“How did you mess this up, Mia?” Shah asked Nathan as they entered the venue. She had just received a huge blow on the red carpet, and all she could do now was walk inside with her tail between her legs. What she really wanted to do was find a hole to hide in.
“Nathan looked at Emma, who was walking ahead of them. She must have known we tore up her invitation,” he said. “She was putting on an act when we talked to her, watching her every move so she could stay one step ahead.”
“If she’s that smart,” Mia retorted, “she continued to blame everything on Nathan’s bad management. Just wait and see. Since we couldn’t stop her today, it’s gonna be even harder to stop her in the future.”
Amber glanced at the siblings arguing next to her, her eyes flashing with ridicule. Didn’t Mia claim to be a great manager? she thought. Emma’s not that smart. Everyone just underestimated her and let their guard down, including me.
But it didn’t matter how hard Emma tried to climb to success since Amber had already managed to secure a top 10 model award. She was confident she would be able to defeat Emma. The trio had caused such a commotion outside the venue that word of them trying to exclude Emma quickly spread to everyone present.
Nathan looked at the scornful gazes of the guests and tried hard to hold back his anger. They soon found their assigned seats. They were seated toward the back according to their status in the industry. As they sat down, they felt a bit relieved to be hidden from the other guests’ sight for a while.
What they didn’t expect was that Emma would be seated two rows from the front. On Emma’s left sat George, and on her right sat one of the judges of the top 10 model Awards. This judge just so happened to be the man Amber had slept with. Amber’s eyes widened. How is Emma so lucky? she thought. Though Emma hadn’t met the man as far as she knew, Amber still felt uneasy, filled with guilt over what she’d done.
“Amber, what’s wrong?” Nathan asked. “Your palms are sweaty.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, brushing him off with a smile. “I’m just a bit nervous.”
The bright night Gala was like the opening ceremony for the annual award season, so there were quite a few celebrities in attendance. Prominent figures from both the entertainment industry and the fashion industry had shown up to the event. Emma concentrated on the stage as the hosts gave their opening speeches. However, the judge sitting to her right was mesmerized by her legs.
Mark Whittaker was well-known for being sleazy. That’s how Amber had managed to get her way with him. Not content with just looking at Emma’s legs, he turned to her and said, “Miss Miller, you’re so beautiful. I read a recent article about you and learned that you’re extremely professional too. I have high hopes for you.” He gave her a suggestive grin. She could sense he was hinting at something else.
As he spoke, she smiled politely and said, “Thank you for the kind words.” Seeing the judge inching closer and closer to Emma, Mr. Benedict tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Take my seat, Emma. I have something I want to ask Mr. Whitaker.” She could tell that George was trying to help her out of this sticky situation. She gave him a grateful smile before swapping seats with him.
George knew Emma was a very professional model with a promising future, so he didn’t want any negative news about her to arise from the event. Seeing that Emma was unwilling to play along, Mark glared at her. He knew she and Amber worked for the same company. “Why is Amber so easy to get in bed but Emma so stuck up?” he thought. “Isn’t she just a fallen, out-of-date model who’s only recently gotten back on her feet?”
Emma kept her eyes on the stage and pretended to be unaware of what was happening. But deep down, she knew that she may have just offended a prominent modeling judge. Amber watched them from the back, focusing on their movements. She noticed the old sleaze bag had his eyes set on Emma. “If Emma decides to follow the same path I did,” she thought, “then she’d get to step on me all over again. After all, who wouldn’t choose a shortcut to success?” Her eyes narrowed. “Why does Emma have to fight with me over everything on this stage?”
The hosts were throwing out punch lines one after the other, making the audience roar with laughter. After the head of the organizing committee gave his speech, it was announced that the ceremony had officially begun and the special guest was about to appear.
“Eric! Eric!” Emma was chanting her husband’s name in her heart. He was an untouchable superstar who everyone looked up to. In fact, he had a more dignified presence than even the most famous celebrities. He was more attractive than anyone else in attendance, and tonight he would appear at the same event as his wife for the first time, even though no one knew they were married.
“In a moment, the person who will be making an appearance…” The host had only just started speaking, but below the stage, the crowd was already cheering loudly. The host smiled, waiting for everyone to calm down, and then continued. “He’s more popular than any superstar or celebrity. He’s the CEO of Kaleidoscope Entertainment, Mr. Eric Roberts.”
As soon as the host stepped aside, Eric confidently walked onto the stage under the spotlight. His sculpted body looked even more well-built than usual. More importantly, the aura he exuded was like that of a king. It was like he was born to stand formidably before his subjects, where no one could reach him. Eric swept his gaze across the room before spotting Emma. As their eyes met, their feelings for each other showed, but only lasted a moment before Eric quickly looked away.
“Mr. Roberts, please speak,” the host said, offering him the microphone. Eric’s eyes twinkled as he took center stage. The mole on his right earlobe shone like an obsidian earring. He raised the microphone and said, “Kaleidoscope’s door has always been opened to winners.” With this one sentence, this one simple statement, he conveyed a message to everyone in attendance. Kaleidoscope only accepted the most successful artists. At the same time, he’d given his company’s artists an affirmation. They were at the top of their game, and behind them was Kaleidoscope Entertainment, an undefeated legend in the industry. Hearing his words, Emma knew he was encouraging her as well. Only when she became stronger would she be able to go wherever she wanted in her career.
“Mr. Roberts,” the host interjected, “I can’t help but notice that your suit is a perfect match to Miss Miller’s dress.” Emma’s beautiful dress had been imprinted on the host’s memory, and since she was seated so close to the stage, a quick glance over to her made the resemblance so obvious that he had to point it out. Emma hadn’t expected her name to be called out. After being stunned for a few seconds, she stood up and smiled. “It’s an honor,” she said.
Everyone in the crowd knew Eric hated artists who rode on others’ coattails, so they were all wondering whether Emma had deliberately matched her outfit to his to cause a stir and what he would say about it. Those below the stage waited for Eric to react and for Emma to be humiliated.
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