Chapter 80
Emilia's face gave nothing away as she asked, almost lazily, "So, which one of my personas are they hoping to sign?"
Sloane shot her a mischievous grin and gave her a conspiratorial wink."Why don't you take a wild guess?"
Emilia laughed, a little smirk forming, "Not interested."
"Come on, just humor me," Sloane insisted, her tone sweetening with that pleading note Emilia knew alI too well.
Emilia sighed in surrender, knowing Sloane wouldn't quit until she got her way.
"Fine, fine, I'll' play along. You happy now?" Emilia paused, pretending to give it some thought before tossing out her answer. "Queen?"
Sloane let out an exaggerated gasp. "You are unreal! One guess and you nailed it!"
"Tell them no," Emilia replied instantly, not missing a beat.
She was well aware of why the Mitchell Group wanted her on their roster. It wasn't jus about her sudden popularity-there were other motives at play.
"Consider it done. I'll make sure they get the message loud and clear." Sloane flashed an◯ksign with a wink.
"They'll probably try to buy up the rights to my music next," Emilia said, her tone firm. "Don't let them get their hands on anything. Hold the line."
"You can count on me." Sloane gave her a quick nod.
···
Down on the street in front of the apartment building. "Are you sure this is where she lives? What if we got the wrong place?"
"We've been camped out here since sunrise, and still no sign of her."
"She's definitely inside. Someone spotted her out on the balcony earlier. Maybe she's just too scared to show her face."
"Anyone got a plan for getting in? Should we send someone up to snoop around?"
"That might've worked before, but not now. The front's all locked up, and there's a security guard watching the door."
The crowd milling outside grew restless, a mix of eager onlookers and a handful of troublemakers Violet had slipped in on purpose.
Violet had been the one to quietly leak Emilia's address to the world. She'd spent the night plotting every detail, certain that this time Emilia would finally be destroyed-and Emilia's disgrace would be splashed across every headline by morning.
Violet was convinced this would be Emilia's undoing.
Cyberbullying was already a nightmare for most, but once someone's address got out, the fallout escalated fast.Suddenly, strangers were lurking outside your door, making home feel like a prison.
Most people would break under that kind of pressure-online hatred alone was enough to shatter someone's confidence, let alone when the threats showed up in person.
···
When the elevator doors parted, Emilia strode out in a jet-black suit.
She was all long lines and quiet power, the fit so precise it looked tailor-made. Black sunglasses covered her eyes, adding an extra layer of mystique.
A classic black umbrella dangled from her hand, the faintest smirk on her lips bringing a spark of mischief to her cool exterior. Sloane walked at her side, dressed in a white top and blush-pink cargo pants.
She had her own air of confidence, but there was something soft and loyal about the way she stuck close to Emilia.
Both women wore dark glasses, though Sloane's pink umbrella gave her a playful, carefree vibe that contrasted Emilia's sharp coolness.
Side by side, they had the composure of models about to rule a runway.
At the entrance, the security guards froze for a second, taken aback by their presence, only snapping to attention as Emilia and Sloane closed the distance.
"Heading out this morning? Looks like most of them are waiting for you. Maybe you should lay low for a while-just in case someone out there gets out of hand," one of the guards asked, concern in his eyes as he glanced at the crowd outside.
He'd seen the swirling storm of online gossip, all those ugly words and accusations aimed at the two women. But deep down, he doubted either of them were anything like the people in those rumors.