Imagine Talent Agency 

The lady in a bright yellow top and printed skirt, all Lynx designer, sat languidly on a white chair. Legs crossed, her hand holding the latest mobile phone while her slim fingers swipe through the screen. Cassandra Liu looked at the trending topics on her mobile with a sullen face. One moment everyone was cursing at Sena, the next thing she knew the people voicing their support on her side gradually quieted as the news of Linsy Miles’ arrest occupied most media portals. 

How could Sena Erde be so lucky?!

“What are you doing?” Manager Gina snatched her phone and began lecturing. 

Startled, Cassandra looked up at the middle-aged woman wearing thick make-up. She scowled and snatched the phone back from her nosy manager, annoyed that she invaded her personal space again.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from your SNS until La Bella contacts us to negotiate? If you were caught opening your account, they might suspect that you had a hand with the leak about the feature subject.” 

“I’m not using my official page but the other one,” Cassandra replied perfunctorily. Straightening up her clothes wrinkled from sitting. 

Her eyes narrowed as it resumed looking at the girl in the photo. She lifted her perfectly manicured nails to the cold screen. While her fingers brushed through the image files, she eyed Sena’s clothes— a landscape print balloon skirt, a designer shirt from decades ago and satin ribbon heels. Surely these were just high street brands but it had such a modern vintage feel that elevated the old dress to another level. 

“Did Sena Erde run out of clothes she had to rummage through her grandmother’s closet?” She will never admit that the other had superior taste in fashion despite not using big names. 

“The one you’re pointing at is Lady Doukas’ darling girl. She had worked with several designers whose fashions had been worn from the most exclusive streets in the world.”  

Cassandra's bright red mouth flattened into a line of distaste. “Damn it Gina, are you my agent or are you her agent?! When you list all the famous models she could hardly even be mentioned.” 

“Why of all people you have to choose her?”

“You’ll know about it later,” Cassandra said coolly. 

Ms Gina exhaled sharply then gave her a glare, “Harley, the rising star of La Bella is not someone who plays by the rules. Prestige is no better than snowflake to him, he can very well feature a tramp and give him fame overnight. And he is not a weak chicken. Might I remind you my dear that you haven’t received any work offer for two consecutive months now?”

“Don’t worry, after La Bella things will go back on track.” 

“You could have chosen a different person, pulling Sena’s name might eventually backfire. You better pray Harley does not find out your involvement with the internet trolls and ghostwriters or else your career is truly over!”

Cassandra doesn’t care. She had tossed the issue to the paparazzi and there is a low chance for her to get caught especially when she had cleaned her trail carefully. Who had so much free time to trace ghostwriters who don't exist? 

La Bella wanted a topic about independent charismatic women and Kaitlyn, the other candidate for new editor-in-chief promised this job for her. Unfortunately, her rival was Harley who had won several awards for his creative writing under his belt and had the support of the old editor in chief. Harley’s razor-sharp mind and unerring taste had a huge influence on the domestic edition of the magazine so much that the overall aesthetic of La Bella underwent a major overhaul. Rather than focusing on the overexposed celebrities from the entertainment industry, the heads this time wanted to feature people who rarely get mentioned in vanity fair pages yet have made actual contributions in society. And Harley showed positive interest in Sena Erde.

As an A-list celebrity who practically clawed her way to the top, Cassandra felt their move was a huge slap to her ego. She had been a star for many years, worked with different kinds of artists and basked with the attention of her fans. If there is anyone more deserving of this offer, it should be her. Her sharp nail made a tick-tick sound on the picture on the screen. Those people who dared cross her were either left out or had gotten out of the field. 

Sena has a complicated relationship with the media anyway and she’s been riddled with all kinds of issues. People were also watching the dear Ms Perfect’s every move waiting for the other shoe to fall off.  

“I’ll be waiting for La Bella to contact me.” Her smile was as perfect as the pleats on her skirt. “I’m pretty sure that they also do not want the issue to drag on.” 

“How certain are you that they will give in to the pressure?”

