Chapter 1757
No.1
Autumn leaves swirled around her feet as she walked.
It was a scene straight from a fairytale painting.
Her features were exquisitely refined.
She stood out among the other bland models.
Yet she maintained that otherworldly, fey-like grace.
She embodied celestial beauty.
She moved like a goddess brought to life.
The replica necklace gleamed against her slender neck.
Camille Laurent, the designer, gasped audibly.
No.2
“My God! It’s her! She’s perfect!” she exclaimed.
“This is exactly what I envisioned. She’s the one! We must sign her immediately!”
“How can someone be so ethereally pure? So dignified and untainted, like untouched snow.”
“Absolutely deserving of her global supermodel status. Her natural elegance is beyond compare.”
“Hmph.”
“So performative,” Oliver muttered.
Nathaniel nodded in agreement and handed him a chocolate bar.
Sebastian just stared at them, baffled.
Victoria seemed perfectly lovely. Why were they being so harsh? These two were impossible.
No.3
Meanwhile, Victoria basked in the audience's admiration.
A radiant smile spread across her face, warm as summer sunlight.
She felt certain in her heart now; she would be chosen for the final walk.
Just as predicted, the host and designers called her forward.
“The rest of the models may stand down. Victoria Kensington, you are our choice. You will be the necklace ambassador and headline tomorrow’s finale!”
“I concur! It must be Victoria. Her victory is undeniable!” Sophia Kensington declared happily.
The other competitors nodded in resigned acceptance. They were no match for Victoria Kensington, the world’s top supermodel.
Victoria bowed her head with feigned humility. “You are all too generous. I graciously accept this honor. I will not let you down.” Her voice was honey-sweet.
The producer confidently ascended the stage, contract in hand.
No.4
A genuine, triumphant smile finally touched Victoria’s lips. Once she secured this role, Isabella Montgomery could do nothing to stop her. How foolish of Isabella to even try competing. She should know her place.
As Victoria reached for the contract, a sharp electronic beep echoed through the hall.
The massive screen behind her flickered to life.
A photograph materialized on the display.
It was Victoria, posed under a shower spray.
Her body was scarcely concealed by a nearly transparent bikini, provocatively alluring.
She was the picture of tantalizing desire.
Instantly, the room erupted into chaos.
“Good heavens… Is that really Victoria Kensington? She’s nothing like her pristine image!”
No.5
“She portrays such innocence. Who knew she could be so… brazen!”
Victoria stood frozen, completely blindsided.
She had imagined the photo leaking online last night, but she never dreamed it would happen here, today, at this moment.
Isadora Vasquez was the first to snap into action. “Turn it off! Somebody turn that off!” she shrieked.
But no one moved. The audience was either mesmerized, staring openly, or quickly snapping pictures for their own collections.
The judges’ panel exchanged uneasy, disapproving glances, reassessing their decision.
Amid the growing noise of ridicule and shock, Victoria finally jolted back to reality.
“Turn it off! Please! That’s… that’s not me!” she cried out.
If it wasn’t her, why was she panicking? The entertainment world had no real allies. No one rushed to her defense.
No.6
The damning image remained on the giant screen.
Finally, Victoria snapped.
She grabbed a nearby stool and hurled it with all her strength at the screen.
CRASH!
The screen shattered and went dark.
The photo was finally gone.
But…
The judgmental stares remained. Her carefully crafted image of purity was shattered. She was exposed.
“It’s a setup! I’ve been framed! Someone did this to me!” Victoria screamed, her face pale with terror.
No.7
The event manager stepped forward, his expression cold and final. “Miss Kensington, we deeply regret this incident. We suggest you withdraw and address this… situation.”
Just like that, her opportunity vanished.
Desperate to salvage her career, Victoria Kensington lunged forward and seized the manager's wrist. Her voice trembled with manufactured tears. "We had an agreement! That image was digitally altered—it's not even me! I would never engage in such behavior. How dare people accept it as truth without consulting me first?" She let perfect tears trace down her cheeks, a performance meant to evoke sympathy. Instead, her feigned innocence only sharpened the memory of what everyone had witnessed on screen.
"Deepest apologies, Miss Kensington. Perhaps we can revisit this another time." The manager extracted her hand from Victoria's grasp with visible distaste. "Security, please escort Miss Kensington out. And ensure she receives the invoice for the screen damages."
Several security guards advanced, their expressions a blend of mockery and contempt as they gestured toward the exit.
Victoria seethed internally. As the Kensington heiress, she was accustomed to reverence and deference. This public humiliation was unprecedented.
Though every fiber of her being resisted, she had no choice but to depart, shielding her face with her hands. The moment she cleared the ballroom doors, her pitiful mask dissolved into something venomous and deadly.
Who had done this? She would uncover the culprit and make them pay.