The Industry Reacts
1412 Words
That evening, Emma arrived at a private gala alongside Aiden. The event was packed with high-profile guests, all whispering about the latest scandal.
As soon as they stepped inside, all eyes turned to them.
Emma smirked, feeling the weight of their stares. She leaned in slightly toward Aiden. “Do you enjoy the attention?”
Aiden smirked back. “I enjoy watching you steal it.”
Emma chuckled. “Careful, Mr. Brooks. That almost sounded like a compliment.”
Aiden took a sip of his drink. “Almost.”
As they moved through the crowd, a familiar voice stopped Emma in her tracks.
“Emma.”
She turned slowly, her smirk fading.
Davis stood just a few feet away, his expression cold, his eyes filled with barely controlled rage.
The room grew tense as people realized what was happening.
Emma raised an eyebrow. “I did not expect you to show your face here.”
Davis stepped closer. “We need to talk. Alone.”
Aiden, who had been silent up until now, took a step forward, his presence instantly dominating the space.
“She is not interested,” Aiden said smoothly.
Davis’ eyes flickered to Aiden. “Stay out of this, Brooks.”
Aiden chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “You are standing in my presence and telling me what to do?”
Davis’ jaw tightened, but he did not say anything.
Emma smirked. “You heard him, Davis. I am not interested.”
Davis clenched his fists. “You will regret this, Emma.”
Emma tilted her head. “That is what you said last time. Look how that turned out.”
Davis’ face burned with humiliation as whispers spread through the crowd. He had lost, and everyone knew it.
Without another word, he turned and stormed out.
Aiden watched him leave before glancing at Emma. “Enjoying yourself?”
Emma smiled. “Very much.”
Aiden smirked. “Good.”
The night was far from over.
And Emma was just getting started.
“Are you going to keep staring at the news, or are you actually going to enjoy your drink?”
Emma turned her head slightly, smirking as she met Aiden’s gaze. He sat beside her in the dimly lit lounge, a glass of whiskey in his hand. His posture was relaxed, but there was an unmistakable sharpness in his expression.
“I like watching my work unfold,” Emma replied, taking a slow sip of her wine.
Aiden chuckled. “You sound pleased with yourself.”
Emma glanced at the television screen across the room. The latest scandal involving Davis and Sophia played on repeat, the reporters dissecting every detail. Sophia had yet to make a public statement, and Davis was scrambling to save his sinking reputation.
Emma turned back to Aiden, her eyes gleaming. “I am.”
Aiden leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “And what is your next move?”
Emma smirked. “You will see soon enough.”
Aiden studied her for a moment before taking a sip of his drink. “You are enjoying this a little too much.”
Emma tilted her head. “And you are not?”
Aiden’s lips curved slightly. “I enjoy watching weak men fall.”
Emma leaned back against the plush seat, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. “Then you should sit back and relax. Davis is only at the beginning of his downfall.”
Aiden’s dark eyes held hers for a long moment before he gave a slight nod. “I will be watching.”
Meanwhile, Davis sat in his office, gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“You are supposed to fix this!” he snapped.
His PR manager sighed on the other end. “Sir, the damage is already done. The media is eating this up. Sponsors are backing out. Investors are pulling their support.”
Davis clenched his jaw. “There has to be a way to turn this around.”
The man hesitated. “The only way is if Sophia speaks up and takes some of the heat off you.”
Davis ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “She is not answering my calls.”
“Then you need to find her,” the manager said firmly.
Davis ended the call and slammed his phone onto the desk.
He needed to act fast.
Sophia sat in her dimly lit bedroom, her hands trembling as she scrolled through the news articles on her phone. Every headline had her name in bold letters, every article filled with speculation.
She threw the phone onto the bed, breathing heavily.
Eden, her assistant, hovered near the door. “Miss Leonard, the press is waiting for a statement.”
Sophia turned sharply. “And what exactly do they want me to say?”
Eden swallowed nervously. “If you address the rumors now, you might be able to control the narrative.”
Sophia clenched her fists. “There is nothing to control. Emma set this up! She wants to ruin me.”
Eden hesitated. “Miss Leonard, with all due respect… this was bound to come out eventually.”
Sophia glared at him. “Are you siding with her?”
Eden quickly shook his head. “No, of course not. But you need to act fast before things get worse.”
Sophia gritted her teeth. “Find Davis. Tell him to fix this.”
Eden nodded and quickly stepped out of the room.
Sophia collapsed onto the bed, gripping her stomach.
This could not be happening.
Back at Aiden’s mansion, Emma stood by the large window, her phone in hand.
She had been expecting Davis to contact her, but the silence was almost amusing. He was losing control, and that meant he was desperate.
Her phone buzzed.
Isabel: “We are ready for phase two.”
Emma smirked and typed back.
Emma: “Do it.”
She placed the phone down, exhaling slowly.
This was not just about revenge anymore.
This was about taking back everything she had lost.
Aiden’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Planning something?”
Emma turned to find him standing by the doorway, his arms crossed.
She smirked. “Always.”
Aiden stepped closer, his gaze piercing. “You are going to push him over the edge.”
Emma met his eyes without hesitation. “That is the goal.”
Aiden studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Good.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “No warnings this time?”
Aiden smirked. “I want to see how far you will take this.”
Emma chuckled. “You might be surprised.”
Aiden’s eyes gleamed. “I hope so.”
As he turned to leave, Emma’s phone buzzed again.
This time, it was Davis.
She picked up the call, her voice smooth. “Finally decided to call?”
Davis’ voice was sharp. “We need to talk.”
Emma smirked. “About what? The fact that your perfect image is crumbling?”
Davis took a deep breath. “Emma, listen to me. We can fix this. You do not have to keep doing this.”
Emma’s expression turned cold. “You should have thought about that before you betrayed me.”
Davis hesitated. “You are going to regret this.”
Emma’s grip on the phone tightened. “No, Davis. You will.”
She ended the call and turned back to the window.
Outside, the city stretched before her, full of possibilities.
And soon, Davis Williams would have nothing left.
“You have done it now, Emma. The whole industry is talking.”
Isabel’s voice carried a mix of amusement and disbelief as Emma listened on the other end of the call. She sat in Aiden’s private study, her legs crossed, her fingers drumming lightly on the desk.
“Let them talk,” Emma said, her tone cool. “They should get used to it.”
Isabel chuckled. “Oh, they are talking, alright. Some models are furious, others are celebrating. You just shook the entire fashion industry.”
Emma smirked, already expecting this. “Tell me everything.”
“You should see the social media wars,” Isabel continued. “Half of them are saying you are a mastermind for exposing Sophia, while the other half thinks you are just bitter and trying to stay relevant.”
Emma’s lips twitched. “And what do you think?”
- Writer