“Today’s readers are not interested in the rigid and taxing world of entrepreneurs or some inconspicuous no name pretty face.” Cassandra said with a confident smile, “What they wanted was the well-known persona on the fields they are interested in like entertainment and social media for example. People are drawn to fame because these are the images behind the labels they patronize. I represent their hidden desires.” 

There was a tight silence. Ms Gina was nearly convinced with her rhetoric, however, the rational part of her brain warns her not to underestimate Sena’s reputation for having incredible luck. 

 

Sena sat on the armrest of the couch while reading a newspaper. 

Linsy Miles’s image was captured vividly as he snarled at the reporter taking a photo of him. The man did not look anything like in his twenties, the good looks that should have been there being hallowed by alcohol, drugs and overindulgence. In another frame is the pixelated photo of an unknown woman who was fished out from the river inside a suitcase. 

Wherever he is heading, let the scourge stay there so he can no longer harm others. She thought as she closed the paper and walked towards the window. 

The sudden intervention of Nicholas advanced her plan. 

The Miles family is a tumour that needed to be removed. Linsy is the cause of April’s death. Lewis, the mayor’s secretary, has been covering for him and colluded with Michael’s relatives to cheat him of his parents’ company. The mayor himself is not a good person, it was because he received bribes that Diamond HQ was charged with a tax evasion case and took years to enter the public market as a listed company in her last life. 

“They deserve it.” She muttered while patting down the goosebumps on her arms. 

Apple came after a knock. 

“Are you free?”

“Just finished with some paperwork.”  

He closed the door behind him and sat comfortably. “Imagine Talent Agency is obviously targeting you. Last time, they intervened with the reality show. Now one of their artists is using your name for some heat.” Apple began pointing out the previous issue. 

Sena smiled helplessly. “Although Challenge Me was indeed botched up by them, I’m satisfied with the result.” 

“Bull. Is it really alright even when they stole the offer that was originally yours to reduce your exposure?” He went into detail about Lynx's supposed to be offer. 

“It doesn’t matter because I’m on the different side of the business and I’m not fighting with them for resources or anything. Nothing was approved in the first place. It was only a personal opinion of the designer to choose me.” She replied calmly. “Now if the clothing line changed their mind it’s not up for us to file a complaint.”

They felt Maya has more potential than her so for the benefit of the brand, they have to go with the best option. 

“Well said but I still think you’re too soft,” Apple said blithely. He did a thorough background check on Lynx and found a huge problem in it. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that someone else snatched it from them, making her avoid a new issue. 

Unbeknownst to him, Sena was already aware of this problem ahead of time so she felt nothing but relief. The days pass by so quickly and they are now approaching the new year, several of her co-stars in Challenge Me have taken up advertisements, interviews and game shows. She flipped through the paper Apple brought in with a bland expression, most of these did not appeal to her. Arthur and TK declined several ad offers but Nancy was chosen by a mobile game company to be their model.  

Frankly speaking, she did not want to have any more involvement with the entertainment company. She just wants to quietly make money and happily spend it! 

But the recent attention she got from the media is indeed quite helpful. For example, it gave Diamond Realtor more exposure. Contracts fell on their office like raindrops giving the agents more jobs and, of course, higher income. It’s not as if she’s lacking any offers in her modelling career. TEMPEST Management has forwarded several good deals last year but she withdrew, though there are still a few remaining she let the others take the opportunity instead. 

“Speaking of Lynx, you should know about Cassandra Liu.”

“A little.” She replied.

Apple conveniently provided information.

Cassandra Liu follows a sophisticated young adult style. Her social media page is filled with her interactions with several high profile people from the entertainment industry, her luxurious daily life and the brands she endorsed. Her last post was forwarding a prayer towards another star while attaching a sexy photo of herself. 

 Sena: …? 

Perhaps the revealing outfit might contribute to the person’s speedy recovery— or something.  

Looking at it, Apple sneered. “This woman is shameless enough to use others for attention.”

Sena held her forehead. Isn’t this normal in showbiz? 

“She’s Lynx brand ambassador in the previous year who amassed millions of fans after she co-starred with Amber, the youngest box office king to be crowned. She laid low for quite a while due to poor health. Being tagged together with her is not a good thing, her fans are known to be very combative and rude. They have a notorious reputation for throwing shade at people they do not like. Anyone who experienced crossing paths with Cassandra Liu was torn apart by her supporters.” 

