Chapter 414
“I’m so pissed off! She doesn’t know what’s good for her,” Ernesto cursed, his anger boiling over.
“Ernesto, is this about Aubree?” Stuart Diamonde, Alice’s younger brother and the third child in the Diamonde family, asked as he lounged with his legs crossed.
Phoenyra Jewelry, the Diamonde family business, was mainly inherited by Ernesto, while Stuart and Alice each held a stake. Stuart wasn’t interested in the company; he preferred trading stones and ran his own natural stone business.
Sometimes, when he came across top-quality stones, he’d bring them home as a favor, gifting them to some big shots on behalf of the family.
Just the mention of Aubree’s name made Ernesto’s blood pressure spike. “She’s really a tough nut to crack.”
Not only was she tough, but Aubree even managed to land a partnership with Windward Group. With Windward Group and Manchotech joining forces, even with Ernesto’s reputation, it was not easy to find anyone willing to help him mess with her.
“I’ve said it before, you need to keep someone obedient close by. Looks like we were right to treat her the way we did from the start. As for Carmen, since we raised her from childhood, being good to her might make Alice easier to handle,” Stuart said.
“Speaking of that, Alice has been acting weird lately. Word from Rithol City is, she’s got her eye on some guy.”
Stuart shrugged it off. “So what? It’s normal for Alice to have her own needs.”
“Let’s hope so.” Ernesto was too busy scheming against Aubree to spare any time or attention worrying about what Alice was up to in Rithol City.
“I should find some time to talk to Carmen,” he added.
Outside the Cloud Design studio building in Rithol City, a man stood alone.
As instructed by Aubree, Kyler finally agreed to be Alice’s fashion model after Alice backed him into a corner.
His agency had terminated his contract and blacklisted him, so he could only scrape by with small roles to make a living. But now, with Alice meddling, even those were out of reach.
After months of training by Aubree, he could now truly step into the shoes of Xander, becoming the character completely.
Standing at the studio entrance, he clenched his fists, hesitation and uncertainty written all over his face. Ultimately, all that doubt faded into helpless resignation to the realities of life, and he slowly walked inside.
“Remember, from the moment you show up in front of Alice, you’re no longer Kyler. You’re Xander. Even if no one’s watching, you have to live and breathe as Xander,” Aubree had told him.
Alice’s assistant was already waiting for him at the door.
“Mr. Bradley, you’re finally here. Ms. Diamonde has been waiting for you for quite a while,” the assistant said.
Kyler managed a polite smile. “Sorry for the trouble.”
Alice stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in her office, taking in every detail of his earlier performance. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and longing.
That’s my Xander, she thought. “Xander has finally come back for me.”
The assistant led Kyler into the office and then left. Alice’s office didn’t look anything special. Design sketches covered the desk, and mannequins and sketches of sample outfits were scattered around the room.
“Ms. Diamonde, I honestly don’t get it. Why are you so set on making me your model?” Kyler was the first to break the silence.
Even though he knew he was being singled out, there wasn’t a hint of anger in his voice. That calm attitude, paired with his killer looks, made Alice’s cheeks flush with excitement.
“I told you. I want you to be my model,” Alice said. A model just for me, and me alone, she added inwardly.
Alice’s gaze was so heated that it made Kyler uneasy. He quickly looked away. “Well, I just hope that after you get your inspiration from me today, you’ll let me go. I’m just an ordinary guy. I can’t afford to cross you. I just want to keep my distance.”
Keep your distance? No way! Alice thought to herself. I’ve already lost you once. There’s no way I’m letting that happen again.