"No way, it's not the right time!" Sophie declared.
Noah, understanding her thoughts, handed her the phone.
Without moving away, Sophie confidently took the phone and answered it in front of Noah.
"Sophie, where are you now?" Nathan asked from the other end.
"Fearing that the media would find me, I hid," Sophie calmly answered.
"So, you don't know about the Lisa situation?" Nathan inquired patiently.
"What happened to Lisa? I'm in a remote hideout and haven't been able to catch up with events. What's up?" Sophie asked, feigning curiosity.
"Your manager has put Global Pictures Entertainment in a big mess. Return to the office; I'm arranging a press conference for you. Sophie, we're counting on you to clear Global Picture's reputation," Nathan stated.
A press conference? Just another chance for him to pin the blame on Sophie...Did he really think she was still that gullible?
Sophie ended the call in disgust. Then Noah said, "I've saved my number in your phone. Call me anytime you need help and let me know what to do."
"Thank you… Noah." Sophie's emotions overwhelmed her.
"Don't call me that..." Noah unfolded his legs and drew Sophie to his side. "Call me something else…or I won't let you go."
Sophie turned red and nervously whispered, "h…hubby..."
A rare smile graced Noah's face. "Alright… I'll take you to work. And remember your promise… don't get close to any other man," he said.
Sophie understood Noah's meaning. She responded with a comforting smile and hopeful eyes, wishing for Noah's trust.
Noah's heart raced. There was nothing more to say between them.
Within roughly 40 minutes, Noah successfully dropped Sophie off near the Global Pictures Entertainment office.
Being a titan in the industry and having been a part of it for so long, he was privy to all its dark secrets. He was curious to see how Sophie planned to turn the tables and reclaim her position as a top model.
Meanwhile, Sophie knew what she was stepping into. This was a game where she had to keep her cards close to her chest. If she couldn't change the outcome, even after playing an entirely new hand, she would have to admit defeat.
After exiting Noah's car, she entered the building through a secret passage. As soon as staff members spotted Sophie, the room was filled with diverse reactions - disgust, hatred, and mockery. It seemed they were convinced that the revelations made by Lisa were all orchestrated by Sophie.
Sophie, however, didn't react to the gossip and pointed looks. Instead, she feigned obliviousness.
She moved towards Nathan's room, gently pushing the door open. Her eyes locked onto the back of Nathan's head. "You're back..." Nathan spun around, anger visible on his face.
"What happened?" She inquired.
"Sophie, are you seriously telling me you have no idea about the Lisa situation?" Nathan tossed a newspaper article towards Sophie.
He asked with rage in his voice, "If you didn't direct her, how would she have the audacity to do this?"
"Nathan, we're about to tie the knot, why would I jeopardize our relationship? Wouldn't that just push you away?" Sophie's voice wavered as she looked at him with an innocent gaze.
"Then how do you justify wearing the crown's star on your ankle? You're well aware that the only significant difference between you and Amber is your legs..." Nathan challenged.
As Nathan grilled her, Sophie recollected the numerous times Nathan had defended Amber similarly. She had always assumed it was for his career advancement and nothing more. Therefore, she put up with the injustice and allowed him to side with another.
However, judging by the current situation, it seemed Nathan was only interested in protecting Amber.
"I had no other choice. The star wasn't suitable for my arms and even Amber's manager Gary, who was present, was clueless. I had no other option but to wear it on my ankle." Sophie retorted.
"Gary was there, and he said it was your decision to wear the crown star on your ankle." Nathan retorted.
"Nathan, I'm your future wife, shouldn't you trust me more than any outsider?" Sophie argued.
"Your words won't undo what's been done. Beautiful Soul has already notified their intention to sue Global Pictures Entertainment for contract violation. Public sentiment towards Global Pictures is deteriorating due to your manager's actions. You need to take responsibility for this." Nathan's gaze was heavy on Sophie, his demeanour was akin to a supreme being passing judgement.
"You'll be my wife soon. I don't want my wife tarnishing my career. For Global Pictures' sake, Sophie, you need to clarify to the public that this fiasco was a publicity stunt by your manager and has nothing to do with Global Pictures." His voice was devoid of any emotion.
"To admit my manager's culpability is to admit my own. Weren't you the one who hurriedly asked me to replace Amber? Don't you have a responsibility too? Or should I be sacrificed just because I'm your bride-to-be?" Sophie protested.
"I wasn't aware that being recognized was your fault." The moment Nathan uttered those words, he realized he had crossed a line.
He quickly composed himself and tried to embrace Sophie. However, she pushed him away. "Sophie, I lost my temper... I promise to treat you better once we're married."
Sophie remained silent for a moment. Although she had already decided to end the relationship, the thought of sacrificing her career for this man filled her with frustration and anger.
Sophie held back her fury, "Nathan, I'm handling this situation not because I admit to causing the chaos, but to save your career. However, be certain that this won't happen again..." Sophie asserted.
"Sure... I promise there won't be a repeat of this." Nathan sounded thrilled hearing Sophie's agreement for the press conference.
In reality, Nathan was confident that Sophie would be tricked again just like every other time. He believed that after their marriage, he could manipulate Sophie effortlessly due to her nature.
"The press conference is scheduled for after 3PM. We have a meeting shortly to review your speech." He continued without any shame.
"Fine!" Sophie replied, forcing herself to make eye contact with Nathan as usual. However, as soon as she stepped out of the room, her eyes flashed with a chilly expression.
She shouldn't forgive the nuisance that he was, but she decided to stand by her choices. She was not going to accept the fault for Nathan's misconduct.
After some thought, she retreated to her room and dialed her manager, "Lisa, Nathan is attempting to use me as a scapegoat."