“Hm, and people are saying I robbed her of an endorsement,” Sena scrolled through her account. Sure enough, the fiascos already began. “Looks interesting.”

[This nameless girl wants to compete with our Cassey? You’re dreaming!]

[It says here you’re a real estate agent. Why don’t you just continue selling houses?!]

[It makes me laugh that some insignificant Insta model was wishing to fly out and try the real world. Girl, you cannot handle the competition]

[If La Bella chose her over Cassandra, perhaps it was time to question the quality of their content.]

“Oh, don’t look at it! These people have nothing better to do.” Apple jumped, wanting to snatch the phone from her, “These people can’t even see how they are being used by their own idol as a weapon.” 

“Ehm, I’m not really upset.”

But he looked like he was. Sena observed with humour. 

“So what about Lynx and La Bella?” He huffed angrily and started an endless tirade about her career. Sena went to the mini refrigerator to get a bottle of cool juice and give it to him. 

“You’re starting to smoke.” 

Apple itched to pinch her cheek. “You have far better offers than they do! How dare these bumpkins think you are some small internet celebrity?” 

He dug through his organizer smugly and narrated all the events she walked into. He wanted to show this to those rude trolls to pierce their blind eyes. 

“Aside from Lady Doukas, you have been a VIP of the many fashion giants!” He said proudly.

There is only one flaw, he found that one important event in Monaco was skipped because of her meltdown. His face sank. Fine— let’s not linger on that one. Fortunately, Sena has gradually risen back when she showed her face to the Royal Gem exhibition and accepted the invitation for the Chartreuse Gala in January. In addition to the charity event, there are still activities in the coming months. Sena readily agreed to attend which greatly surprised him. 

“What’s the difference between me accepting offers and squatting on the top trends almost every month?”

She suspects that this rebirth was meant to pull her in the spotlight but she doesn’t have proof. 

Apple had to restrain himself from hitting her ass, “Which person in their right mind would want to hang in the top trends to be beaten?!”

This brat, she’s going to be the death of him. He’d bet his kidneys and liver that there is none out there who had her weird optimism. But she’s got a point though, just when things are going smoothly an incident would occur and drag her name into the fire. At this rate, even if she doesn’t accept ads, interviews or whatnot, people have already recognized her.  

The good thing was, she was even more tenacious now. He thought she would continue to brood in a corner. It appears that her participation in Challenge Me did some miracle. If this goes on… “Humph, don’t mention Cassandra Liu, other celebrities are already bleeding with envy towards you. You have crossed the threshold of the fashion industry and have good resources which they could only think of.”

Sena has always been favoured by the lens because of her good image and magnetic appeal. From small, she was the mascot of many children’s luxury brands and was invited on catwalks or fashion events in her teens. But Paula put a stop to it as soon as she knew that it was getting in the way of her daughter’s childhood. 

“Alright now, let’s not exaggerate shall we?” Sena patted his shoulder lightly. 

Apple should calm down first. Though she knew he was not the kind of impulsive person as he shows she still reminded him playfully. They should cautiously handle this matter because the moment they make a misstep, it would cause an even bigger fire. Those people will turn their pitchforks and torches right at them. 

“I talked to La Bella’s editor-in-chief, and she said they will release a statement soon. All you have to do is be obedient.” 

That afternoon, La Bella did put out a statement as a veiled reply to the recent rumour. They did not directly name a cover girl but played sideball instead. 

 

labellaofficial 

200K likes

Enter the world of the young visual artist @andyzhang. Her stunning works were showcased in several exhibitions strongly focusing on fashion. 

“I have always wanted my subjects to look more alive. Timeless with their emotions on their sleeves, every line and texture vivid.”

She was referring not only to the image itself but to the overall character of her subject on this famous quote of hers during her first interview.  

In the comment section, fans of the photographer boiled over after knowing their idol is going to work with the magazine this time. Of course, people also noticed that La Bella did not once mention selecting their cover girl. 

