Kisses Dipped in Lies

The camera flashes, glittering and exploding at the same time, are almost deafening and blinding, all of them directed at just one person. Lovella Rodriguez, the biggest and highest paid model in the whole of Spain. Ask anywhere. Most popular Most beautiful Hottest model Most wealthy model Most followed model on Instagram Lovella Rodriguez would be the answer. Her name is literally on everyone’s lips. If you don’t know her, then you must be living under a rock. She’s currently rated as the third most beautiful woman in the world, and that was last year. The ranking is almost up again, and people are already whispering that Lovella might actually take the number one spot this year. "Lovella here please" "To this side Love!" "Watch your step baby girl" "I’ve never seen anyone this perfect, f*****g hell" The cameramen, reporters, and fans are practically running after her as she walks. Even the way she walks is iconic. Sexy. Perfect steps, one at a time. Her long hair follows the rhythm of the breeze, flowing freely, while her manager holds the back of her gown. Lovella walks onto the red carpet and finally stops at the picture stage. "Thirty seconds," she mutters nonchalantly, already switching between poses. The cameramen don’t slack for even a second. They start taking as many shots as they can. Because Lovella doesn’t bluff. Her thirty seconds are her thirty seconds. Other models arrive at the same minute, but no one leaves Lovella for them. Every lens stays on her. Just her. When the thirty seconds are over, she walks away without warning. Lexine scoffs from inside her car. She watches the whole thing and deliberately doesn’t step out while Lovella is still standing there. Lexine and Lovella are the biggest rivals in the history of modeling. Their fans could literally kill each other if they were allowed in the same space. "Lexine is the most beautiful!!" "Blind pigs, who’s Lexine when Lovella exists?!" Those are the comments you’ll always see. Toxic fan bases at their peak. But Lexine is forever behind Lovella. Achievements. Riches. Popularity. Lovella always takes the lead. The only place Lexine leads is age. Lexine is 25 Lovella is 24 "You can come out now," Chisa, Lexine’s manager, tells her. Lexine adjusts her sunglasses and flips her hair to the side before stepping out. Immediately, screams fill the air, and she’s rushed as well. "You look so beautiful Lex!" "I love the shoes!" "The gown is perfect, clock ittttt girl!" Lexine ignores them and simply catwalks to the picture stage. ༆ [7:15𝑷𝒎, 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂'𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏] The living room is painted in a deep wine shade, the furniture blending into every inch of luxury inside it. From the couches to the walls, to the framed photos from her different shoots, there’s even one where she’s naked under transparent lingerie. In most of her shoots, she’s wearing black or red. Those are her signature colors, her lips always finished with either thick glossy red or full black. Her nails are painted black, sometimes red. She owns six cars. Three red, three black. Lovella is really girly, extremely girly, but she doesn’t f**k with bright feminine colors like pink. Sometimes she thinks she’s even better than her best friend, who could literally gag at the sight of pink or bright red. Her best friend is darker than her. Maybe that’s why they click. Lovella is sitting on the couch, her legs resting on the stool, a glass of red wine in her hand as she sips slowly and watches TV. They’re showing the event she attended earlier today, the Aurelia Fashion Summit. Other models appear on the screen, but as expected, the focus stays on her. Lovella loves doing too much. She doesn’t believe in the saying that doing too much is cheap. She doesn’t give a f**k. She does too much, and she stays different. In a room where hundreds of people dress normal, Lovella walks in looking like nothing normal at all. She’s allergic to being ordinary. There has to be something about her that pulls attention, something that keeps eyes on her all day. And she loves it. She loves the attention. She loves being the topic. She loves trending. Even right now, the outfit she wore today is trending, and once again, she’s the most talked about celebrity. She hasn’t posted anything on i********: yet, and she knows her fans are craving it. But she won’t post when everyone else is posting. She loves starving people and making them beg. Lovella drops her pictures after everyone else has already dropped theirs. She’s always the last. Some minutes later, footsteps finally echo through the quiet house. Lovella’s house is huge, the biggest in the entire estate. She lives alone. No maids stay overnight, and even the bodyguards have their own place in the compound. Wondering how she eats? She doesn’t cook. Every day, the maids come quietly, cook, and leave immediately. There were rumors once that she’s a witch who turns ugly at night, which is why she never lets anyone sleep over. Even her manager doesn’t sleep over, but she’s the only one who really has access to Lovella. That’s why Lovella knows it’s her the moment she hears the footsteps. "What is it Kimmy?" Lovella throws the question before Kimmy even reaches