The party hosted by Kyle lasted late in the night.
During this time, he managed to convince the camp director to postpone lessons and give the models a holiday in exchange for another lump sum of funds. People cheered when he made the announcement. They left their worries for another time and partied to their hearts' content.
Eve pulled her hair up in a bun the next morning. Cale groggily got up from bed. To her knowledge, the fruit punch had no effect on him nor on Tiffany. Jordan was present at the party as well and looked like he was doing just fine.
That left one person who she had no idea about.
She would have checked on him in his hotel room but…
… she figured privacy was what he needed more.
The staff let the rooms they used for lessons open. Eve headed to one of them after breakfast. A few other models had a similar idea. Tiffany wasn't included among them. She and Jordan retreated to their rooms as soon as they finished their breakfast.
Mikael hadn't come down at all. Jordan assured her that he was okay and was sleeping soundly. Eve decided to head out later and buy them something as her gratitude. She had dodged a bullet because of their intervention.
Strapping on 4-inch heels, Eve faced the wall covered in mirrors. She angled her side profile and checked out how the pumps shaped her legs. She hadn't walked the runway in this type of shoes before—especially their height.
And so, today would be the day she mastered walking in them.
The first attempt lasted her about 3 meters before her foot slipped. She strolled back to where she started in order to compare the lengths better. The second round ended almost at the same spot. The back of her feet began to hurt from the straps.
Since she had never worn them before, they were practically brand new.
New shoes weren't advisable for practice but she didn't exactly have a choice.
One of the models noticed her struggles and approached her. "Hey, need some help?"
Eve pushed herself off the floor after tripping for the nth time. She didn't get it. The pumps had added height at the sole so they are easier to wear. Was it the weight that she struggled with? They were, in fact, heavier than stilettos. It didn't help that the floor was a little slippery. She might have done better on pavement.
"Yes, please," Eve tried not to sound too desperate.
Her fellow model chuckled and showed her the ropes. She walked in front of Eve, pointing out certain movements she would use when wearing pumps. Eve tested them in place and familiarized herself with how the shoes felt.
After a while, she joined her fellow model in walking.
5 meters became her new record.
"Wow!" Eve exclaimed, excited by her progress. "That really helped. Thank you."
The model offered her a small smile. "No problem. Oh, I need to go. You can ask me questions if you're still confused about something."
"I appreciate that a lot. Thank you."
Eve spent the next hour walking five meters. She didn't dare to go further until she was confident enough. What she had learned so far was how to be comfortable in pumps. What she still needed to know was how to use them in different styles.
The chatter around the room slowly died down as time passed. Eve focused on her side of the studio, even recording herself so she could see her progress from the side. The mirror only showed her front since she headed towards it.
Eventually, she would have to turn away from it and not rely on her sight for walking.
The wound at the back of her feet throbbed scalding pain. Eve sat on the floor and untied her heels. The patches of skin had turned red. Thankfully, there wasn't any blood but the skin had swelled.
She blew on them to soothe the pain. An image of Cale's stern face flashed in her mind.
Oh, he would be furious if he saw these wounds.
"You're a hard worker, aren't you?"
Eve cursed at how well she could recognize that voice. She rose to her feet, not looking his way and hooking her fingers under her shoe straps. The exit was only a few meters away. She just needed to reach it before he could reach her.
A hand slammed the door shut when she pulled it open.
"Do you know how rude it is to ignore someone, Ms. Reed?" Kyle whispered against the back of her ear. She shivered involuntarily.
"What about you, Mr. Kyle?" Eve said. Her eyes glared at the door. She switched her grip on her shoes from the straps to the outsole. "Don't you think it's rude to force someone to do something they don't want?"
Muffled laughter sounded behind her. The more she listened to it, the more it sounded sinister.
Cold fear electrified her nerve endings.
Kyle rested his other hand on the door as well, trapping Eve between his arms. He lowered his head and leaned forward until they were cheek to cheek. "Is that what you told Ambryan Hathaway when he offered you a deal to fake date him?"
