Chapter 267: Have a Sour Candy

"What's going on here?" 

Seven heads turned towards the doorway. The director of the video commercial glared, assessing the situation. The fallen bottle escaped his interest. What mattered to him more were the two models that weren't in costume yet.

"Why is no one ready? Are you being paid to slack off?" His scowl deepened. "Next scene is in fifteen minutes with Mikael Davis. I need my waitress to be there to rehearse before we begin the shoot. No adjustments!"

The door slammed behind him when he left.

Jane's designated makeup artist and stylist immediately went to work. They stood on either side of the model, guiding her back to the chair. Whispers of comfort flooded her ears. They needed her calm in order to proceed. 

Otherwise, they could get into trouble if she didn't perform well.

Jane opened her mouth but nothing came out. 

Eve averted her gaze. She sat back on her chair and closed her eyes. Her makeup artist peeled off the prosthetics while her stylist fluffed her hair, prepping it for retro curls. Her next scene happened to be the opening of the cafe where she met her future husband.

She wondered how it would play out and if it would affect Ambryan in any way.

A few minutes later, Jane left the dressing room. Her makeup team stayed behind, hoping to avoid the director. Their lips remained shut as they waited for Eve to also walk out of the room. Cale kept a close eye on them. He didn't like it but it had to be done.

Jane's stylist felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

She took it out and found a link sent to her by a friend. The message had several exclamation points (!!!!!), gaining her attention right away. Her eyebrows scrunched as the link opened a new tab in her mobile browser.

> Fan Debunks Evangeline Reed's Viral Photo!

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Anyone up for tea? Because we are spilling it! If you have been disconnected to the world, we shall recap the events for you! If you are up to date then, skip the paragraph below!

This whole thing started when a picture of Evangeline Reed was released online. The image showcased the model lingered along the red district with a middle-aged man. More photos have come up but Evangeline's fans denied their authenticity. 

Since then, numerous evidence had been brought to light such as the man in the image as well as the exact time and date it was taken—all of which are PROVEN FALSE!

A fan had posted a security footage that reveals Evangeline's activities during the date claimed by the source! Is this an amateur move or what? Whoever sent that photo needs to make a better story if they want to bring down this queen!

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"Evangeline…" Cale breathed out.

Peeling her eyes off the mirror, Eve gave him her full attention. Her modelling manager became rooted in place. His mouth hung open as he scrolled down the article. The end of the page had a comment section, displaying initial reactions to the development.

"What is it?" She asked.

Cale handed her his phone and let her see it for herself.

Eve skimmed through the paragraphs and found the original post embedded at the bottom.

``@sourcandy: This is for anyone who believes the credibility of the photo. Once again, this was clearly done by someone who merely wants to tarnish her image. There is no 'tea' to spill.``

Attached to his post was a footage of her inside the grocery store. This one happened to be the shopping she did a few weeks ago. The video had been sped up to show that she had been inside for over an hour, matching the lies created by the source of the photos.

"Noah?" Eve whispered, suddenly remembering his name. She gave the phone back and stared off into space. Security footage wouldn't be that easy to obtain. The grocery store owned it as a property. It wouldn't be handed over smoothly because it would breach security protocols.

Had Ambryan given it to Andie so it wouldn't be linked with him?

Cale scoffed at the people who tried to wipe their hands clean. "Serves them right! I swear. They need a new hobby other than loitering on the internet all day. You'd expect this behavior from teenagers but some of them are grown adults!"

Eve let him rant off while she commended the plan in her head. Because of the hype Andie built up, they managed to also establish that the person behind the pictures was a fraud. The latter dug their grave before the footage had been revealed.

They shouldn't be able to create a similar move now.

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Jane muttered under her breath. Her heels clacked on the floor as she marched back to the dressing room. She had rehearsed just as the director said—but working with Mikael was impossible! They practiced separately so the first time they did the scene together was in front of the camera. 

Surprise, surprise! It didn't go well.

