CHAPTER 33: ANOTHER PLAN

Alisha arrived at Veila the next day and she couldn’t help but notice that the conflicted looks the girls were darting to her direction had become more condescending.

Once Alisha made eye contact with them, they would immediately look away and then turn to gossip in a muffle sound.

However, no matter how quiet their whisper was, it wasn’t quiet enough. She could still hear them loud and clear.

Alisha didn’t need to strain to hear them. No matter how low their voices dipped, she had long since mastered the art of catching conversations not meant for her ears.

"I don’t get why she had to go to the gala with Katherine," one girl murmured, her tone dripping with bitterness. "As for Katherine, I completely understand. She’s a supermodel—she belongs there. But Alisha? I just don’t get it. I bet the only reason Megan sent her along was because she’s married to a billionaire."

"Exactly," another chimed in, her words curling like venom. "We’ve been in this industry for two years already, and we haven’t even gotten an invitation to the Met Gala, let alone attended one. And then she comes out of nowhere and steals our spot."

Their quiet chuckles felt like mosquito bites—small, but infuriating.

Alisha, however, didn’t flinch. She moved to the resting area and settled into a cushioned seat, crossing one leg over the other with unhurried grace. A fashion magazine rested in her hands, but her eyes drifted over the glossy pages without absorbing a single word.

Her mind was elsewhere, tangled in thoughts far more important than their petty jealousy. She had bigger enemies to deal with than girls whose greatest weapon was gossip.

Her brief escape into thought was cut short by a voice she would have preferred never to hear again.

"Alisha..."

The name rolled off Katherine’s tongue with sugary sweetness, but Alisha felt her skin crawl all the same. She lifted her gaze to find Katherine standing in front of her, a practiced smile plastered on her lips, the kind of smile that was meant to look warm but failed to reach her eyes.

"I didn’t see you throughout yesterday after we walked in," Katherine began, her voice light yet laced with something sharper. "And then you left without telling me anything... that’s not very nice of you. Did you get lost?"

Without waiting for an answer, she stepped closer and took Alisha’s hands in hers as though they were dear friends. The grip was firm, almost possessive.

Alisha’s discomfort spiked instantly. She slipped her hands free with practiced ease, her face remaining politely composed.

"I had a terrible stomachache, so I had to return home immediately," she replied, mirroring Katherine’s false friendliness.

Katherine tilted her head, her eyes narrowing just enough to betray her disbelief. "Oh, really? I thought you might have gotten lost. Well, next time, you should stay close to me. I had a few people I wanted to introduce you to, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find you."

’For a model, she’s definitely a good actress too,’ Alisha thought dryly.

She was about to respond when she noticed Bethany hovering just behind Katherine. The girl’s posture was stiff, her gaze flitting away the moment their eyes met.

Bethany had always made a point of avoiding her—crossing the hallway to walk in the opposite direction, ducking out of rooms when Alisha entered. The avoidance was strange, and it left Alisha wondering why the girl hadn’t taken the more direct route of conspiring against her.

Katherine followed Alisha’s gaze, then glanced over her shoulder at Bethany.

"She’s not been bothering you, right? Don’t worry," Katherine said with a faint laugh, "I warned her after the comments she made about you the other time."

The statement was meant to sound protective, but Alisha knew better. Katherine wouldn’t have told Bethany to stay away unless there was something more calculated at play.

The scandalous article from the night before had already been taken down by Dante possibly even though she told him not to, so by morning, the chatter about her supposedly sleeping her way to Dante had quieted. Still, the other girls’ resentment lingered, simmering just beneath the surface.

Not long after, the girls gathered for their practice performance.

Along with the news of Alisha attending the Met Gala with Katherine, Megan had also added about their partner with a famous fashion brand, Siréna couture.

Siréna couture was a clothing brand whose design is mostly about sea creatures and the underwater beauty.

The brand’s founder had once been a deep-sea diver, and her experiences beneath the waves had shaped her work. Now, her pieces were worn by royalty and celebrities alike.

For every girl in the room, this was a chance to make their mark. Even those who didn’t become the face of the campaign could catch the attention of other prestigious brands.

