The first round of runway walks ended quickly. Soon after came the second—and then the third.
The third round was the swimsuit segment, far more revealing than the previous ones.
As models in swimsuits walked toward him one after another, Jason suddenly felt as if a childhood fantasy had quietly come true.
In that moment, he understood something very clearly:
Being rich was really, really good.
Today was only the first day of the main competition, so no rankings were announced yet. After the show ended, the general manager of Starlight Fashion Group personally invited Jason backstage.
Being able to see the models up close—
That alone was a privilege.
Lewis followed along.
Jason hadn't explicitly told him that he had already acquired Starlight Fashion Group, but after seeing Jason seated in the exclusive position, combined with what Jason had casually mentioned the night before, Lewis had already figured it out.
When it came to Jason, surprises had become routine.
Still, Lewis was extremely excited.
With Starlight Fashion Group now under Jason's control, New Vision Media could form a deep strategic partnership with them. A strong alliance like that would only make both sides stronger.
Even if profit-sharing needed to be renegotiated—
What was wrong with making even bigger concessions?
Backstage, Jason walked alongside the general manager.
The staff greeted them enthusiastically, and as soon as Jason appeared, the female models' gazes shifted toward him almost instinctively.
Several bold models immediately stepped forward to greet him, smiling brightly.
Jason felt as if he had stepped into a kingdom ruled by women.
Nearby, an agent leaned toward a slender model, Luna, and whispered urgently:
"Go—quick, go say hello to Mr. Carter."
"Mr. Carter?" Luna blinked, curiosity flashing across her face. "Who is he?"
The agent glanced around cautiously and lowered her voice.
"Don't worry about that. Just go greet him first."
Trusting her agent, Luna walked forward quickly, her smile perfectly practiced.
"Hello, Mr. Carter," she said sweetly.
At the same time, another female agent gathered the mature-looking model Wendy and several others.
She spoke in a hushed, urgent tone:
"Later, follow me to greet Mr. Carter. Use your best smiles and sweetest voices."
"If you can catch his eye, your careers will take off effortlessly."
Wendy frowned slightly.
"Who exactly is he?" she asked.
That question reflected what all the other models were thinking.
The agent finally revealed the truth.
"His name is Jason."
"He's a well-known figure in City. He recently acquired Starlight Fashion Group, replacing Mr. Cloud."
"From today onward, he's the person at the top of the modeling industry."
Wendy and the others' eyes lit up instantly.
So young—and he had already acquired Starlight Fashion Group?
All the previous rumors—
That he was Mr. Cloud's son.That he was only sitting in temporarily because Mr. Cloud hadn't shown up.
All of them were wrong.
His real identity was far more terrifying than anyone had imagined.
This alone was enough to confirm—
His financial power was astonishing, possibly even surpassing Cloud. After all, someone with comparable resources wouldn't casually buy another giant company.
And on top of that—
He was young.Handsome.Around six feet tall, with perfect proportions.
In short—
A flawless young tycoon.
The effect was immediate.
Wendy: Affection +20
Without further discussion, Wendy and the others rushed toward Jason, greeting him in voices so sweet they practically melted.
"Mr. Carter~"
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Carter."
Before long, Jason's identity spread rapidly backstage.
As a result:
Affection +20
Affection +15
Affection +15
Meanwhile Agela were no longer full-time runway models. They stood slightly apart from the others and naturally weren't included in the inner circle.
No one deliberately explained anything to them.
They only overheard fragments of conversation drifting through the room.
She frowned and pulled over a model she had just met.
"What are people talking about?" she asked."I keep hearing something about the boss of Starlight Fashion Group."
"Isn't Mr. Cloud still the boss? Didn't he not show up today?"
The model looked at her in surprise.
"Wait—you don't know?"
And just like that—
Another ripple began to spread.
The female model looked at Zara, noticed that nearly everyone backstage already knew the truth, and decided there was no point hiding it anymore.
"The boss of Starlight Fashion Group has changed," she said plainly."Mr. Carter acquired the company."
Zara's eyes widened instantly.
"Y-You… what did you just say?"
Nearby, Agela, who had been eavesdropping, trembled violently.
"That's impossible," she blurted out. "That can't be true."
The female model frowned slightly.
"The general manager personally introduced him. What's impossible about that?"
"Otherwise, why would Mr. Carter be sitting in Mr. Cloud's original seat?"
"Why would the general manager accompany him the entire time and treat him with that level of respect?"
Zara and Agela fell silent.
They had no way to refute it.
The facts were already laid bare.
That meant—
Their earlier suspicions had been right.
Jason was never bankrupt.
If he had been, he would have been restricted from high-end consumption. Even attempting to bypass such restrictions would have made it impossible for him to acquire a fashion conglomerate.
Not only was he not on the verge of collapse—
He clearly had massive liquid assets.
After all, Starlight Fashion Group was performing exceptionally well. Acquiring it would have required a significant premium.
Jason's original assets were already terrifying.
Now, with Starlight Fashion Group added to the mix, his status had risen even higher.
And combined with New Vision Media, the two companies complemented each other perfectly.
A strong alliance.
Limitless potential.
Zara felt a stab of regret.
I shouldn't have believed those rumors so easily, she thought bitterly.
If I had held on just a bit longer…
If I had seized the chance while Agela was away from him…
I could've climbed onto that towering tree.
Zara: Affection +30
Agela, however, wasn't just regretful—
She was drowning in remorse.
Her chest tightened as a rush of blood surged upward, making her dizzy to the point of collapse.
Zara had missed Jason because she accompanied her older brother to an annual corporate event.
For her, Jason had already slipped beyond reach.
But Agela was different.
She had already succeeded in attaching herself to Jason during that same annual event.
And yet—
Because of one moment of poor judgment, she had believed false information.
Even though she hadn't openly turned against Jason, she had stopped living at his house, stopped messaging him, and distanced herself for several days.
That attitude alone was enough.
Jason noticed.
And Jason disliked it.
So the wealthy benefactor she had already secured—
Slipped through her fingers.
And losing something after gaining it hurt far more than never having it at all.
Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
Even if I doubted that fake news…
I should've stayed at Lanting West Court.
I should've kept acting enthusiastic.
Pretended nothing happened.
Observed quietly, then decided.
That way, no matter what I thought inside, Mr. Carter would never have known.
Her breathing grew erratic.
Then the one to two million dollars' worth of gifts…
The two-million-dollar lynx fur coat that Grace received today…
I could've received those too.
And even more in the future.
Her vision blurred.
With Starlight Fashion Group and New Vision Media combined…
The company's influence will skyrocket.
With Jason's support, becoming a top-tier star wouldn't even be a dream.
Her hands clenched tightly.
Compared to that…
Even if I squeeze victor dry, I can only get tens of thousands at most.
And not too often, or he'll collapse financially.
The damage to my career doesn't even compare.
One path leads to heaven.
The other to the dirt.
Her mind screamed.
Damn it… damn it!
I made such a stupid, low-level mistake!
Agela: Affection +12
The realization hit her all at once.
Her head spun violently, her vision went black, and she staggered backward.
Fortunately, a nearby model caught her in time.
Otherwise, she would have fallen hard onto the floor.
But even as she leaned against someone else—
What hurt most wasn't her body.
It was the certainty that—
She had personally let go of the greatest opportunity of her life.
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