Forever mine

Episode Two – The First Day

The Monday morning air in Paris was sharp and brisk, carrying the faint scent of fresh bread from the boulangerie on the corner. Eliana clutched her coffee cup like a lifeline as she approached the glass facade of Étoile Modèles. Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she stepped into the lobby — the place buzzing with photographers, models, and stylists darting from one end to another.

She’d been told to report directly to the design department on the fifth floor, but her first obstacle stood waiting at the reception desk.

“Ah, Mademoiselle Mabel,” the receptionist greeted, with a look that seemed part welcome, part curiosity. “Mr. Laurent asked that you meet him in Studio C before you begin.”

Her pulse quickened. Again? Already? She nodded, masking her unease, and made her way down the hallway. The studio door was ajar, light spilling out from within.

Inside, Bryan stood beside a massive window, speaking to a group of photographers. His sleeves were rolled up, tie loosened — the kind of casual elegance that made him impossible to ignore. When his gaze met hers, a flicker of something passed between them.

“You’re here,” he said, as if he hadn’t expected her to show. “Good. I want you to assist with today’s campaign shoot. Observe. Learn. Keep notes on styling changes.”

She swallowed her nerves. “Of course.”

It was then she heard it — the slow, deliberate click of stilettos against the floor. The sound entered the room before the woman did.

Kim.

She was the kind of woman magazines worshipped: tall, sleek, with raven-black hair and eyes that could slice steel. The lead model of the agency — and Bryan’s girlfriend. Her hand slipped around his arm with the ease of someone claiming territory.

“And who is this?” Kim’s voice dripped with curiosity, but her gaze was already appraising Eliana like she was a thread out of place.

“Eliana Mabel,” Bryan replied smoothly. “Our new design assistant.”

Kim’s smile was slow, sharp. “How… interesting.”

For the next hour, Eliana kept her head down, jotting notes, avoiding Kim’s icy stare. But she couldn’t ignore the way Bryan’s eyes found hers between camera flashes — brief, dangerous moments that made her chest tighten.

When the shoot wrapped, Kim leaned in, close enough for Eliana to catch her perfume. “Welcome to Étoile Modèles,” she whispered, her tone sweet but laced with warning. “You’ll find it’s not always as glamorous as it looks.”

And just like that, she walked away, leaving the air between Eliana and Bryan charged with unspoken tension.

Eliana exhaled slowly. Paris had been supposed to be a fresh start. But with Bryan watching her every move and Kim already circling, she had the uneasy feeling she’d stepped straight into a battlefield — one where the war was fought not just with fashion, but with hearts.