Eric gazed at Emma seriously as he tried to figure out what Mia’s plan could be. “She can’t continue working in Mexico,” he said. “So, of course, she would come here and try to use you to make a comeback. Plus, her dream is to control you and make you surrender to her. Of course, it won’t be difficult for you to shake her off.”
Emma smiled slightly. She’d already thought all this out herself. Seeing her expression, Lisa felt a sense of relief. She knew a small obstacle like this wouldn’t be able to stand in Emma’s way. Emma’s act of revenge was set to take place after the Top 10 Model Awards, so Lisa knew that Emma had already planned for anything that could happen between now and then. The only thing Lisa could do for her now was comfort Ashley.
After Lisa left, the couple went to the bedroom together and changed into more comfortable clothes. Eric hugged Emma in front of the wardrobe mirror and whispered in her ear, “You still don’t plan on leaving Global?”
“It’s not time yet,” she replied. She needed to land one final blow to completely destroy Amber. There was no way she would let those two off so easily.
“But you should decide on your next goal,” he said. He knew she didn’t like to take shortcuts, so he didn’t mention signing her with his company. “Now that people are talking about you, your next goal should be to win a significant award.”
“But, Eric,” she continued, “I’m already 26 years old. I can’t sign up for modeling competitions like I did when I was 17. And the awards I received in the past lost their value when Starking Entertainment blacklisted me. Back then, I retweeted too quickly and burned too many bridges.”
In the past, she’d done everything she could to be with Nathan, including giving up her career. “My best modeling years, my most lucrative years, I selflessly gave them all to Nathan,” she thought. “But what did I get from him in return?” Emma didn’t regret what had happened; after all, it had been her own choices that led her down that road. But now she had to face the consequences of her foolish mistakes.
Eric’s heart ached for her as he listened. “If I met her earlier,” he thought, “maybe she wouldn’t have had to go through all this pain.” He planted a kiss on her neck and said gently, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t enter a competition. Just work hard as a model. If you need to attend shows or appear in magazines, I’ll be right there with you. We can make use of good exposure. After all, your true battle will be with the industry itself. Just don’t put too much pressure on yourself, babe.”
She took a deep breath, turned around, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head in his chest. “Don’t worry,” she said. “With you by my side, I won’t get discouraged.”
Eric smiled and lifted her in his arms. He carried her across the room and placed her down on the bed. Then he gently pressed his body on top of hers. “I think the best way to get you to forget about the past is to let me love you deeply,” he whispered.
Her ears flushed red. She knew what he was thinking. “You haven’t eaten yet,” she said. “Have you been working hard all day? Do you still have the energy?”
He lowered a kiss onto her lips. “I guess the only way to find out is if I prove it.”
Because of Emma’s popularity, Amber had become the target of the public’s hatred. So Nathan decided she would not be allowed to attend Global’s celebration dinner with him. But Amber didn’t mind, as she was busy with her plan to win the Top 10 Model Awards.
Gary had been doing research on the judges for her, careful not to let anyone at Global see what he was working on. He discovered there were seven judges—three women and four men. Amber ignored the three female judges and set her sights on one of the men, a 40-something-year-old with a dark and mysterious past. Gary watched in horror as she studied the man’s photo. His heart was racing.
“Gary, call this judge and tell him I’d like to meet with him,” Amber ordered.
Gary hesitated. “Amber, I know what you’re thinking, but if I don’t do this, I’ll lose both Nathan and my career, and then I’ll have nothing left.”
Amber’s voice was cold and cruel. “Right now, she knew her future at Global was uncertain. If she couldn’t find a way back to the top, it would push her even lower into despair than she’d already had. ‘I need to get that award at all costs,’ she cried.”
Gary had no choice but to pull out his phone and call the judge. At first, the man didn’t pick up, but after Gary tried him a second and third time, he finally answered. Gary politely explained to the judge that Amber wished to meet him in person to discuss the award criteria. The man understood what was going on and asked to speak to Amber directly. Gary passed the phone to her with a smile.
She answered, “Mr. Whittaker. Since he was a high-profile judge, she made sure to address him formally.
“So you’re Amber Lee. I’ve watched your shows. Actually, you’re not that bad. But, as I’m sure you know, your reputation has taken a fall lately.”
“How about tomorrow night at seven o’clock? You can come down to the East River Hotel, and we can talk.”
“Of course, Mr. Whitaker,” she said. “See you then.”
Amber’s plan was set in motion, and Gary had no choice but to go along with it. He knew she was determined to do whatever it took to win that award.
On the same day, Mia returned to New York after finishing her contract in Mexico. Nathan went to the airport on his own to pick her up. As soon as Mia got to Nathan’s apartment, she asked him where Emma was living.
“Amber’s been in a bad mood for the past few days,” he said. “Don’t provoke her. Keep your voice down.”
“She’s the one who didn’t live up to expectations,” Mia responded coldly.
“She can’t blame others for that,” Nathan said.
Mia inquired about Emma’s location, but Nathan was hesitant to reveal it, knowing the tension between Amber and Emma.
“Well, in that case, I’ll move into her place tomorrow,” Mia said. “It’ll make work more convenient.”
Mia had no intention of living in Nathan’s apartment. She didn’t want to deal with Amber, but Nathan knew that Tribeca was not the kind of place a person like Amber could ever live.
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