Chapter 10: Tensions and Temptations

Jessica's studio was no stranger to high-profile clients. They had worked with award-winning actors and top-tier celebrities, but none of them had ever made the team as nervous as Ethan did.

Emily had always thought Ethan carried himself with an air of authority, but now she realized that even when he was just sitting there, expressionless, the people around him automatically seemed to shrink into submissiveness, as if they were all suddenly employees of Creston Media.

Before long, one of the makeup artists approached Jessica, looking flustered and admitting that she couldn't do the makeup for the richest man in the country.

"He just glanced at me, and I couldn't handle it. My hands are shaking, I really can't do it, Ms. Qin…"

Seeing the makeup artist's red face, Jessica sighed in frustration. Not wanting to ruin their reputation, she took the tools from the artist and decided to do it herself.

It didn't take long for Jessica to understand why the makeup artist's hands had been trembling. The pressure of being in Ethan's presence was immense. His deep-set eyes, even with just a slight glance, could make anyone's heart skip a beat.

Jessica and Ethan were acquainted, but even so, his gaze was intense enough to make her uneasy. His features were sharp and defined, needing little enhancement to look photogenic. Jessica simply dusted some contour powder over his face and was brushing his chin when she suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"What happened here?"

Ethan looked down and raised a hand to touch his neck. There was a scratch near the prominent Adam's apple, not long but deep enough to be noticeable.

He thought back to that day when Emily clung to his shoulders like a little wildcat, as if she wanted to bite into him…

Ethan's lips curved slightly in amusement.

"A cat scratched me."

Jessica blinked, then instinctively looked at Ethan's suit—clean and immaculate, not a trace of cat hair or even a wrinkle. She then turned her gaze to Emily, who was intently adjusting a tripod nearby.

Jessica chuckled. "Funny, Emily told me this morning that she got bitten by a dog."

Ethan's brows furrowed slightly. "Bitten by a dog?"

"Yeah." Jessica gave him a knowing look. "Around the same spot as your scratch."

Ethan: "…"

Ethan glanced over at Emily, noticing she was wearing a delicate scarf around her neck.

As Jessica was finishing up, one of the staff came over to say that the editor needed her for something. Jessica handed the tools to Emily, telling her to finish up.

Emily refused, "Why me? Don't you have a makeup artist for this?"

Jessica sighed, "Your husband is too handsome; the others are too nervous to even look at him."

Emily: "…"

She glanced at the man sitting there with a stoic expression.

It wasn't his handsomeness that made them nervous—it was the blinding aura of authority emanating from him.

Emily walked over and began brushing makeup onto Ethan's face with a mechanical, emotionless motion, as if she were painting a wall rather than touching a person.

When she reached his chin, she saw the scratch near his Adam's apple, and her hand paused. Her expression became slightly awkward as she dabbed some concealer onto the scratch, carefully covering it up.

Ethan's long eyes lifted slightly, watching her without blinking.

Emily continued to apply the makeup sponge to his throat, not realizing how much this teasing motion affected him. To Ethan, it felt like a deliberate act of seduction.

He remembered how Emily used to tease him, playing with his Adam's apple when she was in a playful mood, sometimes even biting it; he also recalled how she had been that day, clawing and whimpering like a kitten…

Ethan's gaze darkened as his mind wandered.

Emily began to feel uncomfortable under his intense stare.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped.

Ethan's lips curved again, and suddenly, he reached for the scarf around her neck.

Startled, Emily smacked his hand away.

"What are you doing?"

She instinctively glanced around—thankfully, no one seemed to notice their interaction.

"I wanted to see where the dog bit you," Ethan said calmly.

Emily: "…"

Her ears peeked out from her hair, turning red. She lowered her voice, hissing, "You know exactly what you did!"

"I don't."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I've done so many things, it's hard to keep track."

His deep voice turned the simple words into something much more suggestive.

Emily's ears, along with her cheeks, flushed bright red.

Lately, Ethan had been particularly good at saying suggestive things.

Was she imagining it, or… was he flirting with her?

She shot him a glare and, with a vengeful twist of her hand, pressed the concealer sponge hard against his Adam's apple, completely covering the scratch. Without another glance at him, she turned and walked away.

As the shoot drew closer, Emily felt a slight cramp in her lower abdomen. She grabbed a tampon and headed to the restroom, but ended up not needing it.

Emily wasn't in the habit of tracking her cycle and was trying to recall when her last one was when she overheard voices outside the stall.

"Did you see the richest man in the country? He's so handsome in person!"

"Really? I caught a glimpse when he walked into the makeup room—he's so tall, and his features are so chiseled!"

