Adira's POV
I should have known Ashley wouldn't stay quiet after the gala.
The first blow came a week later, disguised as a glossy press release: Ashley Williams named global ambassador for Ristone Capital one of the biggest competitors circling the coffeehouse and lifestyle market.
It wasn't just modeling anymore. It was strategy. A deliberate swipe at me.
Within twenty-four hours, I had three nervous calls from investors, all wanting to know if my brand could withstand the weight of Ashley's glamour backing my rivals.
I kept my answers calm. But when I ended the calls, I slammed my office door so hard the glass rattled.
This wasn't coincidence. This was war.
"Ristone made a clever move," Jayden said when I confronted him in his office later that day. He was too composed, too calculating, and that irritated me.
"This is Ashley," I hissed. "You don't understand she's not just some model they hired. She's vindictive. She's making this personal."
He leaned back in his chair, dark eyes steady on me. "Everything is personal to Ashley. But she doesn't understand what she's up against."
My fists clenched. "What if she doesn't need to? What if she drags everything I built down just by flashing a smile in the right direction?"
"Then you fight smarter," he said. "You don't let her control the narrative. And you don't let her get in your head."
His confidence rattled me. Because a part of me wanted to lean on it. Wanted to believe him.
But another part screamed that this was exactly what Ashley wanted to make me dependent, to blur my boundaries.
I turned to leave, but Jayden's voice stopped me.
"Adira."
I froze.
"I knew Ashley in high school, too," he said quietly. "I saw the way she treated you. I didn't step in then. But I will now. Not because you need me. Because I can't stand to watch her take one more piece of you."
My chest tightened, but I forced myself out the door before he could see the crack in my armor.
Ashley's POV
Ristone's deal had gone better than expected. They loved the idea of pairing their luxury expansion brand with my name the model who commanded headlines, the face people couldn't ignore.
Adira could have her dusty coffee shops. I had global appeal.
And soon, I'd make sure every spotlight she earned was drowned by mine.
The best part? She had no idea how many people in her world were still willing to take my calls.
Jayden's POV
Ristone's move was dangerous. Not because Ashley was a business threat she wasn't. But because her face, her name, her constant noise could sway investors too blind to see substance over shine.
Which meant I needed to move faster.
Not just to protect my investment.
To protect her.