"Val!" Julia cried as she entered her sister's apartment, "Val!"
"What do you want Julie!" Valentina Dubois replied as she walked out of her bedroom.
She was dressed in an extra-large tee shirt that went almost to her knees and hung loosely over one shoulder.
"Have you seen the news?" Julia asked.
"Which bit?" Valentina asked.
Her gaze ran over her younger sister and quietly admired her outfit. She was wearing a cute emerald jumpsuit that hung loosely over her petite form. She remembered what she'd been doing before Julia let herself in and made a U-turn back to her room.
Her younger sister Julia, followed her as she took her phone from her pocket.
"The bit about the French Red Fair Maiden collection," Julia replied as she tapped around her phone.
"Wasn't that last night?" Valentina asked as she went to her bathroom.
Her bare feet moved silently on the cool tiled floors. So did her sister's sandals.
A faucet was pouring water into the tub. She put her hand into the water to test the temperature and then she turned it off. She then pulled off her shirt, carefully lifted a foot, and put it in. She put the other leg in and then lowered herself and gave a delighted sigh. The water was just the right temperature to let all the tension of her week melt away.
"Don't you care?" Julia asked.
"Didn't it go well?" Valentina laid her head back and closed her eyes.
She took a big whiff of air into her lungs and let it out with a sigh.
"It did," Julia responded a frustrated frown slowly forming on her face.
"So, what are you panicking about?" Came the lazy reply from the tub.
"You have to read the reports to understand," Julia huffed.
"Go ahead," Valentina waved her hand at her sister.
"Fine," Julia said and turned to her phone.
"Nicolas Leroux and his company French Red have done it again," Julia read and Valentina smiled proudly.
"He produced beautiful numbers that produced thirty-eight million dollars worth of sales in the first five hours after the runway show. The highlight of the show was the headlining dress a beautiful copper number that hinted at sensuality. It brought in a net revenue of seventeen million dollars."
"Do you think it would look good on me?" Valentina asked but her younger sister ignored her and continued reading.
"However, more than the dress the person in it shone brighter. Nicolas was heard announcing that she is a debuting model directly under the French Red Incorporation. French Red has since released a statement with images of nineteen-year-old Miss Engel."
"She's young," Valentina interrupted again.
Julia glared at her over her phone and then kept on reading.
"There's no debating why Mr Leroux personally saw to her hiring but rumours are floating around about a more personal connection between the young model and the Fashion God."
Valentina lifted her head, opened her eyes, and looked at her sister.
"Tabloids love making rumours," She drawled with a lazy smile.
"I'm still reading," Julia said.
"Go on," Valentina shrugged as she lounged her head back and closed her eyes again.
"A very reliable source," Julia read and Valentina snorted.
Julia glared at her.
"A very reliable source," she read again, "has said that Mr Leroux had taken more care of Miss Engel settling into the company. It's said that he took time out of his busy schedule to give her a personal tour of the building."
Julia sat at the edge of the bathtub her eyes on the phone.
"He also outfitted her and amended one of his original designs for use in her debut photos. While we are at that Mr Leroux personally came to inspect the photoshoot and was in very close proximity with the model."
Julia nodded that Valentina was not smiling anymore but was frowning.
"At the after party of her debut, Miss Engel came out with Nicolas Leroux and he kept her by his side the entire night. Is the thirty-five-year-old sworn bachelor finally finding love in the young model? We have acquired pictures that a party guest took of the couple as they networked."
Julia looked up, "There's a link."
"Click it," Valentina said as she sat up.
A concerned frown was on her face. She could not relax anymore.
"Already did," Julia said and she held up her phone so that her sister could see.
A flash of pain and anger went through Valentina's eyes. With effort, her eyes went blank. Nicolas had dated a lot of women. They never lasted. This one would not. She did not need to be concerned. But she was. As much as she did not want to be, she was concerned. She was scared. He would not fall for this one, would he? He could not.
As she studied a picture of Nicolas looking at the dark-haired model, she could see that there was something there. It was in the way he was holding her close to him. It was just a hand on her hip but there was a relaxed tenderness there. A familiarity. It was also in the way he looked into her eyes. A softness she had never seen him display towards anyone. Certainly not her. How long had he known this girl? Who was she? Did Valentina need to worry? Was this cold pit in her stomach warranted? She looked up at her younger sister and she could see the concern there. She felt her face harden. She was not going to let Julia see her weak. She was not going to let her younger sister see her tremble. So, she shrugged nonchalantly.
"She's too young to be his type," Valentina assured her sister even as she mentally rejected that, "He will tire of her soon."
"And if he doesn't?" Julia asked her sister.
"I will deal with her," Valentina replied as she lounged back into the tub and closed her eyes.
"She is not the first over-glorified whore, I've had to deal with. Don't worry about it."
"But," Julia protested but that infuriated Valentina who opened her eyes and glared at her younger sister.
"I said don't worry about it," her voice was hard.
You should worry more about your man than mine, she thought but did not dare let those words out.
***
Aurelie finished reading the news article to an unconscious Mara. She got no reply. No sound except the beeping of hospital machines and people outside the hospital room walking around.
"And that's not the only article," Auri said with a devious grin, "Let me read the titles for you. You would get a kick out of them. This one says French Red's Sensational Debut. I like it. Nicolas Leroux and his Mystery Model... this needs more creativity. Fashion's Newest Power Couple? Cute. French Red's Rising Star... there's no creativity in that one either. French Red's Engel. I like the wordplay there."
An unconscious grin marked her face, "I have an interview this evening. A post-show interview. Sharon and Nicolas think it's a great way to introduce my voice to the public."
She looked down at her lap and then at her sister, "You are much better at this than me. Remember when you made me go for class president? I was terrified. But you were there. Supporting me from the sidelines."
Auri realised she was smiling. Her smile slowly faded. She hoped Mara would get up soon.
"You see, Mara," she said softly, "They are worried now. They will come for me. I am sure of it."
She got no reply. Mara stayed unconscious on that damned hospital bed. Machines and tubes connected to her. She looked better. Maybe it was just Auri's mood-inducing the illusion. But she wanted to believe that things were looking up.
"You would love the dress," Auri told her stepsister, "It is beautiful. Exactly your style. The runway was just as you described. I hope to see you there again, so you have to get up soon. You have to wake up soon."
"And when you wake up," Auri said leaning closer to her sister, "You could wear the dress. I will buy it for you. You will look pretty in it."
She watched Mara's face looking for an expression hoping for anything. A muscle spasm, a twitch, anything. She got nothing. She felt a small part of the hope she had crumbe.
"You won't have to worry about the Dubois family bothering you," Auri voiced as she took Mara's hand, "I will take care of them. They will regret coming after you. I won't let anyone hurt or humiliate you again."