When Kate saw the reporters rush into the building, she was startled. Had Bündchen planted reporters at the door? How cunning! Even more cunning than Luca!
Quickly, she hid her shoes behind her back, her cheeks flushing. If someone caught a photo of her holding a shoe to hit someone, she'd surely be labeled as "rude" in the future.
"Sorry, Ms. Bündchen is not available for interviews!"
Nearby, Bündchen's assistants hurriedly surrounded her as reporters approached, shouting as they walked:
"Please make way, Ms. Bündchen is leaving!"
"Please move aside, Ms. Bündchen is not available for interviews!"
Bündchen's bodyguards and assistants plowed through the crowd with great determination and bravery.
But when they reached outside, they raised their heads and—huh? It was so quiet. There wasn't a single reporter. What was going on?
"Miss Kelly is over here!"
"Kate, I'm a reporter from *The New York Times*. May I interview you for a moment?"
Hearing the shouts from behind, Bündchen and her group turned around to see all the reporters gathered around Kate.
"Kate, congratulations on *Twilight* surpassing 100,000 in sales today! You're officially a bestselling author. How do you feel about that?"
"Ms. Kelly, could you tell us about your relationship with Britney Spears? Why did Britney go out of her way to recommend your book?"
"Kate, as both a supermodel and now a successful author, what's your secret to success?"
The reporters were jostling, hands raised, eager to ask questions.
In the middle of the crowd, Kate Kelly looked utterly confused.
*Twilight* selling over 100,000 copies?
I'm a bestselling author?
Britney's recommendation?
What are these questions? I don't understand a single one!
She blinked her long lashes and asked softly, "Can any of you reporters tell me what's going on?"
"Wow, Miss Kelly doesn't know yet? Starting the day before yesterday, *Twilight*'s sales skyrocketed—from 50,000 copies a day to over 100,000. The numbers are still climbing! Based on last week's sales, it's predicted *Twilight* could break into the top 10 of the bestseller list next week," one quick-talking reporter explained.
"Is it really that impressive?"
Kate was stunned. Over 100,000 copies a day? Top 10 this week? Is this a dream?
She discreetly pinched her long legs.
*Ouch! It hurts!*
Outside the scene, someone else was equally shocked: Bündchen. She clearly heard that the book Kate wrote had magically become a bestseller. How could this happen?
"Bard, go find out what's going on," Bündchen ordered darkly.
"Yes, Ms. Bündchen!"
A bodyguard quickly dove into the crowd of reporters to gather information and hurried back a moment later.
"Ms. Bündchen, I found out that two days ago, Britney Spears recommended *Twilight* to her fans online. Then the news made it onto CBS, and that afternoon, *Twilight* sold nearly 50,000 copies. Yesterday, it sold over 80,000, and today, it's already surpassed 100,000."
"How is that possible?!"
Bündchen and her group were dumbfounded.
"How could that trashy book sell so many copies?"
"Even with Britney's recommendation, that shouldn't happen, right?"
"Did Kate buy her way onto the charts?"
None of them could believe or accept that the book was a hit.
"It's true!"
The bodyguard continued, "I just asked a reporter from *The Times*. They said the quality of *Twilight* is excellent. According to the publisher's survey, *Twilight* has a positive review rate of over 80%, even higher than Anne Rice's *The Vampire Chronicles*."
"Impossible!" Bündchen gritted her teeth, waving her hand. "Someone who didn't even finish college? The quality of her book? Ridiculous! There must be something shady going on here."
The bodyguards and assistants nodded in agreement; they had to stand united now.
After a moment of thought, Bündchen instructed, "Bard, look into this. I don't care how much it costs, but find something shady."
"Yes, Ms. Bündchen!"
"Hmph!"
Bündchen glanced at Kate, who was still playing the clueless act in the crowd. Her face darkened further. *Pretentious b*tch! I'll expose your true colors.*
"Wow, wow~! Kate's really become a big-time author. I'm so jealous!" Carolina, who was nearby, stretched and praised loudly.
Bündchen's face turned even darker. She glanced at Carolina, huffed, and left with her entourage.
"I really do envy Kate," Carolina shrugged and said to her assistant. "Martha, go buy a copy of *Twilight* later. I'll need to get Kate to sign it when I get the chance."
"Sure thing, Carolina!"
"Let's go too!" KK's group also left.
"Please don't push! Please don't push!"
In the crowd, Nina and two assistants were protecting Kate, trying to make their way out. "We'll be holding a press conference at the company shortly. Please hold your questions until then. Make way, please!"
It took them quite some time to squeeze into the car.
"Nina, what exactly is going on?" Kate asked as she fixed her hair.
"How would I know? You're the author of *Twilight*, aren't you?" Nina snapped. She was still annoyed about Kate misspeaking earlier, but this even bigger mess had left her completely confused.
Kate spread her hands. "You told me to focus on modeling and not to worry about *Twilight*. I followed your advice, so I have no idea what's happening."
"Hmph, you may not know, but I bet that troublemaker at your house does," Nina said, a little annoyed.
Kate laughed, "Yeah, Luca definitely knows. He just shot a music video with Britney a few days ago. He must've convinced her to recommend the book."
Nina nodded slightly. That was probably the only explanation.
"But how did Luca manage to convince such a big star?" she asked curiously.
Kate propped her chin with her fingers, pondering. She was equally puzzled. How could a rising male model successfully network with a big star like Britney?
Male model and big celebrity?
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile crept onto her lips.
"Nina, don't forget that my Luca is Mr. Big," Kate teased.
Nina paused, then burst out laughing.
"No, that can't be true. Britney wouldn't promote a book just because of something like that. Even if she agreed, her team wouldn't allow it."
"Hehe, well, we'll know if we ask!"
Kate smiled slyly, leaning back in the spacious rear seat, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the bustling street outside. Her mood was growing lighter.
When she left the *Vogue* office earlier, she had been in a terrible mood. Looking around, she'd felt only frustration and exhaustion, even thinking about taking Luca and going back to Brazil.
But she hadn't expected such a sudden surprise—*Twilight* was selling like crazy, and she had become a bestselling author.
*Sigh~* Kate exhaled softly, whispering to herself, "Thank you, my dear."
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