With a swift movement, Noah wrapped his arm around Sophie's waist, pulling her snugly against his chest. He leaned in close, his voice low and intense as he whispered into her ear, "So, will you choose to marry him?"
"I confess, I didn't see things clearly before," Sophie replied softly, "but now I know exactly where I'm going. You're the path I want to follow."
Noah shifted, gently moving so he was now above Sophie. His dark eyes locked onto hers with a serious gaze, he confessed, "I'm finding it harder and harder to hold back my feelings."
"But it's not enough for me," Noah admitted, "Even though we've officially tied the knot, I'm still hoping you'll take the time to truly know me and be sure that you want to spend your life with me. When we both reach that point of certainty, that's when we can truly belong to each other. In this industry, I have countless choices, and I can obtain almost anything I desire, but finding a genuine heart is something rare."
"Then let's work hard together and strive for the same dreams," Sophie replied earnestly. "Let's share the same journey and live our lives as one. Honestly, I never imagined that Mr. Noah, who stands at the top of the entertainment world, wouldn't be interested in a wild and carefree lifestyle. I assumed you'd be a player with women lining up. Haven't you ever wanted that?"
"When a woman poses a question like that, words aren't necessary. A man should simply answer with a heartfelt kiss," Noah said with a sly smile. He then leaned in and kissed her deeply, just as he thought, such a kiss could make all their worries melt away.
That night, wrapped securely in Noah's arms, Sophie drifted into a peaceful and sweet sleep.
Compared to the joy Sophie was feeling, Nathan's day was definitely not going smoothly.
He found himself in a tough spot because Sophie had asked him to make Amber leave Global Pictures Entertainment.
Amber was not only pregnant with his child but also held evidence of his wrongdoings. He couldn't afford to upset either of them.
Feeling unsure, Nathan drove back home.
When he saw Amber sitting sadly on the sofa, his heart sank.
"Nathan!" Amber cried out, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly. "What am I going to do? Does this mean I can't be a model anymore?"
"Amber, how about you go overseas for a little while to focus on your pregnancy? After our baby is born, you can come back. I promise, when that time comes, I'll do everything I can to make you famous again, just like before."
Upon hearing Nathan's suggestion, Amber froze, suddenly realizing what he meant. "You want me to go overseas!? Nathan, are you trying to get rid of me? Let me tell you, I'm not as naive as Sophie to fall for your words. I definitely won't go. And don't forget, Nathan, I'm carrying your child. I've been your partner for so many years. Do you really think you can just push me aside like this?"
"Tha-t... That's not what I meant," Nathan stammered.
"Nathan, think carefully about who you want to spend the rest of your life with! Do you love Sophie?" Amber pressed.
"Of course, I love you, only you," Nathan replied, his voice full of pain. "But Sophie has given me an ultimatum. If you don't leave Global Pictures Entertainment, she won't marry me."
Amber's words were filled with a mix of caution and desire. "Think about it," she urged. "Even if you marry her, there's no certainty you'll secure everything from the Monroe family. They hardly care about Sophie. If she were to rejoin them, how much could she really hope to inherit? Nathan, do you want to risk everything on a fragile hope, only to end up with empty hands? Stay with me. You have me and our child. Together, we can carve out a future. Isn't that what you truly long for?"
Amber's voice trembled with emotion as she confronted Nathan. "Nathan, you need to decide—do you want me, or do you want Sophie?" she implored. "Just say the word, and I'll go to the hospital and end this pregnancy. I'll walk away from Global Pictures and disappear from your life forever."
Nathan stood silently, not saying a word, while Amber looked at him, waiting for a reaction. When he didn't reply, she quickly grabbed her phone and called her assistant. "Please schedule an appointment at the hospital for me. I need to discuss having an abortion as soon as possible."
Nathan, shocked by her words, knocked the phone out of her hand. "What are you thinking?! Don't act so rashly. Did I ever say I wouldn't choose you?"
Her eyes widened with hope as she heard this. "So, you're saying you choose me?"
