Emma’s ruthlessness was enough to make Nathan realize that he never truly understood her. He had been ridiculously wrong about her. The one who had once been willing to do anything for him no longer showed him even a shred of mercy. He knew that she would exhaust all her strength just to see Amber crumple beneath her feet, but he wasn’t in a rush to stop her. Now, though, it wasn’t his turn yet.
When Emma arrived back in New York, her fans were waiting at the airport to greet her. Some were holding up signs, and others were screaming her name. This display was something Global Pictures should have been proud to see, but deep down, Nathan wasn’t even the tiniest bit happy. Emma’s fame had increased dramatically, but she was no longer under his control. There was nothing else he could do besides place all his hope in Mia and her plan. Otherwise, he would fall into the depths of disgrace like Amber had. “Faith inside, do I really have no choice but to contact my mother?” he thought.
Emma’s return to New York was glorious. Now that she’d signed a deal with Isn, it was pretty much guaranteed that even better offers would be coming her way soon. In addition, her low-profile personality meant she never depended on creating hype to get people’s attention. This had helped her gain many loyal fans. As a result, her foundation was stable, and she now held a prime spot in the modeling world.
On the car ride home from the airport, Nathan looked through the news about Emma and Amber on his phone. His eyebrows scrunched up as he read. When they got home, he ignored Amber and locked himself in his study to make some phone calls. Amber felt uneasy. She knew Global did not belong solely to Nathan. With her reputation now ruined, David was trapped in a difficult position between her and the company. She called her assistant, Gary. “Help me find out who the judges of the Top 10 Model Awards are,” she told him.
Gary had mixed feelings about her request. “Amber, what are you planning on doing?” he asked. “Don’t do anything rash. I’m sure that if you just rest, you could return to the runway soon.”
“I’m not willing to give up without one last gamble,” she replied. “Just go do what I asked. How much longer do you think Nathan can hold on to his position? Global shareholders are pressuring him non-stop to give up on me. It’s only a matter of time before one of us is let go. Do you want to return to your old job selling hot dogs on the street?”
Gary froze for a moment. He didn’t want to do what she requested and help her down the dangerous path she was on. If his assumptions were right, which he was planning to do, it would tear a gash in her relationship with Nathan, one that may never heal. But he knew that apart from sleeping with one of the judges, there wasn’t much else she could do to turn the tables now. “Amber, you’re still carrying a child,” he objected.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Amber said solemnly. The dark reality of the entertainment industry had made an impression on her. Before the incident with Secret magazine, she used to think Nathan was someone she could rely on. But then, in her moment of defeat, Nathan had just watched her suffer, unable to think of a way to help her redeem herself. That’s when she realized that he wasn’t reliable at all. If she really wanted that award, she was going to have to get it herself.
In his study, Nathan was still worrying about how to protect Amber. Meanwhile, she was already thinking about how to betray him. Emma’s return, Secret’s popularity, Isn’s endorsement deal – these were all things bound to take Global to new heights and increase its value as a company. But Nathan, the president, wasn’t happy about any of them.
The Isn commercial had begun shooting as soon as Emma returned from Mexico, so she hadn’t taken a single step into Global Pictures in the time she’d been back. It wasn’t until two days later, when the shoot was finished, that she finally returned to headquarters. Nathan had requested a meeting with her and Ashley, so the two of them made their way to his office.
Sitting at his desk, Nathan looked at Emma for a moment before speaking. His mind swirling with emotions, he said, “Emma, you’ve already gotten what you want. Don’t be too hard on Amber. Give her a chance to survive.”
She looked at him and calmly replied, “When we were in Mexico, did you give me a chance? If you won’t back down, then don’t expect me to either.” His tongue was tied for a moment. He knew if the situation had been reversed and Amber were the successful one, they would have gone to extreme measures to stop Emma from ever making a comeback. So, though he was still angry, he also began to feel a sense of regret.
He turned away from Emma, fixing his gaze on Ashley instead. “Ashley, pack your things and prepare to start working with a different artist. I found a new manager for Emma,” he said. Ashley’s face turned pale. Emma frowned and asked, “What game are you trying to play now?”
“Emma, your contract still has three years left,” he said. “Ashley is a manager under our company, and I can make her do what I want. You have no right to interfere with the contract.”
“And I thought, does Nathan still think he can control my contract?” she replied. “The least you can do is tell me who my new manager is.” She turned to Ashley and gave her a comforting look. With this assurance from Emma, Ashley’s flustered heart quickly calmed down. She knew Emma would get a better manager sooner or later, but she also knew she couldn’t continue to work for Global after having betrayed Amber to take Emma. If she was no longer Emma’s manager, Amber would certainly make her suffer. But Emma’s gaze told her that even if Emma couldn’t keep her, she wouldn’t let her be thrown to the wolves. And anything Emma wanted to do, she did. So she trusted in her and remained quiet.
“Tomorrow night,” Nathan said, “the company will hold a celebration dinner for you. At that time, your new manager will be introduced. Don’t worry, she’s much more skilled than Ashley. You won’t be any worse off. You don’t think I’m still trying to sabotage you, do you?” He was embarrassed at how much Emma had achieved without him noticing.
Emma didn’t say anything. Of course, she didn’t trust that Nathan was doing something good for her, but she couldn’t just refuse, or else there would be no end to this. She had to make sure she remained in power. Emma left the room, Ashley stayed behind. Emma gave her a look, telling her to hold on as long as she could and not let Nathan find out about the details of her wear. Ashley subtly nodded her head. “If I can’t do something as simple as this,” she thought, “then all I’ve learned from Emma would be wasted.”
Emma returned to her office alone. “Where’s Ashley?” Lisa asked. “Nathan’s arranged for her to take care of other artists and has found a new manager for me,” Emma replied. Lisa was on guard. “Who is it?” Emma didn’t respond. She simply put on her sunglasses and gestured to Lisa that it was time to leave.
When she and Lisa made it back to Tribeca, Eric was already at home. After hearing what happened to her day, he sat back in his chair for a moment, lost in thought. “Eric, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Emma asked. Mia replied, “As expected.” She thought, revealing a slight smile.
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