The next morning at Secret’s main offices, Emma was already waiting in the conference room by 7:30 a.m., accompanied by Lisa and Ashley. Emma said quietly but wondered who would show up next and at what time.
Meanwhile, Amber was under the assumption that Emma was still snoring away in bed. She and Mia arrived just before 8, and they were dismayed to realize that Emma had already been there for quite some time. Emma took pleasure in seeing a confused look on Mia’s face. Via had planned this so carefully—her original plot was to have Emma arrive at nine, a full hour late. She would have been so late that no one would have allowed her to enter the conference room. But Emma’s early arrival meant that she had figured out the plan.
Mia wouldn’t let that bother her, though. She was still in control and just happened to have another plan up her sleeve. “Emma, why are you so early?” Amber asked in frustration. She was annoyed but not entirely surprised that Mia’s plan hadn’t worked. “My friend happened to be going right by these offices. He dropped me off on his way to work,” Emma explained calmly enough.
“The meeting’s about to start,” Mia said, reminding the two of them that she was in charge.
Linda, Secret’s booking editor, entered the meeting room followed by two assistants, each carrying a stack of the models’ portfolios. Without acknowledging the presence of the models, Linda spoke directly to Mia. “I looked at the portfolios for these two models,” she said, gesturing to Emma and Amber, “but I only want one of them. I know everyone’s time is precious, so I’m not gonna go around in circles. I want Amber. I don’t think Emma is suited to the theme of our shoot.” She tossed Emma’s portfolio down on the table in front of them. “That’s fine if you don’t want Emma. I have other models for you to choose from.”
Things had played out exactly the way Mia had expected after all. Mia had been dropping negative hints about Emma for quite some time. She immediately took out the portfolios of her other models and handed them to Linda, feeling quite satisfied with herself. Not only had she found a way to get rid of Emma and promote Amber, she’d also managed to benefit her own agency and introduce some of her other models.
“Let me have a look through these before I decide,” gesturing to her assistants, she said, “Ladies, please gather the remaining portfolios and bring them to my office.”
Just as she was about to leave, though, Emma stopped her. “What’s the theme that you’re interested in presenting, Linda?”
Linda obviously hadn’t expected Emma to speak up. “It’s an Asian theme, but it doesn’t matter. You’re not suited for it,” she replied.
“That may be, but I’m wondering which of my shows you’ve seen that might give you a better idea of what I’m capable of,” Emma challenged with a smile. “What shows? Are you new to the industry?” She had confusion; she obviously had never heard of Emma. “How odd. I wonder who told you that I was inexperienced.”
“Emma, stay out of this,” growled Mia as she glared at Emma. “The decision is between Secret and me. It’s not up to you to question.”
“Are you sure about that? You used my popularity to bring Amber here, and then you used my name to boost your other models. Since you’ve used me so thoroughly, I think I’m entitled to at least ask a few questions,” Emma said as she smiled at Mia.
“Emma, you really don’t know how to keep quiet, do you? I warned you about that yesterday,” Mia retorted.
“That may be, but I refuse to keep quiet if I’m being manipulated by you or your relatives,” turning back to Linda, she said, “Since you haven’t seen any of my work, then I think you’re right. We’re wasting each other’s time. But think it over. I have a good feeling that you’ll regret your decision in the morning.” Beckoning to Lisa and Ashley to follow, Emma left the room.
Linda was quite taken aback by Emma’s confidence. “Is this model?” she asked Mia.
By this time, Mia was so angry that her entire face had turned red. “She’s nobody, a newcomer who will never get anywhere. Just forget about her.”
Linda didn’t want to waste any more time thinking about this. She trusted Mia. If Mia said to forget about Emma, she would. She turned to leave the conference room, ready to hand over the rest of the meeting to the other staff to discuss next steps.
Amber couldn’t sit there quietly anymore. “I can’t believe Emma was so rude,” she said to Mia.
“She has no respect for you or for anyone else. ”
Nathan wasn’t there, so Mia didn’t have to hold back like I told Linda. Just forget her. Has she even looked at herself recently? Get ready, Amber. Once your value goes up, Emma will be kneeling before you and polishing your shoes.
Amber smiled as she promised herself that this time she was going to come out on top with Mia behind her. Emma wouldn’t stand a chance.
After leaving Secret’s headquarters, Emma returned to Eric’s house with Ashley and Lisa. Although they were prepared to be treated poorly, Lisa was still shaken up. “I’ve never seen anyone behave like that. She’s such a snake. There is something wrong with her family,” Lisa said.
“What do we do now?” Ashley asked. “I’m assuming you have another plan, or you wouldn’t have told Linda that she would regret her decision. Do you really think you still have a chance to work for Secret?”
“As I said earlier, Secret will personally give me a call tomorrow. In fact, they may not even wait that long. Just you wait and see,” Emma replied confidently. “Okay, since you already have everything planned, I guess we’ll just see what happens. But I’m dying to know why you’re so confident,” Ashley said, consumed with curiosity.
Emma knew that until she was absolutely certain of her plans, she wasn’t going to reveal anything. So all they could do now was sit and wait patiently.
The truth was, even before Eric had handed her an invitation to Fine Figures Photography Exhibition, Emma already had other ideas about how to deal with the situation. But Eric’s intention was obvious. Since Amber had recruited the help of Mia, it was only fair for Eric to step in and help Emma. He had promised not to pull any strings, and he would stick by that promise. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t give her a chance at a fair fight.
The exhibition was to be a gala event, and many photographers, magazine editors, and entertainment personalities would attend, including people from Fine Figures Magazine. Most importantly, her mentor, the editor of Fine Figures Magazine, would be running the event. The exhibition was scheduled for that night, so after returning to Eric’s home, Emma started getting ready.
Mia had thought she was in control. She might be able to control someone like Amber, but Emma was going to show her that she just wasn’t as powerful as she thought she was. Tonight, Emma was going to let Mia know that there were consequences to her arrogance. Emma didn’t need to remind anyone of who she was. All she needed to do was stand beside her mentor, and everyone would know she was no newcomer.
