The next morning.
Through the car window, Linda looked at the Key Stone company tower. It stood tall, its proud, cold glass walls shining under the sun like it was in heaven. Linda stepped out of the car with Megan beside her. Megan straightened her blazer and smiled brightly. "Head up. Walk like you own the place."
Linda raised a brow. "Not mine," she scoffed.
"Actually, I think you will need to smile more, Linda. Your situation has taken away your happy face…"
Linda ignored her, and they entered the building. The moment they stepped into the lobby, eyes were on them.
Judgmental eyes followed them as they walked toward the elevator.
"That's her…" someone whispered.
"Isn't she the one from the scandal?"
"Yeah, yeah… so shameless…"
"She really got a modelling contract here?" the person chuckled. "I don't believe it was clean."
"Wow. Using the back door must be nice." Another laughed softly, not even trying to hide it.
Linda heard everything but chose to ignore them. Megan, on the other hand, leaned closer and whispered loudly on purpose,
"I'm glad you chose to ignore the flies and mosquitoes humming. You see where we're going? The top floor. That's where the CEO's office is located. Even directors can't go there freely."
She pressed the elevator button and continued,
"And you? You're here officially. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Linda glanced at her. "You're too loud."
Megan grinned. "Good. Let them choke."
Inside the elevator, files were stacked in Megan's hands. "Did you read the contract?" she asked.
"No," Linda replied calmly.
Megan gasped dramatically. "Miss Linda! This is Key Stone! People kill for files like this!"
Linda stared at the closing elevator doors. "If I read too much, I'll hesitate."
Megan paused… then smiled softly. "That's scary. I like it. But you should have read the contract carefully before you signed it, just in case."
They arrived at the Model Lounge. The space was wide and bright. Full-length mirrors lined the walls. Clothes racks stood neatly. Makeup tables glowed under white lights. Lockers were arranged and labelled by numbers. Models were already there were tall, beautiful, smooth-skinned, but not as elegant as Linda. Linda didn't need to think much to know they all had strong backers or connections.
The moment Linda stepped in, they paused and looked at her weirdly. "Look who we have here," the blonde one among them spoke first.
Then they giggled. "She doesn't even look special," someone scoffed.
"I worked hard for three years just to stand here, while some people climb beds instead of ladders."
A model crossed her arms and smirked. "Must be nice, right?"
Linda walked calmly to an empty locker. Her name had been torn away from it, the pieces lay on the floor. She stepped on them and placed her bag inside. Closed it. Her expression never changed. She had a goal, and she understood the assignment. Revenge doesn't need anger. Why rush when there's plenty of time to teach a lesson?
The door opened again. A secretary walked in, clicking her shiny black velvet heels. An elderly woman followed behind her.
The woman wore a simple suit. Her back was straight, wrinkles covering her face were proof of age and experience. The secretary cleared her throat. "This is Madam Eliza. She will be your chief training director and product supervisor."
Silence…
"She must be kidding…" someone whispered.
"What?" the blonde lady spoke again. "A grandma?"
"You're joking, right?" Joyce, the tallest, asked.
"Key Stone has fallen this low?" another person, Rosie, said disappointedly. She was one of the richest models, and her friend Lena was the number one top model in Key Stone. They believed they deserved princess treatment.
One model laughed openly, while the rest rolled their eyes. "This is modelling, not a retirement home," the blonde-haired lady sneered, almost spitting the words.
Rose chuckled. "Don't worry, Janet. They'll fix it."
Then she stepped forward. "We request a replacement. We need someone modern and.. " her eyes swept over the woman's perfect body shape, and she scoffed, hating that her face didn't suit her body. "Trending."
The secretary hesitated and looked at the woman in embarrassment. Madam Eliza's smile stiffened. Her hands trembled slightly, but she forced herself to maintain them.
"I understand," she said gently. The secretary faced the woman helplessly and sighed, just as she was about to speak...
"I will be under her," a calm voice echoed.
The models turned toward Linda in disgust. Even Megan was stunned. She knew they would hate her, but not this early. She had planned to make Linda do things low-key. Linda carried an aura, like a powerful queen, and that would only make them hate her more.
Madam Eliza looked at her, both surprised and happy. "You…?" she whispered.
Linda met her gaze. "Yes. I'll train under you."
For a second, the room was silent. Then laughter burst out.
"They really fit each other!" Rose said.
"Look at them!"
"Mother and daughter!"
Another voice added cruelly, "Perfect pair. Both are outdated."
Two other ladies stepped forward quietly and stood beside Linda. "We will too," one of them said, glancing at the second, who nodded immediately.
The laughter grew louder. "Bad omens in a group!"
"Rejected trash sticking together!"
Linda finally lifted her eyes and glanced at the blonde-haired girl, Janet, who had spoken last. Janet's smile faded. A chill ran through her at that quick glance.
The secretary looked at them and nodded. "Okay. Come with me."
Linda and the two ladies followed her out of the Model Lounge. The mocking didn't stop, but it faded behind glass doors and long hallways.
The place she led them to was quieter. They stopped in front of a glass-walled office.
"This will be your office."
Linda entered and looked around in satisfaction. "My bag," she told Megan. Megan nodded and left immediately. Then her eyes moved to a passage. Her heart sank the moment she saw the tag on the door at the end of the hallway.
CEO's Office.
Ezekiel Lane's main territory. The place was even closer to him than the main modelling department. Half of their new office was made of glass. As big as it was, she could see people working seriously on computers, editing videos and pictures of products. There was no way Ezekiel wouldn't see her, no matter how she tried to avoid him. No wonder people said coworkers on the top floor weren't humans, but tools for Key Stone.
Linda smiled bitterly. "The heavens are really against me…"
After speaking with the secretary, Madam Eliza smiled at them. "This will be my office. And your training base."
The space was surprisingly luxurious with lots of work equipment. Boards filled with notes, schedules, brand sketches, fabric samples, and more.
The secretary left. Madam Eliza turned to them. "My name is Eliza," she said gently. "I've trained models for more than twenty years." Then she looked at Linda. "Why did you choose me?" she asked softly.
Linda's wandering gaze fell on her. "You made a lot of effort to be here," she said plainly. "It's worth it."
Madam Eliza froze. Then she smiled sweetly and nodded.
"Thank you." She turned to the other two models. "And you too. You're gems. I will train you to become who you deserve to be."