Betrayed By My Fiancé, I Married His Most Powerful Enemy

Chapter 43: Help

I walked into the office, Liam and Amara had already snapped their heads toward the entrance, their eyes burning with irritation. Whoever was walking through that door was about to ruin everything they had carefully put together.

Amara looked like she was barely holding herself together. Getting rid of me had not been easy, and just when she thought it was done, someone else had emerged from the shadows to challenge her. She had hunted the cicada, not realizing there was an oriole watching from behind.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut through. Then the door swung wide open, and a figure stepped inside, drawing every pair of eyes in the room.

Valerie.

It was actually Valerie.

Me.

Iris clenched her fist so tight her knuckles must have ached. She had clearly never imagined I would be able to convince Mina to reverse her decision. Amara and Liam shot to their feet at the same time, their faces twisted in disbelief. I had already been eliminated. How had I managed to change Secret’s minds?

Mina stepped forward and addressed the room calmly. "After careful consideration, everyone at Secret has decided to use Valerie as our model." She glanced briefly at the three of them, a cool look on her face. "From what I understand, she is also a model under Xova, yet none of you seem pleased about this. Is it possible that Valerie is not actually one of yours?"

Amara snapped. "Valerie, what schemes did you use? Why did you have to steal the front cover that belonged to me?"

I kept my smile steady and let her words hang in the air for a moment before I responded. "The front cover that belonged to you?" I said, making sure my voice carried across the entire room. "You used my popularity to go overseas under the pretense of sharing the stage. You used me to stir up a topic of discussion to pull attention away from your own scandal. The moment we arrived in the United States and I was no longer useful to you, you discarded me. You defamed me in front of the client and faked my portfolio. So tell me, how exactly does this front cover belong to you?"

I paused, letting that settle.

"I only retrieved what was mine and reclaimed the fairness I deserved. You used your connections and your background to step all over me for your own gain. I used my own capabilities to take back what was rightfully mine. I do not steal from anyone, but I will not allow anyone to use me as a stepping stone either. It is that simple."

Every word came out clean and deliberate. I could see Mina watching me with something new in her expression, like she was finally seeing me clearly for the first time.

Liam turned on me next, his voice sharp and bitter. "Valerie, I have said it before. This is the most critical period for Amara. Everyone in Xova should be helping her through this. Can you not be so selfish?"

"The reason she is facing this obstacle in the first place is because of the two of you," I replied evenly. "I have said this before. I have no opinion about how much you want to support her, and I do not care. But if she intends to move forward by climbing over me, I will make sure she falls badly."

Liam shifted his approach. "Mina mentioned that if you agree, Amara can still participate in the Secret shoot. She does not have much time. The Top Ten Model Awards are coming soon."

"Why must I agree?" I asked, almost amused. "If she is struggling, that is her problem. Why is it my obligation to fix it? Is there a law that says so? Isn’t Iris supposedly very capable? Let her go secure a deal with another magazine."

"Valerie, do not push this too far," Iris snapped, stamping her foot against the floor.

Mina had clearly seen enough. She stepped over to me, gave my shoulder a light pat and said, "Valerie, I will wait outside. Take half an hour and then give me your answer. Whether it is a solo shoot or one that includes Amara, the decision is entirely yours."

"Thank you, Mina," I said with a nod. Her timing was perfect. There was still plenty I needed to say, and none of it was meant for outside ears.

She paused at the door. "I have asked a few bodyguards to stand watch outside. If anyone tries anything, just scream."

I glanced over at Quinn and Nicole with a small smile, letting them know without words that I was not necessarily at a disadvantage here. The moment Mina stepped out of the room, Iris slammed her palm flat on the table and turned on me.

"What is it that you want?"

"This is not how you speak to someone you are asking a favor from," I said, keeping my voice firm and steady. "What your brother has done to me, I am sure you are already aware of. In this industry, the strong get all the support while the weak get crushed under everyone’s feet. I already know that nothing I say will matter much to you. Since we clearly cannot stand the sight of each other, what is even the point of working together? Go and plead to someone else."

Iris’s eyes went red, but she had nothing to fire back with. She was the manager of a different company, and the fact that she was here helping Xova at all was already a breach of her own contract. She could not support Amara openly, and opportunities like this one did not come around easily. So she swallowed her pride and softened her tone, though I could tell it cost her.

"Tell me what you want, Valerie. If you push this too far, neither of us will come out of it well."

"Amara accused me of stealing something that belonged to her," I said simply.

Iris clenched her teeth. "Amara needs your help."