It wasn't only the atmosphere, even though it was quite intense.
It was how people watched her with more intent.
And When she passed by, the quiet in the room lasted a bit too long.
She was accustomed to being noticed, her beauty ensured that.
But this, this wasn't fondness.
This was resentment.
And it had a source.
"Well, look who finally decided to arrive," a voice called from across the room.
Kareen turned to face her.
Chloe.
Tall.
Perfect.
Smiling like she had already succeeded.
Her tone was sweet, but her gaze was sharp enough to cut through anything.
"I was starting to wonder if you only worked sometimes," Chloe added, tossing her hair as she leaned on the makeup table.
Kareen didn't answer right away.
She just smiled the refined smile she had developed after many years of modeling in cities where women like Chloe were common.
"If I needed assistance managing my schedule," Kareen said nicely, "I would ask the interns, not the extras."
Some stylists nearby quietly laughed.
Chloe's smile faltered , just a little.
But she didn't say anything else.
Kareen turned away, but she could feel the angry stare following her as she headed toward the wardrobe area.
The campaign head waved her over, holding a clipboard.
"Kareen, your next outfit is ready," he said, glancing briefly at Chloe, "We're changing the pairings, you're working alone today."
Kareen nodded,
Chloe scoffed behind her,
Of course, she would.
It wasn't just the photoshoot, it was everything else.
The looks from Damon,
The gentle smiles from Andrew,
The quiet way Kareen moved through the building as if she already owned it,
It angered women like Chloe.
Kareen thought, let them be angry.
She had work to do.
She was about halfway through the day when she felt it again.
The heat on her back.
The energy in the air.
The way her breath hitched before she even turned around.
She was alone in the hallway, just finished with a shoot, when Damon appeared behind her like a shadow made of silk and smoke.
His voice was soft.., teasing.
"You're glowing," he said.
Kareen didn't look at him.
"Maybe because I'm doing my job," she replied, calmly and evenly.
"Or maybe," he said, moving closer, "because you're still feeling the effects of yesterday."
Her body gave her away immediately.
Heart beating fast,
Skin tingling,
Thighs clenching at just the sound of his voice,
But she didn't reveal it.
She turned to face him fully, raising her eyebrows.
"I told you the rules," she said, "You remember them, right?"
Damon smirked, slowly, knowingly, but not arrogantly,
"I remember everything," he said,
"That's the problem," she replied,
He moved closer,
His voice dropped.
"I miss touching you," he whispered, "I miss how you fall apart for me without even saying a word."
Her breath caught,
But she stayed still,
She didn't get closer,
She didn't give in,
She looked at him intensely,
"And I miss when you paid attention," she stated strongly, "This will not repeat, Damon."
A feeling flashed in his eyes,
Annoyance, or perhaps a strong desire hidden as self-respect,
Either way, she moved by him without pausing,
And this time, he stayed put,
It wasn't because he chose not to,
It was because she stopped him.
.
The word came as she changed clothes for the last time
A gentle tap came at the dressing room door, then a quiet helper carefully looked inside, holding a tablet
"Andrew wants to meet with you in his office, right now"
Kareen didn't need to ask why
She understood already
Her heart didn't beat fast this time
Her hands didn't tremble
She put on a blazer over the short top she had on, didn't notice Chloe's strange look from the corner, and left with pride
If they believed they still controlled her, they were mistaken
The path to Andrew's office seemed longer than normal
Her heels made clear sounds with each step, not as protection this time, but as an announcement
She got to his door, didn't bother to knock, and went inside
Andrew looked up from his desk, his lips already curved in that gentle, charming smile
"Kareen," he said smoothly, "You seem, very focused today"
She stayed standing
"What do you need, Andrew?"
His smile grew, but it didn't reach his eyes
"Relax," he said, "You're not in trouble"
"Not yet," a voice said from behind her
Damon
Of course
She turned a little to see him close the door behind him
Both men, again
In one room
Like seeing the same thing again but better
Andrew stood up now, walking around the desk to lean against the edge with his arms crossed
"We just wanted to talk," he said
"About what?" she asked, already tired
Damon shrugged, casually opening his cuffs
"About things feeling unfinished," he said, "About how much you've been trying to not see what's clearly still between us"
"I'm not ignoring anything," she said, calmly, "I'm choosing not to add to a problem I know will hurt me"
Andrew's eyebrow went up slightly
"You didn't seem to mind it last time," he whispered
She breathed out through her nose, crossing her arms
"You're both really sure of yourselves, huh?"
Damon moved forward a little
"We're not wrong," he said, "That's the problem, you want this as much as we do, you're just scared someone will find out"
"You're right," she said, "I am scared, not of being discovered, but of becoming the girl who was only known for her bosses' interest instead of doing good work"
That made them stop for a moment
Andrew looked at her in a new way now
Not with flirting,
But with interest.
Damon, for once, didn't say anything
So she spoke into the silence,
"I came here to model," she said, more firmly now, "Not to moan, Not to be talked about, and Not to sneak around and pretend I can handle fun and work like they're the same"
Neither man moved
She noticed the change in their eyes
Kareen kept going
"No more meetings in private, no more random touches in hallways, no more surprises in the dressing room," she said clearly, "I'm not going to be your fantasy anymore"
Andrew seemed to be somewhat amazed,
Damon could not be understood at all,
She moved to go to the exit, holding the handle,
"If I choose to let go again, it will not be the guys who think I will give in just because they enter a space."
She unlocked and pulled the door open,
She stopped there,
Then, she quickly turned her head back,
"I don't belong to you," she stated, "And from this point on, I will not act like I do."
She exited without waiting to hear anything back,
When she got to the lift, she felt pressure in her chest,
It wasn't because she felt sorry,
It was like being set free,
She had no idea what would happen next,
Perhaps they will back off,
Perhaps they will run after her,
But this time, she was in charge of what happened.