Nathan nodded, his voice filled with emotion. "I love you more than anything. How could I let you go through with this? I've been by your side all these years, protecting you. Haven't you noticed that?" His mind was made up, and he made the decision to stick with her,
Nathan had made up his mind to break things off with Sophie. Even though he felt a bit sad about letting go of being connected to the Monroe family, he realized, just like Amber had pointed out, that there were no promises for what the future might hold. He couldn't risk losing Amber and, most importantly, his child over something that wasn't certain.
Amber burst into tears of happiness and wrapped Nathan in a warm hug. "I knew it," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "You've always treated me so well. I promise to bring our child into this world and bring joy to your sisters and mother."
"As long as you keep things calm and avoid stirring up any more trouble, I'll be really grateful. Try to stay offline and ignore any negative comments you might see. News like this will fade away soon. However, this scandal could influence how the judges see you for the top ten model awards. Since this award is centered around a model's professionalism, we shouldn't lose sight of our goals just yet."
"I'll follow your advice," Amber agreed, then gently tugged Nathan to sit beside her on the sofa. "But there's something you need to hear from me," she continued. "Keep Sophie on a professional pause. Just look at her arrogance now that she's landed a deal. She acts like she's untouchable and even dared to oppose the company."
"But..."
"Global Pictures can thrive without Sophie," Amber asserted confidently. "Finding another model is not a challenge. However, we can't simply let her go. If given the opportunity, she would undoubtedly seek revenge. We'll keep her under contract and freeze her career. In three years, she'll be past her prime and won't have a chance to stage a comeback."
"But right now, Sophie has a strong fan base cheering her on, and her feedback is overwhelmingly positive," Nathan replied, expressing his concern.
"Doesn't that simplify things for us?" Amber continued with a sly smile. "Let's wait until she's back from Seattle, and then pair her with a low-end, unappealing brand. That'll bring her image down."
Nathan gazed at Amber, aware that her suggestion was quite drastic. Yet, he found himself unable to disagree. He simply nodded in agreement, saying, "I'll follow your plan. Also, for any companies interested in working with Sophie, we'll respond by saying that she's not interested in collaborating with them." He embraced Amber warmly and kissed her forehead, sealing their pact.
This time, Nathan made his decision from the heart: he would break up with Sophie. Once their relationship ended, Sophie would merely be a contracted model with Global Pictures Entertainment, with three years left on her contract. Just as Amber had advised, he needed to stop Sophie from gaining fame and potentially plotting revenge against them.
From this point forward, he felt he could only keep her under control and ensure she remained in the shadows.
The following morning, everyone was set to shoot a commercial. Sophie was supposed to be there with a group of other models. However, the photographer felt Sophie's presence was so captivating that having too many people around would only highlight her even more.
In the end, only one male model was left to work with her.
Early that morning, Lisa knocked on Sophie's door. When Sophie opened it, she seemed to be hiding something and didn't let Lisa in.
Lisa immediately looked at Sophie and asked, "Is there someone else in there with you?"
"I..."
"Sophie, how could you do this? Even though you broke up with that jerk, you just got married to Noah! How could you be fooling around already? Let me in... Let me see who dares to charm my dear Sophie!" Lisa was quite agitated and seemed ready to push open the door.
Just then, Noah stepped in, his tall and muscular frame blocking the doorway.
"Boss, it's you!" Lisa exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed.
Noah gave Lisa a brief glance that seemed to say he appreciated her concern. With her around, he felt confident that no other man would get near Sophie.
Without saying anything, he headed back to the bathroom to shower.
After he left, Lisa leaned her head on Sophie's shoulder and said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You made me embarrass myself in front of someone so important."
"I just found out last night when I got back to the room," Sophie replied with an innocent shrug.
"Oh, wow! He's so romantic. Someone as busy as Noah actually took a direct flight to be here with you. Sophie, your luck has really turned around. Think about all those years you spent with that jerk. Did he ever visit you at work?" Lisa beamed.
"Exactly, people can be so different."
"Are we still heading to the shoot?" Sophie asked, though she acted casual about it.
"Is Noah coming too?"
"He should be," Sophie whispered.
Noah had traveled all this way, and there was no way he would miss Sophie's performance. The show at Brooklyn City Center had already been memorable, and he was eager to see how Sophie would shine in an outdoor setting.