her. "Here," Kimmy says, handing her an iPad. "Everything is ready, just like you requested." She’s young, only twenty three, but her brain is sharp as f**k. That’s why Lovella keeps her, from the moment they met in New York years ago. She knows everything about Lovella, including her past. Lovella trusts her enough to know she’ll never betray her. "Took you a good three weeks," Lovella says, dropping her wine. "He’s a wide topic to figure out ma’am, but I’m sure you’ll love it," Kimmy says. "You can go. I’ll read it after my bath tonight," Lovella says, standing with the iPad still in her hand. "Goodnight ma’am," Kimmy bows. "Do I have any work tomorrow morning?" Lovella asks. "I cleared all your bookings for the rest of the week like you asked, but next week will be brutal," Kimmy mutters. Lovella ignores her and walks away. In her room, she drops the iPad on the bed, strips out of her clothes, and heads into the bathroom. She planned on taking a long bath, but curiosity is louder. So she settles for a shower instead. ༆ Lovella settled on her bed after her night routine, completely naked under her nightie, just lying there, holding the iPad in her hand. She clicked on the document and it filled the screen. CONFIDENTIAL DOSSIER SUBJECT: RODERICK KING, VALDEZ Classification: Private Executive Brief Prepared For: Miss Lovella Compiled By: Manager – Internal Research Unit 1. BASIC IDENTIFICATION Full Name: Roderick King Valdez Age: 28 Nationality: Spanish Residence: Villa Esmeralda, La Moraleja, Madrid Status: Married (wife: Jane Valdez) Net Worth: €200 Billion (Personal) €310 Billion (Valdez Global Holdings – Assets Under Management) Global Ranking: Top 3 Richest Individuals Worldwide Spain Ranking: Number 1 2. PRIMARY BUSINESS Valdez Global Holdings (VGH) Role: Founder & Chairman Value: €1.3 Trillion Industry Focus: Advanced Technology Global Infrastructure Banking & Investment Energy & Power Systems Pharmaceuticals Luxury Real Estate AI, Robotics, & Defense Technologies Headquarters: VGH Tower, Madrid Branches: 76 countries Employees: 480,000+ Summary: VGH is considered the most influential privately-owned conglomerate in Europe. Known for aggressive acquisitions, silent expansions, and unmatched technological dominance. 3. SECONDARY COMPANIES (Owned Through VGH) 4. Aetherion Technologies – World's leading advanced-tech company 5. Solaris Energy Group – Europe’s #1 clean energy corporation 6. Valora Bank International – A global banking empire 7. Arclight Robotics – Military-grade robotics & AI labs 8. AstraMed Pharmaceuticals – High-end medical & biotech research 9. Titan Infrastructure Co. – Bridges, highways, megastructures worldwide 10. Dominion Real Estate Trust – Luxury cities, towers, islands Roderick controls all major sectors except politics. And even there, he has influence. 4. SPECIAL INTERESTS & PRIVATE OWNERSHIPS 5. Elysium Jets – His private aviation fleet 6. Obsidian Securities – Elite private security firm 7. Vanta Luxury Motors – Hypercar brand (limited production) 8. Aeralith Communications – Satellite & orbital network control 9. Blackthorne Defense – Restricted weapons R&D unit 10. PERSONALITY DOSSIER Business Reputation: Calculated. Cold. Impossible to intimidate. Known for ruthless negotiation. Never loses a deal. Public Image: Rarely speaks to the media Known for icy stares, zero nonsense Charitable, but secretly, rarely publicly Always guarded by two men from Obsidian Securities Known Habits: Arrives late to every event (signature power move) Never drinks at parties Prefers silence over conversation Controls any room he enters 6. SOCIAL & EVENT PROFILE Roderick is always invited to the biggest elite gatherings worldwide, especially those hosted by powerful brand owners or political figures. He frequently attends events hosted by: Obsidian House Valkyria Couture Imperium Automata Aurelius Private Club Crownwell Royal Bank Helion Tech Summit Black Monarch Society His wife, Jane Valdez, owns Lunora Atelier, one of the top fashion houses in Europe. 7. CONTROVERSIES / RUMORS Rumored to have destroyed a billionaire rival using quiet legal warfare Attached to zero scandals (extremely protected) Some business journalists call him “The Ghost Emperor” He has never been photographed smiling 8. SECURITY NOTE Roderick King is considered one of the most secured individuals in Europe. Public appearances are limited, movements are unpredictable, and every event he attends is vetted hours before arrival. Approaching him directly is described as “nearly impossible.” 9. INTERNAL FOOTNOTE "Everything here indicates one thing: he is extremely powerful, extremely private, and extremely dangerous to cross. I would advise caution." — Manager Kimmy ༆ • Lovella finished reading the entire dossier and dropped the iPad on the bedside table. Her face didn’t change, but she was quietly amused. Not that she wasn’t expecting most of it—everyone knew Roderick was insanely rich—but all these companies, all this information, his net worth? Her own €70 million fortune suddenly felt tiny compared to a trillionaire. She chuckled, low and slow. Sitting up, she opened the drawer of the bedside table, grabbed a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply. The only thing on her mind in that moment was him. Just him.