After Emma released the news, Global Pictures and Amber were hit with a raging storm of criticism from the public. This was the biggest crisis Nathan’s company has faced in its entire existence. His disgust and hatred toward Emma weren’t just passing emotions; they consumed his thoughts entirely.
The company’s higher-ups requested an emergency meeting with Nathan to discuss the issue. Unsure what he would tell them, Nathan called his older sister Mia, who lived in Mexico, for her advice.
“Nathan, I’ve already seen the news,” Mia began. “And what’s already happened. Now you need to figure out a way forward. You need to make it clear to everyone that you are the boss of your company, no matter how popular Emma gets. She’s just a model, nothing more. Her fate is in your hands.”
“But Mia, what exactly should I do?” Nathan couldn’t think straight, his mind juggling thoughts of Emma, Amber, and his company all at once.
“First of all, you need to release a public apology to appease all her angry fans,” Mia advised. “Tell them you fully support Emma and her career, and you’ll treat her with respect from now on.”
“Okay, but there’s no way Amber will like that,” Nathan’s head was pounding. “Our relationship isn’t all plus. Putting them together would get people talking. Secret isn’t the best magazine out there, but it’s distributed worldwide, and it could help Amber’s chances at the top 10 model Awards.”
“You see, this one, you can use Emma’s popularity to boost Amber’s,” Mia explained. “Remember, Nathan, a crisis can also be an opportunity. If you use this publicity to your advantage, Global will come out of this.”
Even after listening to her, Nathan’s mind felt much clearer. “Wisdom really does come with age,” he thought and then replied, “Thanks, Mia. I understand.”
“You and Emma were together for so long. You must have taken things way too far for her to attack you like this,” Mia said, judging him. “Being with Amber isn’t the best decision, but this is the fixed solution directly. We’ve been spoiling Amber, and now she’s become arrogant and demanding.”
“Mia, she’s pregnant. I don’t want to do anything to stress her out right now,” Nathan explained.
“To come out on top, by the way, Margot’s ready for her kidney transplant. As you know, Emma’s the only one out of our whole family who is a donor. Do you think she’d still be willing to donate her kidney?” Mia asked.
Nathan gasped; he completely forgot about that. There were three children in the Davis Family. Mia, the oldest, was a well-known senior manager of an entertainment company in Mexico. She had been scouted by the company three years ago and had been living across the border ever since. She had also been responsible for introducing her younger brother Nathan to the entertainment industry. The youngest of the three children, Margot, had spent much of her life in the hospital due to her failing kidneys.
“Mia, no matter what happens between me and Emma, I won’t let her go back on her promise to save Margot. I swear,” Nathan assured her.
Mia thanked him and hung up the phone. As angry as she was at Nathan for his stupidity, she was concerned for him too. She hoped her guidance would help him through this.
At the meeting, Nathan instructed his team to release a statement apologizing for Global’s poor treatment of Emma and promising to make amends to her. This statement would include a plea for Emma and her fans to give Global one more chance. Nathan also told the team to announce that Emma and Amber had both been invited to do a photo shoot with Secret magazine.
As soon as the news broke, the public couldn’t stop talking about it. Just like Mia had predicted, the two models had fought over the same man and were clearly enemies. People argued whether Global was now planning to pit them against each other at the photo shoot. Though Emma’s popularity was still authorized, it didn’t erase the fact that she’d been second in line to Amber for years. As for Amber, although things had been going smoothly for her lately, she was still considered a B-list model. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get to the top.
Fans from both sides started arguing: Did Emma’s poison professionalism make her a better model, or did Amber’s attractiveness win out? Such is life in the entertainment industry. The public’s attention can change from one controversy to another in an instant.
Of course, all Emma wanted to do was avoid Global’s sneaky tactics and Amber’s influence by speaking out herself. Now that Nathan had placed her and Amber on the same playing field, she had reached her goal.
Ashley called Emma as soon as she heard the announcement. “Emma, are you going to agree to do the photo shoot?” Ashley asked. She knew that since Nathan had announced the shoot as part of his public apology, it would seem petty for Emma to reject it.
“I know Nathan didn’t ask for your opinion, but if you don’t want to do it, we can find a way out of it somehow,” Ashley suggested.
“I’ll do it,” Emma replied. “Great! It’ll be good for you to share this stage with Amber. When people see you and Amber performing side by side, they’ll be forced to see just how much better you are than her. Next to you, she’ll look like an amateur,” Ashley continued.
“We have a meeting at the office tomorrow morning. I’ll pick up Lisa first, then I’ll come get you, okay?” Emma said.
Ashley seems to be getting used to being my manager, she thought. She hung up the phone and continued with the meal she was preparing in the kitchen. Even though Erica told her not to cook, she’d never considered herself too delicate for a little hard work. Besides, she thought, “I should be allowed to cook for my own husband.”
She was still busy in the kitchen when Eric arrived home, sneaking up on her from behind. He lifted her off her feet with his strong arms and set her down on the kitchen counter so they were face to face. “You know what the consequences are for not listening to me,” he said.
She hooked her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. “What are you going to do, eat me?” she laughed.
“You really are fearless,” he replied, smiling. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, gently placing her on the sofa. “Today was a big day for you, so leave dinner to me, okay?” Emma said as she took off her apron and handed it to him.
Eric was tall and his body was well-built. The soft fabric of his dress shirt clung to his muscular chest and stomach, making it difficult for Emma to take her eyes off him as he returned to the kitchen and began cooking. And she watched from the couch. She saw a man who was in control, calm, and capable. He handled the ingredients like he handled anything else in his life—quickly, efficiently, and without leaving any mess behind. “Watching him is like admiring a work of art,” she thought.
Emma stood up and went to the bedroom, trying to calm her fluttering heart. When she entered, she saw a bunch of red roses lying on the bed. She grabbed the bouquet excitedly and leaned in to smell the lovely fragrance. As she did, she felt a small square packet hidden among the flowers. She carefully pulled it out. When she saw she was holding a condom, her face turned bright red. “Does he want to have me tonight?” she thought nervously. “And did he want me to find out this way? Or should I pretend I didn’t see a thing?”
