Chapter 571
Chapter 571:
Without Carlton’s attention, she risked fading into obscurity, becoming just another forgotten face in the background.
The production team had assembled a dazzling array of contestants, each more captivating than the last. Her once-prized attributes now seemed as ordinary as tap water in an ocean of champagne.
Demi’s eyes drifted to Daniel, who was stretching nearby. The thought of having to charm someone so unremarkable made her stomach turn. In another corner of the pool area, Alissa and Janice had sequestered themselves for a private conversation.
“I kind of understand why Leonidas asked me to get you out of prison,” Alissa remarked, studying Delilah with newfound appreciation. “You’ve proven you’re not completely useless.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance,” Delilah replied, her smile perfectly measured.
“Perform well. You need to prove your worth to me, understand?”
Delilah lowered her gaze, a glacial glint flickering in her eyes like lightning in a winter storm. “I understand. I won’t let you down.”
Meanwhile, the poolside drama spilled into the digital realm, where internet sleuths were digging into Demi’s past like vultures picking at old bones. Vicious rumors circulated about her alleged liaisons with various businessmen, painting her as someone who’d do anything to climb the social ladder. These whispers turned even the fence-sitters against her, their doubts crystallizing into condemnation.
Carlton wasn’t immune to the public’s wrath either. Critics lambasted him as a hopeless romantic, too naive to separate genuine emotion from calculated deception.
When Aiden stepped out of the villa, the pool area unfolded before him like a theater of the absurd. He watched as Delilah masterfully twisted reality to suit her purposes and couldn’t help but chuckle—some things never changed. But Demi? She was almost pitiable. Watching her flounder against Delilah’s expert manipulation was like watching a kitten try to outmaneuver a seasoned predator.
𝖀𝖕𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓 g⍺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗲𝗅𝘀․𝗰𝗈𝗺
Aiden glanced back at the villa, feeling an unexpected urge to share this juicy development with Janice. The impulse gave him pause. Since when had he started wanting to gossip with her?
A graceful figure emerged from the villa, commanding Aiden’s attention like a moth to a flame. His eyes brightened instantly, drinking in the sight before him. Janice was a vision of natural beauty, her makeup-free face radiating pure elegance. What she’d done with a simple T-shirt and capri pants defied imagination. Strategic cutouts and patterns played peek-a-boo with her skin, creating an alluring mystery.
Aiden recognized the influence of traditional paper-cutting art in her design—the way she’d metamorphosed ordinary clothing into a vintage-inspired swimsuit that seemed to tell its own story.
“Aiden, what are you daydreaming about?” Janice’s voice startled him from his reverie. She’d approached without him noticing.
Aiden’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “I was just thinking—you look so beautiful.”
.
.
.