Chapter 45: Liliana’s First Offer
Three days.
That was how long Liliana had been a model trainee.
Three days. Not three months or three years.
Just three days. Which was why the entire modeling department became confused when an assistant suddenly entered the training hall carrying a tablet.
The woman looked around. Then smiled.
"Miss Liliana Walker?"
Liliana immediately looked up. "Yes?"
"The Chairman would like to see you."
The room instantly fell silent. Every trainee knew what that meant. Or at least they thought they did.
Because trainees were only called to the Chairman’s office for a few reasons. None of them are ordinary.
The assistant smiled politely. "Please come with me."
Liliana looked confused..The other trainees looked shocked. But several looked jealous. And a few looked personally offended.
One girl had been training for four years. Another for three. Some had spent countless hours attending auditions, enduring evaluations and fighting for opportunities.
And now, Liliana had only been there for three days.
The whispers immediately started. "She’s already getting an offer?"
"Impossible."
"No way."
"She’s only been here for three days."
"Life is unfair."
Meanwhile, Liliana looked equally confused. "What did I do?"
Nicolo immediately stood. "I’ll come."
"No."
"But—"
"No."
The assistant laughed. "The Chairman only requested Miss Walker."
Nicolo narrowed his eyes.
Liliana smiled. "I’ll be fine."
Then she followed the assistant.
The journey to the executive floor felt unusually long.
Mostly because Liliana spent the entire trip wondering if she had accidentally broken a company rule.
Had she been late? No. Missed training? No. Offended someone? Hopefully not.
Eventually, the elevator doors opened.
The assistant guided her toward the Chairman’s office. Then stopped. "Please go in."
Liliana nodded. She knocked.
"Come in."
Matthew’s familiar voice answered.
Liliana entered. Then immediately froze. Because Matthew wasn’t alone.
Chris was there. Which wasn’t surprising.
Amanda was there. That was surprising.
"Aunt Amanda?"
The elegant woman immediately stood and smiled. A warm and motherly smile.
Amanda walked forward and quickly hugged her.
For a moment, Liliana forgot about the office, about the meeting, about everything.
Amanda held her shoulders gently. And just stared at her.
"Oh." Her eyes softened. "Oh, you really look like your mother."
Liliana immediately smiled. A sad smile. But a happy one too. Because she hadn’t heard those words in years.
Amanda brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "The older you get, the more I see Vanessa."
Liliana’s eyes became slightly red.
Chris quietly watched from the sofa, smiling.
Matthew looked equally emotional. Although he would never admit it.
A few minutes passed exchanging greetings. Talking. Catching up. Laughing.
Until eventually, another knock interrupted them.
When the office door opened, several professionally dressed individuals entered. Men and women carrying folders and presentation materials. One of them immediately greeted Matthew. Another greeted Amanda. A third greeted Chris.
Then their attention shifted toward Liliana.
The woman leading the group smiled. "Miss Walker."
Liliana politely bowed. Then she noticed the logo on the documents.
Her brain stopped functioning. She blinked.
Then stared again, making sure she read it correctly.
Gucci.
Liliana’s jaw dropped.
Chris immediately looked away, trying not to laugh. But Amanda failed completely while Matthew coughed suspiciously.
The representative smiled. Apparently this reaction wasn’t unusual.
"Yes." The woman nodded. "We are from Gucci."
Liliana remained frozen.
Because there was absolutely no logical reason Gucci should be sitting inside Matthew St. Claire’s office talking to her.
Three days. She had been training for three days.
The representative sat down, then slowly opened a folder.
"We’ve been monitoring public reactions since the press conference." The woman smiled. "Particularly yours."
Liliana slowly sat down, confused. Still processing. Still wondering if this was somehow a dream.
The representative continued. "The response has been extraordinary."
Matthew nodded.
Chris looked very proud.
The woman turned several pages.
From social media statistics, market research, engagement reports to brand analysis.
Every chart pointed upward.
"The public loves you."
Liliana nearly choked.
The representative smiled. "They see elegance."
Another page. "Authenticity."
Another page. "Grace."
Then she closed the folder. "And we agree."
Silence.
Eventually, the real surprise came.
"We would like to offer you a campaign contract."
The room became quiet.
Liliana stared. "A campaign?"
The representative nodded. "For Gucci."
Liliana stopped functioning again.
Amanda looked delighted. Matthew looked satisfied.
Chris looked like he already knew which immediately made Liliana suspicious.
She slowly turned toward him. Chris smiled innocently.
The liar. He definitely knew. She thought inwardly.
The representative continued. "Naturally, this campaign will feature one of our existing ambassadors."
Liliana nodded. Still processing.
Then the representative smiled. "And your partner for this campaign will be Mr. Chris St. Claire."
Complete and absolute silence followed.
Liliana slowly looked toward her husband.
Chris slowly waved. "Hi."
"You knew."
"A little."
"You absolutely knew." She exclaimed.
Amanda burst out laughing. Matthew immediately looked away because he was also laughing.
The representative looked very confused.
Meanwhile, Liliana buried her face in her hands.
She still couldn’t process it. Just three days as a model trainee. And somehow, she had landed a luxury campaign with Gucci alongside her husband.
"Miss Walker, if you sign the contract now, we could immediately start the preparation for the campaign photoshoot."
Liliana was still shocked and just nodded.
The representative quickly handed the documents to Matthew, to Amanda and Chris. Then to her.
Liliana had no idea how she was able to hold a pen and sign the contract. She didn’t know what had occurred during the signing.
She stared at the papers resting on her lap and still couldn’t believe that it was a signed contract from one of the biggest luxury brands.
Life had officially become ridiculous.
Chris leaned closer then lowered his voice. "Congratulations."
Liliana looked at him, still stunned and overwhelmed.
She eventually smiled. Because despite everything, a small part of her couldn’t help feeling happy.
After all, five years ago, she walked away from the spotlight. Today, the spotlight had found its way back to her.
Not as an actress, but as a model.
And maybe, it was really meant to be.
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