Nine: Yet you hide behind your fake beauty!

“Matty, please, let me talk to Briella for a moment. I know what I’m doing, okay?” Xander said.

“Yeah, that’s right, leave us alone. We’re discussing something important, and I don’t think you have any business interfering,” Briella retorted to Matilda, which made Matilda even more annoyed.

“No! If you two have something to discuss, I should be here! Why is that sidekick of Briella’s here and not me, who has more rights and is one of the famous models of this Agency, be allowed—”

“Matilda!” Xander shouted, cutting her off. He turned to her, clearly angry about the situation. “Can you please let Chelsey stay outside?”

“No. I told you she is my Manager,” she corrected him and then turned to Chelsey. “And she can’t leave because she needs to be here when I sign the contract. And you, Matty, what business do you have here? Are you his girlfriend, guarding him against potential rivals?” She raised an eyebrow as she spoke to Matilda, trying to hide the sarcasm in her voice, but she wasn’t sure if she had succeeded.

She saw Xander’s face pale, and Matilda gritted her teeth, but she remained calm and composed, not showing any reaction to both of them.

“I’m just kidding. Relax guys. You’re reacting like a snake has bitten you, but I’m serious about what I’m saying. Chelsey will stay here with me and Matty, excuse us. It’s none of your business, after all. You’re just a model here, right?” she calmly stated.

Matilda seemed about to say something but was interrupted by Xander’s secretary knocking on the door, probably with his contract in hand.

“Sir, here’s the contract,” Xander’s secretary said and placed the papers on his desk, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, that’s all, thank you,” Xander replied, reading the contract.

She raised an eyebrow when Matilda remained frozen in her spot, and Xander seemed to ignore her completely. She suppressed the anger welling up within her and slowly approached Xander. If he wasn’t going to leave, perhaps she could irritate and play with him.

“Are you free tonight? Would you like to stay at my house later? I’ll cook your favorite dish,” she said sweetly to Xander, touching his shoulder and moving closer to his chest. This was something she had never done to her ex-boyfriend, no matter how much of a jerk he was.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Matilda’s eyes burning with rage.

Why did I only notice these things now? Was I so blind before that I didn’t see the intense looks Matilda gave me whenever Xander and I were close?

“Uhm... well,” Xander’s eyes darted around, avoiding direct eye contact with her. She secretly grinned because she knew he wasn’t comfortable with Matilda’s intense gaze, but what did she care? She could play her game if she had both of them under her control.

She leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I have a surprise for you...”

“I-I’ll try,” Xander stammered, clearing his throat a few times before stepping away from her. She saw him frown slightly as his gaze fixated on the third page of the contract, and she couldn’t help but smile. That look meant her friend, a shareholder in the company, had successfully convinced him.

If Xander thought he could outsmart her regarding contracts, he was wrong. After all the years she spent by his side, preparing contracts for his artists, she knew how he altered the contracts signed by artists to keep them under his control.

“What’s this?” he asked her.

“Why, what does it say there?” she countered, lips quirking.

Xander scrutinized her and didn’t respond. Matilda approached them and snatched the contract from his hand. She raised an eyebrow as Matilda did so, but before Matilda could read anything, she swiftly took the contract from her hand.

“What the hell, Bri?” Matilda exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, sweety, but this contract is confidential, and only I, the CEO, and the stockholders can read it,” she said sweetly.

“What did you do, Bri?” Xander’s voice turned cold as he asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned mischievously at him. “I did nothing wrong. I just asked Mrs. Damian if she could talk to the other investors and approve my contract. I just ensured I get what’s rightfully mine as a model in this company.”

“Hah! You have such high aspirations! What are you bragging about? Haven’t you seen how much the netizens dislike you on social media?” Matilda scoffed.

“Yes, I do have high aspirations, and I have many reasons to be proud. First, I’m the fiancée of the CEO of this Agency, and it will happen soon. Second, I’m one of the models who reached the pinnacle of my career, and third...” She didn’t continue her sentence because she had forgotten the third reason.

She shook her head and smiled playfully. “Do you want me to continue?”

“Xander, do something! Don’t tell me you’ll just let this woman—”

“Excuse me? The woman you’re pointing at is Mr. Madrigal’s girlfriend and fiancée. Why do you act like you’re the girlfriend and he’s being stolen from you?” Chelsey intervened, approaching them.

“Shut up!” Matilda snapped at Chelsey, but Chelsey remained unfazed, locking eyes with her.

“Sign the contract, Xander,” she told him, handing him the papers. “Or would you prefer marrying me? Remember, you promised to marry me yesterday but didn't show up.”

“You’re blackmailing him! How ridiculous! Have you become so desperate that you’re resorting to blackmailing people?” Matilda’s voice was icy as she spoke.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at Xander with a mischievous grin. “I’m not blackmailing him. What do you think will happen if my family finds out that Xander didn’t attend the wedding he promised me?”

Matilda glared at her, her eyes sharp. “I can’t believe you! Your true colors are finally showing! You act all innocent, but your behavior is just as ugly as your Manager's!”

“Oh, so I’m ugly now? Yet you hide behind your fake beauty! Why don’t you show your true colors, and let’s see who’s ugly between us?” Chelsey taunted.

“Well, isn’t this woman so shameless! Xander, I want you to fire this pathetic bitch!” she said to Xander, her frustration clearly showing.

Xander remained quiet, and his attention focused on signing the contract. It was her first step to regaining her dignity. It would only happen once he signed the contract.

“Xander, are you listening—”

“Enough!” Xander’s voice thundered, cutting Matilda off. She was surprised to see Xander shouting at her, clearly angered by the situation. His eyes were piercing, and he left his office without a word.

She noticed Xander’s worried expression as he left, but she didn’t mind it. She didn’t care if they were fighting or what they were doing as long as she secured the contract.

With Xander gone, she silently signed the contract, and Chelsey snatched it from her hand, ready to read it. “I’ll take this to your room and read it there. Just follow me.”

Left alone with Xander, she felt like leaving and following Chelsey. The atmosphere in the room felt toxic.

“Now let’s talk,” Xander said firmly as he approached her. His expression was dark, revealing his anger. “Tell me the truth, Briella. What kind of chaos are you causing? I’m not happy with your behavior. If you’re angry about me not showing up yesterday, why must you involve other people?”

“What?” she asked innocently. She knew exactly whom he was referring to, but she feigned ignorance. Yet you hide behind your fake beauty!