When practice ended hours later, Alisha began gathering her things. Ryan had informed her earlier about a weapons shipment they needed to intercept, and time was running short.

She was halfway to the door when a woman stepped into her path. She appeared to be in her early thirties, her every movement deliberate, her every detail immaculate. Her hair—silver and sleek—was twisted into a bun so precise it looked sculpted without a single strand falling out. Around her neck, wrists, and ears glittered jewelry that was unmistakably high-end.

Alisha recognized both the woman and the brand she represented—Nix, the luxury jewelry company with an almost untouchable reputation.

If the assistant was here, it could only mean she had business with Megan. Possibly a new collaboration, one that could further open doors for Veila’s models.

As Alisha prepared to step around her, the woman’s voice stopped her.

"Alisha De Rossi," she said, her tone smooth but commanding.

Alisha turned, a polite smile curving her lips.

"I saw you at the gala yesterday," the woman continued. "I wanted to speak to you, but by the time I reached where you were, you had already left."

The woman’s expression was a fascinating mix. Her features bright, almost inviting, yet her eyes held the firmness of someone accustomed to being obeyed.

"I’m sorry about that. What would you like to speak to me about?" Alisha asked.

"I’m Helen," the woman said, offering her a pristine business card. "Nix was at the gala, and you immediately caught her attention—your face, your walk. We’re launching a new jewelry collection next week, and we’d like you to be one of our models for the campaign."

Alisha arched an eyebrow internally, though her face didn’t show it. She had heard of the launch. Everyone in the industry had. But she also knew that the face of the campaign had already been announced.

And that face was Katherine.

"But Katherine is already your model for the jewelry," Alisha said evenly.

Helen’s smile tightened, revealing perfect white teeth. "We can always have more than one model for the job."

The offer was tempting—too tempting. But it came with strings, and those strings were tangled around Katherine. Working side by side with her in the same space would mean daily battles.

Then again... stealing what Katherine had built for herself was exactly the kind of victory Alisha sought.

She could already see it—Katherine’s contract terminated, her influence chipped away piece by piece, until she was nothing but a fading memory in the industry she had once ruled.

What Alisha didn’t notice was Katherine herself, standing just a few feet away, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles had gone white.

Katherine’s mind was a storm.

She had clawed her way up—replacing Eva in everything that mattered: marrying Nathan, becoming a top model, winning contracts, attending elite events. She had worked tirelessly to secure her place, and now... now, things were unraveling.

One thread at a time, her achievements were being undone—and the hands pulling those threads belonged to Alisha.

By the time Katherine returned home, her composure had frayed completely. She threw her designer bag onto the couch with such force it bounced once before toppling over.

Nathan was lounging there, his focus split between her and the soccer match on TV.

"What’s wrong with you? Did someone anger you again?" he asked, glancing at her only briefly before returning his gaze to the screen.

"Nix is planning to sign a contract with Alisha," Katherine spat, pacing like a caged animal. "They want her working beside me for their new jewelry launch."

Nathan’s eyes snapped to her at the mention of Alisha’s name.

"That woman is really starting to cross the line," Katherine fumed. Her hands curled into fists, then she reached for a porcelain vase and hurled it toward the wall. It shattered against the floor, shards scattering across the marble.

Nathan flinched at the sound.

"Will you calm down? Alisha is just one person, and you’re already this irritated? What if there were more? What would you do then?"

His words seemed to plant a seed in her mind. Slowly, her expression shifted, calculation replacing rage.

A model’s career could end overnight if the right—or wrong—information surfaced. Alisha’s popularity was rising fast, but one scandal could bring it crashing down.

"You need to get her cancelled for me," Katherine said suddenly, her tone deadly serious. "You have the power to do it. Blacklist her. Make her disappear."

Nathan stared at her as though she had lost her mind.

"I can’t do that..."

Katherine’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

"She’s married to Dante," he continued. "If I move against her, I’ll be waging war with her in-laws. But..." He paused, a different kind of smile tugging at his lips. "There is something else we could do."