"Right? I was stunned; he's like a real-life version of those domineering CEOs in romance novels!"

Emily: "…"

Girls, you need to look beyond the surface:）

"He's not just any CEO; he's the richest man… but it's a shame he's married."

The other voice sneered, "Do you think it matters whether men like him are married?"

"That's true. Whether they're married or not, women will still throw themselves at them. Oh, by the way—"

The voices lowered, signaling the start of some juicy gossip, and Emily found herself leaning in.

"I saw that photographer cozying up to him earlier. Why is she even doing his makeup? Isn't she supposed to be a photographer?"

"What? You mean Alisa? Isn't she pretty popular lately? And I heard she's married too."

"That's the thing—if you want to make it big, you've got to be willing to do whatever it takes. I overheard her talking to the stylist about changing his tie, saying blue doesn't suit him, as if she's really close to him…"

Emily: "…"

Does sleeping together count as being "really close"?

The gossip continued outside, but Emily had lost interest. She packed up her things and pushed the stall door open.

The two women jumped at the noise, their faces paling when they saw Emily.

"Oh, Ms. Alisa…"

Emily recognized them as magazine staff but didn't acknowledge them. She turned on the faucet, washing her hands at a leisurely pace, not even sparing them a glance.

The two women exchanged nervous looks, unsure whether to stay or leave.

After drying her hands, Emily finally looked at them, her expression cold.

"Go ahead."

The two women were confused, "Huh?"

"Go do Chairman Harrison's makeup," Emily clarified, nodding toward the door.

The women: "…"

Emily turned to the one who had accused her of being overly friendly.

"Or maybe you'd like to take the cover shot? I'll give you a chance to make it big."

The girl's face flushed, turning pale, and she didn't dare say a word.

Emily's lips curled into a smile. "If you don't have the skills, keep your mouth shut."

---

"Chairman Harrison, here's the concept for the cover shoot," Jason said, handing Ethan a folder while trying to gauge his boss's reaction.

He didn't think Ethan would agree to the plan.

Ethan rarely agreed to interviews, and when he did, it was usually for well-known financial magazines. MegaZine, which leaned more towards fashion, was a first.

According to the plan, Ethan would shoot three covers. One was a close-up of his profile with his eyes downcast, emphasizing his striking features and elite aura; another was an outdoor shot taken through the window of one of Ethan's luxury cars, with the reflections on the glass adding to his air of mystery, creating a sense of someone people wanted to know more about.

These two were fine. Jason's concern was with the third shot.

The third cover would feature a female model.

The model would be facing away from the camera, her silk robe hanging loosely to reveal her neck and shoulder, adorned with a large, colorful tattoo. In this sultry scene, Ethan would merely be glancing over his shoulder at the model—wearing his signature cold expression, exuding a clear "don't touch me" vibe.

Jason could picture it—women often hinted at their interest in the boss, and Ethan always rejected them in a no-nonsense manner.

Except for Mrs. Harrison, no woman could get close to the boss. But why did she design this kind of shoot?

Surprisingly, Ethan didn't seem to mind the plan. He flipped through it indifferently and handed it back to Jason without a word.

When the shoot began, the set was cleared of all but a few essential staff members due to Ethan's presence.

Emily quickly completed the profile shot, then signaled for the model in the robe to enter. Emily led the model through the concept, explaining the setup.

Her approach was straightforward—Ethan's public image could be summed up in a few words: elite, distant, mysterious, and restrained.

Emily designed the shoot around those qualities—a scene where he

coldly rejects a half-dressed beauty? Nothing screamed "restraint" more than that.

And since this was a commercial shoot, the concept was sure to catch consumers' attention.

As Emily spoke, the model wrapped herself more tightly in her robe, visibly shivering.

She could already feel the billionaire's presence—an icy pressure that wasn't at all welcoming.

Ethan didn't spare the model a glance; his eyes were fixed on Emily.

In the past, Emily would get jealous of any woman who got too close to him, let alone a model posing intimately with him.

He didn't believe for a second that she was indifferent.

But Emily genuinely seemed unfazed. She was focused and professional, her expression neutral.

Ethan's brow furrowed, a vague irritation building inside him.

Once the model was in position, Emily looked through the camera, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"Hold on."

Ethan turned his head, watching as Emily approached with a stern expression.

A barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

So, she wasn't unaffected after all.

Can't stand it, can you? Ha:）

But before his smile could fully form, he watched as Emily unceremoniously tugged the model's robe further down, fully exposing the tattooed shoulder and back.

Emily nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, that's more seductive!"