A series of curses flew out of her head, targeting the director. The old geezer only saw her mistakes. Anything she did well was merely acknowledged with a nod. Meanwhile, Mikael received endless praises! There was clear bias!

The door opened just when she reached for the knob.

Eve stepped in her line of sight, raising her eyebrows. "Ms. Jane. Is your cut better? It might get infected if it wasn't treated right away."

"I'm fine." Jane snorted. She stomped around Eve and grabbed the door. Her teeth gnashed together as she hissed in low volume. "No one buys your goody two-shoes act, you know. You're still a slut no matter how nicely you try to treat other people."

Unaffected, Eve moved closer until their noses nearly touched. A hint of a grin blossomed on her lips. "Then, I should learn from you and do a better act."

She left before Jane could say anything else, waving her hand without looking. 

Jane closed the door and turned around. Her nose scrunched at the scene. Cale had lost his serious expression in favor of his infamous smiles. He chatted with both makeup teams, gossiping on the latest celebrity news.

She approached them, flashing a smile. This was her chance. She could earn all their favors while Evangeline was out of sight. "Nice thing we have going here. Want to share it with me?"

"Oh, Ms. Wilson! It was all a misunderstanding!" Her makeup artist wailed.

Her amber eyes blinked twice. "Excuse me?"

"The scandal about Ms. Reed! It's all a lie!"

Jane felt the blood drain off her face.

"A dedicated fan posted a security footage of Ms. Reed when the alleged photo had been taken. The source was so confident too! I wonder how that person feels now that the amateur sabotage was squashed?"

Cale took a sip from his bottled water. Since Eve left, he had taken her spot on the chair. The others crowded around him and enjoyed their time. "Evangeline had done nothing wrong from the start. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out. Don't you think so, Jane?"

"Huh?" Jane uttered as a response. Her mind was still pre-occupied elsewhere.

The modelling manager placed a hand over his chest. His aqua blue eyes crinkled at the corners. "I won't ever forget the concern you showed Evangeline. It's too bad she couldn't eat the cheese bread but I hope you know that she appreciates the thought behind it."

She shook her head, staring off into space. "No problem. I'm glad things worked out for her."

Jane wobbled back onto her seat. Her knees threatened to give in. She bit her thumb, analyzing what just happened. Should she have fabricated an older photo? One that happened before Evangeline entered the modelling business?

That would have prevented this counter attack.

Her hands itched to contact Elias, furling and unfurling. They needed their next move figured out. Evangeline probably thought it was over. She and her allies should be feeling comfortable. It was the right time to strike—since they would be vulnerable.

"Jane? Jane!"

Fluttering her lashes, Jane snapped her gaze towards the right. "Y-Yes?"

Cale hopped off his seat and checked on her. "My dear, girl. Are you alright?"

"Hm?" She said. It was at this time she noticed that she trembled all over. Her lips also felt cold. What was this sensation? Why did it seem like she was panicking? "This is nothing, Cale. Just nerves! Mikael is quite intimidating to work with. Not that I mean he's a terrible person! But he is so good at everything he does, I can't help but feel stupid."

"Try not to think of him too highly. He's human like we all are," Cale replied. He patted her head before returning to his chair. "If you see him that way, it's like saying you already lost."

One of the makeup artists glanced in his direction. "Didn't Evangeline work with Mikael before? I've seen those ads and they are doing well. Maybe she has some tips for Ms. Wilson."

Cale sighed, pretending to think about it. "I'm not sure about the last part but they did have a project together before. If my memory serves me right, they rehearsed for that which had been taken the wrong way."

Jane bit her tongue. Of course, Evangeline did well. They were from the same agency. It would reflect badly on them if their two models underperformed. This and that shouldn't be up for comparison.

Her situation was entirely different.

"I remember that!" Eve's stylist exclaimed out of the blue. "They were accused of having an affair. It was how I learned about Ms. Evangeline and her career. "

"Ah, yes…" Cale sighed again. He finished the rest of his water and screwed the cap back. "Seems so long ago now. I hope whoever tries to target Evangeline again should know that my model won't be broken down."