When a man from the crowd spoke, everyone was shocked, their eyes raking up and down Sophie's legs in suspicion.
"If you're really Amber, take off your mask. If not, Global Pictures Entertainment are just a pack of fibbers!" Another voice joined in from the crowd.
Murmurs of skepticism began to swell and grow louder. Even the creators of Beautiful Soul started to question whether the lady before them was indeed Amber.
"Miss Amber, please take off your mask.." The creators were intrigued. Was she genuinely Amber? If not, their partnership with Global Pictures Entertainment would have to be terminated.
Sophie hesitated but found herself cornered. Left with no other option, she slowly removed her mask. The room was filled with bated breath.
Upon seeing her face, a few instantly recognized her as the once-renowned model.
"It's Sophie!" A gasp went up from the audience.
The rumor was that after Sophie was blacklisted, her status had plummeted drastically. She was in a worse position than even the unsigned models.
Who'd have imagined she'd stoop to impersonating someone else. Was she intentionally stirring up drama or was she driven to it by her desperate situation? Who could tell...
"Sophie! It's really Sophie." The reporters swarmed around Sophie, leaving her no escape route.
Sophie was taken aback and began to feel afraid, trying to shield herself.
"Miss Sophie, can you clarify what's going on? Amber was supposed to be the guest on today's show. Why are you here instead?" The reporters started grilling her.
"We understand you were blacklisted three years ago. Are you using this as a chance to make a comeback?" Another journalist chimed in.
"As a former top model, are you trying to snatch Amber's gigs? Are you exploiting her injury to steal her spotlight as a spokesperson?" Another question was thrown at her.
"It's clear that you're just trying to make headlines. I knew Amber was injured, there's no way she could be here. Famous supermodel, more like famous super-cheap model." A reporter went too far.
The reporters' questions became increasingly harsh, some even resorting to outright insults, "Washed-up cheap model."
"Amber should be the representative of Beautiful Soul, give her position back." The jibes kept coming. A cornered Sophie was slowly being forced to retreat by the encircling reporters.
Some even shoved her. Just then, Beautiful Soul joined the fray with their own insults.
"I'm going to sue Global Pictures Entertainment for blatant deceit!"
"I asked for Amber, and you gave me a third-rate model." The designer shouted, oblivious to Sophie's fame three years ago. All he knew was that he hadn't seen her in the modeling scene recently.
"As for you, I'll see you in court! But for now, get out! You have no right to be on this runway!" He screamed mercilessly, and Sophie remained silent without a comeback, instead she calmly took in everything.
The loud, harsh voice reverberated around the grand structure, even catching the journalists off-guard. No model would passively endure such a public rebuke.
"Are you still here? Leave." The designer reiterated.
Sophie was mentally prepared for this, yet found it hard to suppress her embarrassment.
Suddenly, a charismatic voice echoed from the far end of the stage, "Indeed, someone should leave."
Caught off-guard, the journalists looked towards the source of the voice. There, at the edge of the stage, stood Noah Kingsley.
Everyone was taken aback.
"Isn't that the CEO of Collider Scope Entertainment?"
"Why is he here?"
The crowd was a mix of awe and confusion, and most importantly, baffled as to why he was on the stage.
It was common knowledge that Noah had a strong aversion for manipulative artists. Sophie seemed to be digging her own hole.
The situation had escalated to the point where even Collider Scope had to intervene. Everyone held their breath, anticipating Sophie's downfall.
Unexpectedly, Noah confidently approached Sophie and stood by her side.
With an authoritative voice, he addressed the designer, "… But she's not the one who should leave... It's you…"
"I can make Beautiful Soul non-existent in New York if I wish. Your behavior is at odds with your jewelry." He continued.
Sophie stood frozen in shock, her heart skipping a beat. She wouldn't have anticipated her new husband, whom she had met only thrice, standing up for her.
The journalists were left dumbfounded. Had they been aware of Sophie's connection with Collider Scope, they wouldn't have been so insolent.
The founder of Beautiful Soul was unimpressed, but knew better than to upset Collider Scope International Entertainment.
After a few moments of contemplation and silence, he reluctantly apologized," Sorry, President Noah, I wasn't aware of your relationship with..."
"No, you're mistaken. I have no relationship with her, I'm simply questioning your integrity!"
Noah dismissed any association with Sophie and nonchalantly started to leave.
But before exiting, he turned to the reporters and confidently proclaimed, "However, I can't deny one thing – she is bound to become a rising star in the modeling industry."