Alice was dumbfounded.
Her practiced smile, perfected in front of mirrors and gossip columns, gradually stiffened. The corners of her lips twitched awkwardly, then collapsed completely as Jenna’s cold stare bore into her like a spotlight. Jenna’s lips curled into a victorious smirk, clearly savoring the moment.
Stella let out a low chuckle. “You two should really get lost. You’re not just thick-skinned freeloaders—you’re embarrassing yourselves in front of an entire staff trained to pamper us, not the peanut gallery.”
The boutique manager nervously stepped in, watching the tension spike like a crashing stock market. She had worked hard to get this partnership with Jenna and couldn’t risk losing such a high-profile VVIP.
“Miss Hidalgo,” she said with forced calm, “we truly value your pr