Eve jabbed her right elbow against his ribs. He dodged it at once. Seizing her chance, she used her heels to hit the crook of his elbow. Kyle howled in pain and let the door go. Eve yanked on the knob, running for her life.
She heard him curse from inside the studio but didn't dare look back.
Pulling out her phone, Eve dialed Ambryan's number.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" she chanted. "Come on, Ambee. I need to tell you something important. Pick up the call, please!"
The hallways were empty as she passed through them. Could it be possible that Kyle cleared them out? That sounded a bit exaggerated but, based on what happened last night, it wouldn't be something he couldn't achieve. Pushing that thought aside, Eve begged her brain to figure out Kyle's identity—an influential young man who knew about private information on her dating life with Ambryan.
Ambryan's lack of response wasn't helping.
She ended the call and headed for the elevator, dialing Nanzie instead. The floor numbers indicated that they were still at the top. Her room had to be the safest place for now.
"Ms. Eve?"
"Nanzie! Where are you?" Eve wailed. She ditched the lift and used the emergency stairs. Since she was barefoot, they should be easier to climb. "I need you to guard my room with Cale."
"Drat. Mr. Kyle has escaped our surveillance," Nanzie cursed from the other line. She shouted instructions to her companions before focusing back on Eve. "Have you seen him, Ms. Eve? Has he harmed you?"
"I saw him in the practice room. I don't know what he wants anymore. He seems to know things about Ambryan and I that the public don't. He could be a reporter, an enemy… I don't know! Ambryan thinks I can figure it out but I'm in a state of panic that I can't think straight right now."
Eve reached her floor and slammed her shoulder against the metal door. Her eyes snapped towards the elevator when she heard it ring. Kyle blinked in surprise at the sight of her. The same overwhelming sense of fear thundered in her chest.
She backed away from him, never breaking eye contact. One look away and he could spring on her. He had just tried to drug her last night. What had he intended to do with her if she had drunk it? The possibilities grew darker and darker as she thought about it.
"Stay back!" Eve yelled, pointing her shoes at him. She prayed that Nanzie or the hotel staff could hear her. "I'll report you for assault if you try anything!"
Kyle stepped out of the lift and tilted his head to one side. "Why, Ms. Hart… don't you think you're overreacting? You're acting immature. Aren't you a grown woman with a fully developed brain?"
"And aren't you a grown man who knows right from wrong so why attempt to drug someone?" Eve sneered back. "I think many people would see that as a valid reason for my current actions."
"Ouch, Ms. Hart," Kyle breathed out, placing a hand over his heart. He stalked towards her. Eve picked up the pace. "You're accusing me without evidence. Why would I hurt you like that? I'm quite fond of you."
Eve shook her head vigorously. She took a chance and threw one shoe in his direction. It hit him on the shoulder. "I don't know anything other than I'm supposed to know who you are because Ambryan thinks I should. And that somehow that will give me all the answers to your motivations."
Kyle had begun massaging his sore shoulder. When he heard Ambryan's name, his hand froze in place. He turned his head to face Eve once more. "Ah, dear old, Ambryan… the son every wealthy businessman wanted."
"So it is about Ambryan," Eve confirmed to herself, her voice too low for Kyle to hear. She amplified the volume and said, "You have a grudge against Ambryan. That's why you're targeting me. Why you were hitting on me, flirting with me, feeling me up on set and were trying to dru—"
She gulped on the last one. Her grip on her shoe tightened. Gradually, the fear she felt diminished. Newfound determination pumped in her blood. She had reached the end of the hallway without her knowledge.
Her brown eyes darkening with rage, Eve hardened her stance. "If you think, for one minute, that you can use me against Ambryan, I'd like to see you try."
Kyle almost laughed in her face.
Until, he saw a figure emerge from the shadows.
A thick and warm arm wrapped around Eve's chest from behind. The tension on her shoulders immediately relaxed.
Ambryan pulled her closer to him and rested his cheek against her temple. "Think about trying and you'll wish you've never been born, Kyle Rivers."