"Ha ha, Sophie! Tell me what to do." Lisa was eager and ready for action.
"At 3PM, I will take responsibility for the chaos and apologize. I want you to release photos of Amber and Nathan showing affection at the hospital, but do it anonymously..."
"Ha ha! Absolutely!"
"Apologies, Lisa! For pulling you into this mess." Sophie apologized sincerely.
"Sophie, as long as you've decided to start anew, I'm here to help you reclaim your position as the top model, and even more, I'll assist you in becoming... an international supermodel."
A global supermodel? She had never dreamed that big. Her focus was on the here and now, intent on making Nathan and Amber pay for their actions.
Sophie was deep in thought,
At midday, just before the Global Pictures meeting,
Nathan, who hadn't taken Sophie out for lunch in a long time, suddenly decided to invite her to a fancy restaurant downstairs.
He reserved a table and even arranged a romantic candlelit meal.
Sophie didn't react to the roses and candlelight. She silently took her seat as Nathan pulled out her chair.
"I've ordered your favorite Sirloin steak...!" He announced with forced cheerfulness.
Sophie was taken aback for a moment, speechless. It turned out that even after five years together, Nathan still didn't know her preferences.
"What's wrong? You don't like it?" He questioned, noticing her blank expression.
Just as Sophie was about to reply, the head waiter appeared at their side with a tray. He turned to Sophie, "Miss Sophie.. today we have your favorite fillet steak. On behalf of Frederick's restaurant, we would like to congratulate you on your wedding."
Hearing this, Nathan's expression shifted, but he was too mortified to comment. He simply switched Sophie's plate, "Your tastes have changed."
"Thank you, but we aren't married yet," Sophie clarified, ignoring Nathan.
"You're very observant. I mentioned it once and you remembered," Sophie remarked sarcastically, indirectly mocking Nathan.
The head waiter chuckled politely and Sophie turned to Nathan.
"Next time I'll make sure to remember what my wife prefers," Nathan vowed.
"Let's hurry and eat. We need to go back and discuss the script," Nathan insisted.
Sophie scoffed inwardly but maintained her cool exterior.
At that moment, she received a text message labeled 0823. When she opened it, she realized it was from Noah.
0823 was yesterday's date, their wedding date. "The steak is from me. The waiter was congratulating us on our wedding," Sophie laughed lightly and texted back from under the table - "How did you know where I would be...?"
"I have my ways of knowing where my wife is..." Noah responded.
Sophie clutched her phone, scanning the restaurant, but Noah was nowhere in sight.
Although she had no idea how he managed to arrange something so thoughtful, she felt his presence nearby.
He had an aura of a king, impossible to ignore or dismiss.
"Sophie, what are you looking at?" Nathan queried as he waved his hands in front of her eyes, his gaze was full of questions.
"Oh, it's nothing," Sophie replied, shaking her head, and changed the subject. "When should we go and register our marriage?"
"After everything settles, you do realize that the upcoming Top 10 Model Awards will be Amber's chance to further her career. Sophie, she's lucky to have you; otherwise, Amber would have been ruined this time," Nathan said as he poured red wine for Sophie and raised his glass in a toast.
"I hope you get what you deserve," Sophie smiled softly, her dimples making her even more beautiful.
However, Nathan didn't notice her at all in that moment. His heart had already been captivated by years of seduction from Amber, so he was oblivious to the hidden meaning behind Sophie's words.
"Sophie, you've suffered..." he continued, Sophie was aware of what he was planning. Today's lunch was just a small reward, but it was nothing more than a disguise for his true intentions.
"Also, after the press conference, get in touch with your manager. We'll have to handle her using legal means," he gave his orders without end.
"Okay!" Sophie smiled sweetly. However, she had no intention of letting him lay a finger on Lisa.
At 2 PM, inside the main hall of Global Pictures...
Reporters from various media outlets gathered, all eager to hear what Sophie had to say. They had countless questions for her, ranging from why she suddenly disappeared from the public eye to why she continued to work with Global Pictures Entertainment, and what really happened with her replacing Amber.
Since her disappearance, Sophie had maintained a low profile, making it difficult to find any negative information about her.
Today was the perfect opportunity for the reporters.
Dressed in a plain red dress, Sophie appeared on stage with her bodyguards by her side. Slowly, she walked towards the center and turned to face the crowd.
The reporters clamored to ask her questions. "Miss Sophie, your name is consistently at the top of the search rankings. Did you pay for that position?"
"Miss Sophie, both you and Amber are models for Global Pictures Entertainment, but she has been in the spotlight in recent years. Have you been sidelined by the company? Are you envious of her fame?"
"Miss Monroe, did you create all this mess just for publicity?" The questions from the reporters kept coming.
Amidst the chaos, the company staff quickly stepped in to control the situation, holding back the reporters and restoring order. Finally, Sophie was given the opportunity to speak.
"First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone for causing damage to the company's reputation and leading everyone to question Miss Amber's integrity. At the Beautiful Souls crowd show, I made the decision on my own, without the knowledge of my company or Miss Amber, to appear on stage. Everything that has happened has nothing to do with Global Pictures or Miss Amber. I admit that I was trying to create hype, but my manager had nothing to do with it. She was merely being used by me. I have decided to take full responsibility. Thank you for your patience. Thank you."
After Sophie spoke, the hall erupted in chaos. The reporters were in shock. They had never seen a celebrity admit their wrongdoing so readily and straightforwardly. Most people would try to avoid the situation, but Sophie had chosen to shoulder all the responsibility herself, stating that it had nothing to do with her manager, the company, or Amber.