In the morning, Manhattan's midtown streets were bustling with traffic. The constant honking made the city's pace even more frantic.
At a crosswalk, the light turned red. The long line of cars split in two—those ahead had passed, while those behind waited at the intersection.
Ed pulled the handbrake and stopped the car.
"Luca, were you on a date with Lima yesterday?"
"Alright, so you know," Luca smiled helplessly. He and Lima had gone shopping the day before, and apparently, a reporter had caught them and published a tabloid story about the supermodel Lima dating the 'Superman' Luca. Ed must've seen it too.
"Haha, it's no big deal. But Dr. Joel was right—you need to rest that back injury for a while. No intense activity in the short term."
Luca rubbed his forehead. "Ed, it was just a casual date."
"I'm just reminding you," Ed replied with a grin, showing off his pearly white teeth as the car slowly started moving again.
Luca shook his head. Ed didn't need to remind him; he had no intention of getting too intimate with Lima anytime soon. They were friends, close ones at that, and crossing the line would mean committing to a long-term relationship. He couldn't just treat her like other women, with a "one-night and we're done" attitude.
They arrived at Broadway, in front of the Woolworth Building. Luca and Ed got out of the car.
The Woolworth Building, with its 57 stories and a height of 241 meters, was once the tallest in the world, a neo-Gothic building with a pointed roof. Over nearly a century, it had been overshadowed by surrounding skyscrapers, becoming a relic of a bygone era—and a prime filming location.
Today, Luca was here to shoot an Armani fashion ad.
The advertisement had two parts: a print ad and a fashion video.
Inside the building, the shooting area was bustling with activity—staff members, photographers, and several models moved around.
"Hey, Ben!" Luca called to a familiar face—Ben Hill, a rugged-looking male model with a beard. They had walked the same runway at Lincoln Center once, exchanging a few words. Not exactly close, but familiar.
Ben gave a tight-lipped smile and walked past without a word.
Luca raised an eyebrow. Interesting.
"Don't mind him," Ed said, walking out from the studio. "He was one of the ones who tried to smear you last time."
"Oh?" Luca slipped his hands into his pockets and walked inside.
"Last time, Mr. Frank chose you, and after that, rumors came out about you passing out from a drug overdose. Frank handed the ad to Ben, but before the deal was signed, you became 'Superman,' and Ben's hopes were dashed."
Ed smiled. "You two are competitors. I have every reason to believe he was involved in that attack on you."
"Then why is he here?" Luca glanced at Ben, still loitering around the studio.
Ed shrugged. "It's the brand's arrangement. Probably to compensate him."
"Alright, I see." Luca nodded and headed to the dressing room.
"Hey, Luca! Long time no see!"
Just as he walked in, he encountered someone he wasn't keen on seeing—Tony, the makeup artist who had spent three years as a mortuary beautician. Tony was wearing tight pants, light purple lipstick, and thick eyeliner, his flamboyance bordering on creepy.
"Haha, Luca! You must be thrilled to see me, right?" Tony winked, holding a makeup brush in hand.
"Yeah, sure," Luca muttered through gritted teeth.
"Haha, I'm thrilled to see you too. By the way, I heard you were in the hospital recently. I was so worried about you!"
Tony's overly dramatic tone and drooping eyebrows were anything but convincing.
Yeah, right! If he were really concerned, why didn't he show up at the hospital with flowers?
"Thanks for your concern, Tony. I'm fine now."
"God bless, that's wonderful! Just wait a moment. I'll be with you after I finish up here."
Tony was busy applying makeup to another male model, sweeping the brush across the man's face with vigor.
"Ugh, Tony! Could you be a little gentler? This is my face, not the floor!" the model grumbled.
"Oh, sorry! I'm used to it," Tony replied.
"Used to it?" The male model didn't understand, but Luca did. Tony was used to applying makeup on corpses—no complaints from the dead, no matter how rough. Luca had already experienced Tony's heavy-handedness once and had no intention of going through that again.
He quietly slipped out, looking for another makeup artist. After searching around, though, he realized there wasn't anyone else available.
"Haha, Luca! Where did you go? I've been waiting for you!" Tony, holding an eyebrow pencil and razor, grinned broadly.
Luca forced a smile. "Tony, please don't tell me you're the only makeup artist today?"
"Bingo! You got it!" Tony smiled smugly.
Damn it! Luca cursed under his breath but resigned himself to entering the makeup room.
"Tony, I'll leave it to you!"
"Hehehe..."
"One, two, three, four—Luca, focus on the camera!"
"Turn your head. Lift your chin a bit more."
"Oh, what a perfect profile—just like a sculpture!"
After the makeup was done, Luca, dressed in a new set of denim fashionwear, began the shoot.
The photographer was David LaChapelle, a renowned fashion photographer who had worked with stars like Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, and Madonna. He was famous in the industry.
In the fashion world, photographers were considered artists—sculptors of beauty.
A good photographer was like a master artist. They could refine the model's best features with a few simple instructions, making them shine in front of the camera.
Compared to photo-editing apps, a great photographer was far more powerful. Apps could turn a cat into a tiger, but a skilled photographer could make a cat exude the presence and ferocity of a tiger.
To capture the most powerful images, Luca followed David's instructions, striking a variety of poses—free, rugged, sexy, and even a bit flamboyant.
Two hours later, the first set of shots was done.
Luca wiped the sweat from his brow as he stepped out of the studio.
"Luca, do you want to take a break and shoot the rest in the afternoon?" Ed handed him a cup of hot coffee.
Luca stretched and checked how his body was feeling.
"Ed, I'm good."
He had gone to the hospital last week, and Joel had said his recovery was remarkably fast. There were no signs of spinal damage anymore, as long as he didn't engage in strenuous activity.
After a brief rest, they moved on to the second set.
This time, they were shooting a group ad, featuring Luca and several other models—one of them being Ben Hill.
The shoot didn't go smoothly. Ben wasn't happy playing second fiddle and looked down on Luca, trying to outshine him as the lead.
Luca wasn't about to back down. He went all out, using his presence, acting skills, and looks to fight back.
The two of them engaged in a silent battle in front of the camera—an intense clash of egos.
Luca thought the photographer would call for a break, but David, holding his camera, was enjoying the spectacle. Sometimes, he'd even egg them on with his words, deliberately fueling the rivalry.
"Come on, Ben, more intensity! Don't let Luca outshine you!"
"Haha, yes! That's it—more attitude! Show me your power!"
David kept stoking the fire, encouraging the competition.
With the photographer's support, Ben pushed himself even harder.
Luca focused all his energy and rose to the challenge.
After the second set of shots, both men were exhausted.
"Haha! These shots are fantastic! This is the best fashion shoot I've done all year! Luca, Ben, you both killed it!" David shouted excitedly, reviewing the photos.
"Hmph," Ben sneered at Luca before walking away, a cold smile on his face.
Luca shook his head. Why the sneer? So annoying.
"Ed, can we replace Ben Hill?"
"Of course. You're the one Frank values as the spokesperson."
"Good. Shooting with him is too tiring."
"Done!"
(End of Chapter)