[Fans of Cassandra Liu, how does it feel to be ignored?]

[Some time ago people were hyping about a certain famous star representing La Bella. She even cried crocodile tears and accused somebody of snatching her offer.]

[Do you need aloe vera for that burn mark?]

[If it is Andy Zhang, I can only kneel and look forward to the great deity’s masterpiece. I’m sure this is going to be another hit.]

[Does this mean that La Bella left the selection of their cover girl entirely to Andy?]

[If it is her, I do not doubt the quality. It can only be superb.]

[So what were Cassandra Liu’s fans crying again? I already forgot.]

 

Now that the mob has been quelled, Apple breathed a sigh of relief. 

Their company’s PR department remained passive amidst various speculation of the mainstream media about Sena. They will not intervene with her personal life until she is officially introduced as Nexus Global’s shareholder. As the sole heir and someone very young at that, it was natural to be under scrutiny. Before she could join them on the table for decision making she had to pull her weight to prove to the board that despite her young age, she is very much capable of continuing and protecting the Erde family's legacy. They will not coddle her just because she is Miss Erde. First and foremost, she has to be worthy. In short, she has to deal with these issues herself. 

That afternoon when they got off work for coffee, girls who claimed to be Vloggers came with cameras to live broadcast, Sena. Apple’s patience snapped when four girls, no more than a high school student, rushed to shove a phone to Sena’s face. April subtly changed positions to cover her. 

Rude vlogger: “Sena, don’t you feel embarrassed using Cassey for clout?”

The girls' faces were abnormally excited, they thought she would flee and was ready to chase after her just in case but to their surprise, Sena stopped and faced them. 

“Ha?” She looked so genuinely puzzled and everyone did not doubt her reaction. “Sorry, who are we talking about?” 

The rude vlogger was stunned speechless. 

Apple patted her shoulder and whispered something making her nod. 

The vlogger’s companion jumped to fire another spicy shell. “Shame on you! Cassey is more popular. Without us, the world wouldn’t even know you exist.” 

April’s eyelid twitched. 

Sena tilted her head. “Is being harassed by mindless angry teenagers something to be grateful for?” 

Her statement angered the girls and they threw her dagger stares.  

"What?! How dare you?"

"Who do you think you are?"

She sighed helplessly, “You’re still wearing your uniforms. Do your parents know you waste your time following people unrelated to you?”

“It’s none of your business!” One of them snarled ferociously. "We came here for Cassey and reveal your true face.” 

Sena thought it was fun messing up with them so she took it literally. With a serious face, she looked at the camera and pointed at herself. “Knock yourself out.”

The girls almost fainted in anger. How dense can this person be?! 

It’s probably on purpose!

Sena looked at her watch and scratched her head. “It’s late, go home and do your homework.” She said then disappeared into the awaiting car on the side of the street. 

She was already speeding away by the time the girls recovered. “Damn, we won’t let you off next time!” 

That evening, the four girls belatedly realized that the supposed hate rally against her had turned into an entirely different result than they wanted. It was the first time their live broadcast channel was flooded with hundreds of thousands of views in just a few hours. They happily opened the platform to enjoy the rebuke and insults against Sena until they read the comments. 

[I’m supposed to be mad but… what the hell I can’t take my eyes off her.]

[Same, I’m drooling.]

[She looked like the expensive little doll I wanted when I was a kid!]

[Vlogger: I’ll show everyone your true face. Sena: *looks and smiles at the camera* and the viewers stopped breathing. Hahaha I can’t! This girl is hilarious.]

[Did you notice there are no filters on this? I kept playing back to find fault but the more I got fascinated.]

Of course, there was no filter. They hated her so much how can they make her appear pretty? This was supposed to reveal the flaws on her face! The girls thought furiously. 

Cassandra Liu also secretly watched the live broadcast later and even used another ID to comment. She was familiar with these vloggers because they belong in her fan club and was more than happy to comment.  

[She’s not that beautiful. She definitely had plastic surgery.] She typed. 

A viewer quickly clapped back, [It’s easy to spot a liar these days.]

"Son of a bitch!" In anger, she smashed her brand new phone on the wall.