to shoot for the same cover. Every result would be visible and immediate. How could she not hold something back, not leave herself even a small way out if things did not go the way she expected?
The room reacted with quiet surprise. Not just because of the arrogance in her words, but because of how little awareness they revealed. Everyone present had seen enough of the industry to recognize what it looked like when someone’s ego had completely outrun their ability. By comparison, my single word answer looked measured, intelligent, and deeply intentional.
The reporter blinked, momentarily at a loss for how to bring the conversation back. I stepped in smoothly before the silence could become uncomfortable. "Miss Amara has even appeared in the same coverage as Senior Anders. I am nowhere near that level. There is still so much I have to learn."
The Senior Anders I was referring to was Anders Marlon, a supermodel who had walked the Victoria’s Secret runway, a name every reporter in that room recognized instantly. They also all understood exactly what I was doing. I was being gracious on the surface while making it quietly clear to every professional in the room that if Amara truly belonged in that company, she would not be here shooting for a third-tier publication.
Amara smiled wider, visibly pleased with what she took as another compliment.
"Miss Amara must be very impressive indeed," the reporter said, following my lead with a grateful glance in my direction.
The interview ran for twenty minutes. It felt much longer for Liam, whose heart had barely recovered from one moment before the next one arrived. He had walked in worried about me, and he was walking out having been let down entirely by Amara.
"Amara, why did you go after Valerie during the interview?" Liam turned on Amara the moment it was over, his voice tight with frustration.
"Why are you defending her, Liam?" Amara shot back without flinching. "That was our chance to knock her down a peg and I was not going to waste it. She has put me through enough. I deserved to get one hit in."
Not far from where they were arguing, I stood watching with a quiet smirk. Liam caught my expression and felt something uncomfortable shift in his chest. Amara could be sharp when it suited her, but moments like this one revealed how easily flattery could switch her mind off entirely. It was exactly why I had described her as confident during the interview. The word had fit perfectly.
"Don’t tell me you actually think I am not on the same level as Valerie or Anders Marlon," Amara said, her voice edging toward something dangerous.
Liam pressed his hand to his forehead and said whatever he needed to say to settle her down. Then he straightened and looked at her seriously. "It is time to focus on the shoot. This is not something you can afford to lose. If you fall short here, your chances at the Top Ten Model Awards disappear with it."
"I will not lose," Amara said, her jaw set with determination.
On my side of the room, my phone buzzed. It was Caspian. "I watched the interview," he said. "I had Theo send a copy over to Anders Marlon. She was not particularly bothered since she is used to being compared to others, so we passed it directly to the legal team."
Of course. Anders Marlon was signed with Hairuit. The moment Amara had used her name so carelessly and publicly, she had walked into something she did not see coming. Caspian and I had not even needed to discuss it. We were already thinking the same way.
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