After the Camera
989 Words
People assumed models spent their lives posing in front of cameras.
They never saw everything that happened after the flash.
The interviews.
The fittings.
The contract meetings.
The charity events.
The endless dinners where everyone pretended they weren't judging everyone else.
Being the face of Voss Management wasn't just a job.
It was a lifestyle.
And tonight, that lifestyle came with a black-tie charity gala.
I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, studying my reflection.
The stylist had insisted on a deep emerald satin gown that hugged every curve before flowing effortlessly to the floor. Against my dark skin, the colour almost glowed.
My curls had been swept into a sleek low bun, leaving a few soft strands framing my face.
Diamond earrings.
Minimal makeup.
Classic.
Elegant.
Exactly the image brands paid millions for.
The penthouse around me was unusually quiet.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the glittering city below.
Candles flickered softly in the living room.
Jazz floated from hidden speakers.
Most people expected someone in my position to throw parties every weekend.
Honestly...I preferred silence.
My phone buzzed on the vanity.
Maya ❤️
"Tell me you're ready because the photographers are definitely going to faint tonight."
I laughed.
Me: You're dramatic.
Her reply came almost instantly.
"No. You're just ridiculously pretty."
I shook my head, smiling before locking my phone.
Some people entered a room.
Tonight...
I intended to own one.
••••
The Royal Crescent Hotel glittered beneath hundreds of crystal lights.
Luxury cars lined the entrance.
Photographers crowded behind velvet ropes.
Flashes exploded every second.
"Ariella!"
"Over here!"
"One more!"
"Can we get a smile?"
I stepped onto the carpet.
Shoulders back.
Chin lifted.
Smile effortless.
Years of experience had taught me exactly where every camera was.
Click.
Click.
Click.
A reporter hurried over.
"Ariella! Rumour has it you're the favourite to become the face of Maison Élise's global campaign. Any comment?"
I smiled politely.
"I've learned never to celebrate opportunities before contracts are signed."
"So... that's a yes?"
"That's a 'wait and see.'"
Laughter rippled through the crowd as i went in.
The ballroom looked like something from a dream.
Golden chandeliers hung overhead.
A string quartet played softly from the stage.
Fashion designers.
Actors.
Professional athletes.
CEOs.
Influencers.
Some of the biggest names in the country drifted through the room, champagne glasses in hand.
Networking disguised as celebration.
Exactly what Richard always called it.
Speaking of...
"There you are."
I turned.
Richard stood beside one of the marble columns in a perfectly tailored tuxedo.
Despite the smile on his face... he looked exhausted.
The shadows beneath his eyes hadn't been there a month ago.
"You clean up well," he teased.
"I was about to say the same thing."
He chuckled.
"I'll take that compliment."
He offered me his arm.
"Walk with me."
We moved away from the crowd, weaving between conversations until we reached the balcony overlooking the city.
The cool evening breeze lifted a loose strand of hair across my face.
For a long moment... Neither of us spoke.
"You've done well here."
I frowned.
"That's a strangely sentimental thing to say."
"I've reached the age where sentimental becomes acceptable."
"You've been sentimental since I met you."
He laughed quietly.
"Fair point."
His expression softened as he looked out over the city.
"You know..."
"When I first signed you, everyone told me I was making a mistake."
I leaned against the railing.
"I remember."
"They said you were too confident."
"They said I was intimidating. They said luxury brands wanted someone... safer." I grimace
He nodded.
"And then you proved every single one of them wrong."
A warmth settled in my chest.
Richard had never handed me success.
He'd handed me opportunities. I'd earned everything after that.
"I've been thinking," he said carefully.
"That's dangerous."
He smiled.
"I want you to promise me something."
"Depends."
"No matter what happens..."
His voice became quieter.
"...don't let this industry convince you your worth depends on a contract."
The words caught me off guard.
I stared at him.
"Richard..."
"You hear me?"
"Richard is there someth–" He didn't even let me finish. I'm getting f*****g worried over here
"You hear me?"
I finally relent "I do."
"You promise?"
"...I promise."
For some reason...that answer seemed to satisfy him and it made me worried.
He smiled.
Not the confident smile that had built an empire.
A smaller one.
Almost... Peaceful.
Someone called his name from inside the ballroom.
He sighed dramatically. "Duty calls."
"Go on. I know all about it"
He smiled and walked off
I watched him disappear into the crowd.
Something tugged at my chest.
A strange feeling.
The kind that whispered... Pay attention.
But I ignored it.
Because Richard Knight had always been larger than life.
•••
By the time I got home, it was almost midnight.
I kicked off my heels near the front door with a sigh of relief.
"Freedom."
The silence of my apartment welcomed me like an old friend.
I washed off my makeup.
Changed into an oversized T-shirt.
Curled up on the sofa with a bowl of buttered popcorn and an old black-and-white romance playing quietly on television.
For the first time all day...
I wasn't Ariella Voss. Top Model
I was just... simple woman enjoying a quiet night at home.
My phone buzzed on the coffee table.
Maya❤️
I smiled and answered.
"Missing me already?"
Silence.
"What’s wrong? Maya?"
Then...
"Ariella..."
Her voice cracked.
And suddenly...
Every hair on my arms stood up.
"I..."
She stopped to take a shaky breath.
"There... there's been an accident."
The bowl slipped from my hands.
Popcorn scattered across the floor.
"...What?"
"It's Richard."
Everything inside me went still.
"They... they rushed him to the hospital."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"He collapsed after leaving the gala."
The room spun.
I can't breathe.
No. No. No. Not Richard. NO!!!
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