Alexander's POV
The meeting ended and I leaned back slowly in my chair feeling tired and drained. My head felt heavy so I pressed my fingers against my temples trying to ease the pressure building inside my skull.
Papers were spread across my desk waiting to be sorted but my body refused to move. Just when I was about to start organizing the documents my phone rang loudly breaking the quiet office atmosphere.
I picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID before answering calmly.
Isabella's voice came through the line sounding soft but slightly annoyed. She asked if I was still in the company because she wanted to come see me.
She then explained that Vivienne suddenly canceled the shoot saying there was an urgent issue and left immediately without giving a full explanation. Isabella sounded confused and unhappy about what happened.
I told her there must have been an emergency because Vivienne was not the type to cancel work without reason.
I trusted her professionalism and knew she always handled projects carefully. I suggested that since the shoot was canceled Isabella could come over to the office and talk to me directly which she did.
Isabella gave a small laugh that sounded polite but cold underneath as she walked in to take a seat. She said it must have been something urgent and then mentioned another matter she wanted to discuss.
She said she wanted to bring her own makeup artist for the shoot because she had just returned from abroad and her skin was sensitive.
She explained that local makeup artists might not understand her skin type and she worried the look would not meet her expectations. She insisted her personal makeup artist knew her best and would create a better result.
I did not think it was a big issue at first and asked why she needed to report such a small matter to me directly.
She replied that no detail was too small and everything should be communicated clearly to show sincerity in the collaboration. She said she cared deeply about the endorsement and wanted everything to go smoothly so no one would accuse her of being difficult later.
I agreed with her reasoning. She always paid attention to small details and reported everything clearly.
At the same time I noticed that Vivienne had not informed me beforehand about canceling the shoot.
The difference between their working styles became obvious in my mind even though I still trusted Vivienne judgment. I rarely interfered with V&R operations because I respected her independence.
Whatever happened did not seem like something that required my immediate involvement.
Vivienne's POV
The next day Isabella and her team arrived at the studio on time. The set from the previous day remained in place so preparation was quick.
Just when everything seemed to be moving smoothly my assistant rushed toward me looking nervous and told me there was a problem in the makeup room.
I asked what happened and she explained that Isabella had brought her own makeup artist and a disagreement started between Sophie and the new artist regarding styling and makeup.
I placed the magazine down and walked quickly toward the makeup room to see the situation myself. As soon as I reached the doorway Sophie stormed out looking angry and frustrated.
She told me Isabella personal makeup artist created a look that did not match the theme at all and insisted I check it immediately.
Inside the room Eliza greeted me with a polite smile and introduced the new makeup artist Mira who worked for international beauty competitions. Sophie stood aside clearly upset and annoyed. I greeted Mira politely and then turned to Eliza asking why the styling did not follow the agreed concept.
Eliza tried to calm the situation saying Mira believed her design matched the outfits better and would improve Isabella appearance.
Before I could reply Sophie interrupted angrily saying the styling did not fit the endorsement theme and would damage the entire shoot concept.
Eliza responded casually saying fans cared more about Isabella appearance than the styling details and claimed the makeup did not matter much as long as Isabella looked beautiful.
Sophie tried to argue further but I stepped in and addressed Eliza directly.
I reminded her that the issue was not about personal preference but about respecting the contract and the collaboration between teams. According to our agreement Isabella needed to cooperate with our production plan and changes should have been discussed in advance.
At that moment Isabella spoke calmly and said she forgot to inform me because she had already discussed the matter with Alexander and he approved the change.
Hearing that my mind went blank for a moment. My throat felt dry and the arguments I prepared suddenly lost their meaning.
I realized Alexander had already interfered in the project again. All the planning and effort I invested felt ignored and useless.
Inside my heart anger and disappointment grew stronger. I thought about how he repeatedly prioritized Isabella over my work and disrupted carefully planned campaigns.
I remembered the ambassador change that destroyed months of preparation yet I had no choice but to repair everything quietly.
Sophie looked shocked hearing that Alexander approved the change and questioned why he would involve himself in such a specific production detail.
Isabella smiled calmly saying Alexander trusted her to handle small matters.
Eliza added that if we did not believe them we could call Alexander ourselves and confirm. She warned that if we could not cooperate they were willing to terminate the contract because Isabella had many endorsement offers.
Sophie was furious and once outside she complained loudly about Isabella behavior calling her dishonest and manipulative.
Ariana tried to calm her and suggested we think about how to adjust the shoot if the makeup remained unchanged.
Sophie turned to me asking what I planned to do next.
I told them to wait in the lounge while I made a call. I walked to a quiet corner of the studio and dialed Alexander number. He answered quickly and I introduced myself before asking if he approved Isabella bringing her own makeup artist.
He responded casually asking what the issue was. I explained that the makeup did not match the shoot concept and Isabella refused to change it while threatening to terminate cooperation which could damage the endorsement project.
After I finished speaking silence filled the call. I hoped he might reconsider or at least understand my concerns. Instead his tone became cold asking if there was a misunderstanding.
He defended Isabella saying she was not the type to sabotage cooperation. He then questioned why the previous day shoot was canceled and why Isabella was not informed properly.
His questions made me realize he doubted my professionalism. My silence seemed to confirm his suspicion in his mind and he continued speaking in a tone that felt harsh and distant.
Every word he said felt like a blade cutting into my chest. My hands trembled as I held the phone tightly. I felt cold and dizzy and could barely think clearly. Tears gathered in my eyes but refused to fall. I did not want to hear anything more.
Panic and pain overwhelmed me and without thinking I pressed the hang up button.
The phone slipped from my shaking fingers and crashed onto the floor. The sound echoed loudly in the quiet hallway while my mind remained frozen.