To be frank with herself, Gabriella hadn't expected this level of honesty from Ortega. From the first day she saw him, and from their numerous interactions in the past, she had perceived him as somewhat fickle-minded. Talented, diligent, but easily distracted.
Her distrust of him led to her decision to bombard him with assignments yesterday, testing his mettle and devotion to the company's cause.
Though the tasks she assigned were exceptionally challenging and time-consuming, Ortega had not only met her expectations but exceeded them.
He completed everything efficiently, and one of his assignments had already been transformed into an active project. This demonstrated his remarkable capabilities and ingenuity, garnering even Velvet's rare smile of approval.
However, Gabriella's satisfaction was tainted by guilt. She recalled how Ortega's sudden surge in workload had triggered a latent health issue, resulting in daily doctor visits and decreased work hours. Though she tried to deny it, the facts pointed to her role in his decline. On the surface, she maintained a strong facade, but internally, her worries had skyrocketed during Ortega's absence.
She couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility: if she hadn't subjected him to such an intense test, perhaps his illness wouldn't have been triggered.
Then again, without the pressure, Ortega might not have produced such outstanding ideas. It was a cruel irony. She excelled at exerting pressure—too well, in fact—and it had culminated in Ortega's violent epileptic attack, exacerbated by her stinginess with positive reinforcement.
Now, she stood before him, and once again, they were the center of attention. But she couldn't care less about the eyes on them; her focus was entirely on him.
Gabriella balled her fists, her gaze piercing. She couldn't afford to be lenient, yet being overly harsh wasn't the solution either.
"Do you know why I'm angry, Ortega?" she asked, her voice so calm it sent chills through those who knew her well. The room fell silent, everyone watching the heavy exchange between the two.
Ortega shook his head, sweat dripping from his brow. He wanted to say it was because he was late, but he held back, sensing her question was rhetorical. Seeing his silence, Gabriella continued.
"It's not because you're late," she said flatly, giving Ortega the shock of his life. He held his breath and glanced around. Judging by the astonished, gossipy looks on everyone's faces, Ortega guessed they were just as surprised as him.
Then why? he wondered. Gabriella was under immense pressure, more than any of them. She was responsible for the product launch, and it was common knowledge that Velvet wouldn't be pleased if she failed. The cause of that failure would likely be his irresponsible behavior.
His brows shot up as realization dawned: He'd been a total screw-up today.
Ortega replayed the day's events in his mind: the purposeful delays, the unnecessarily long time spent at the urinal, all because he wanted to make a big entrance and steal the show. His sudden improvement in looks had really boosted his vanity.
She didn't even have to tell him why she was angry; he already knew. He was the first to arrive at work. If he were serious about getting the job done, he would have been at the studio the moment Gabriella needed him. Instead, he goofed around and ended up being tardy.
Even his current demeanor felt wrong to others, especially Gabriella. They all mistook his crafted composure for arrogance. As if he knew admitting he was wrong would save him—it was irksome, really, and Gabriella was like any person in authority—they never liked when their position was challenged.
Ortega had done just that. It was an unspoken rule at BeautyPlus: holding the gaze of a superior as they reprimanded you was an insult to their pride.
"But I'm sure you know why," Gabriella implied cryptically. "After all this is done, you and I are going to have a little discussion, Mister, about getting your priorities straight." Her tone was animated as she waved a finger at him. "You're pardoned, but be warned: I will not tolerate this next time. Go. The others will brief you on the plan."
Ortega nodded, licked his lips, and muttered a crisp, "Thank you," before jogging over to where the four women stood. "Hey, gang!" he greeted, trying to sound enthusiastic but failing miserably. His voice came out in an awkward tremble, and he couldn't help wearing a sheepish expression.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have kept you guys waiting," he said, his tone apologetic as he managed a small smile. "What'd I miss?"
The ladies glanced at one another, wearing proud smiles, then back at him. It seemed he wasn't the only one who could come up with awesome ideas.
Ortega noted each of their expressions: Dina's was mischievous and cocky, Eva's crimson eyes held profound satisfaction, Bloom seemed unusually animated, and Selene... Selene looked like someone who had met her match. Her face flickered with excitement as they exchanged glances.
"A lot," they chorused, and Ortega couldn't stop the corner of his lips from tugging upwards.
"Tell me everything, but start from the beginning," he said, smiling as he listened to the four women recount their clever improvisations.
"It was mostly me," Dina would interject at intervals, eliciting vicious eyerolls from everyone. Eventually, the rest of them raised their voices, telling her to shut up. Dina only snorted and teased them for being jealous. Nonetheless, the atmosphere was jolly as they conversed.
Ortega wasn't surprised to hear that Laura had bailed at the last minute. Since their first encounter, he had suspected Laura wasn't as committed to BeautyPlus as Velvet and Sylvia were. However, the fact that she clocked out late yesterday made it all the more confusing.
"Alright!" Gabriella announced with a sharp clap, catching everyone's attention. Her eyes gleamed energetically as she spoke, bringing an end to their conversation.
"Get the models on set and cameras rolling. It's about damn time we started this shoot!"
Everyone snapped into action, the room buzzing with renewed energy. Ortega felt a mix of relief and determination. Today had been a wake-up call, and he knew he had to step up his game. As he joined the others, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
This shoot was going to be a turning point, and he was ready to prove himself.