THE CLIENT

Astrid stood in front of the mirror, her eyes fixed on her reflection as she processed the conversation she had just had with Maren with a big smile. 

Maren had filled her in on all the details about Mattie's desperate attempt to get back into the modeling world. 

Astrid's expression remained neutral, but inside, she felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that Mattie was finally getting a taste of her own medicine.

As she stood there, lost in thought, she heard a knock at the door. Before she could even respond, Julian pushed the door open and peeked his head in. 

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

Astrid turned to face him, her expression still neutral, his word was also still echoing in her head. He had walked off after declaring his love for her so she would have her lunch and she also couldn't help but think several times about it.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice measured.