By morning, the video of Lina's rooftop speech had gone viral.
Clipped, subtitled, and spread across platforms with captions like:
"The girl who spoke fire."
"From orphan to icon."
"Who is Lina Vale really?"
Some praised her fearlessness.
Others called her arrogant.
And some… wondered who she'd had to sleep with to climb that high.
Lina scrolled through the comments in silence, then set the phone down without reacting. The moment she gave the noise her attention, she'd lose her focus.
[System Prompt: Distraction Detected.]
Focus Buffer Enabled: Cognitive Clarity +10%
Mental Noise Reduction Activated for 1 hour.
She blinked.
A soft wave passed through her mind—like a room being gently soundproofed.
"…Thanks," she whispered.
[You're welcome.]
Kael wasn't at her place the next morning, but he'd left something behind—a note, written in his sharp handwriting.
"Your fire terrifies them. That means you're doing it right."
–K.
It made her smile.
But her peace was short-lived.
Lina arrived on set two hours later for a commercial shoot—this time for an elite watch brand featuring multiple ambassadors. Among them?
Elle.
The icy model-turned-actress, who had once shared a runway with Kael—and clearly never forgiven Lina for stepping into his world.
"Oh, look," Elle said as Lina walked in, voice sugar-coated and venom-laced. "The phoenix finally learned to talk."
"I see your compliments are still weapons," Lina replied evenly. "Try being original."
Several stylists choked on laughter.
Elle's smile thinned.
Their shoot began shortly after.
The concept: elegance in competition. A quiet power dynamic. Eye contact, tension, grace.
The director loved it.
The cameras ate it up.
What the director didn't see was Elle's deliberate attempts to make Lina trip—subtle nudges, frame-blocking, timing her movements to throw Lina off.
[System Notification: Microaggression Detected – External Sabotage Incoming]
Countermode Suggestion: Passive Dominance.
Activate Pose Sync Override?
"Yes," Lina whispered under her breath.
Override Engaged.
In the next frame, Lina moved with precision so sharp it disrupted Elle's choreography. Her posture was flawless. Her timing, supernatural. Her eyes? Cold. Calculated.
Elle faltered.
The director raised a hand. "Cut!"
He turned to Elle. "You're stiff. You're being outpaced. Again."
Elle's expression cracked.
Lina said nothing.
She didn't have to.
After the shoot, as they changed in opposite dressing rooms, Elle cornered her in the hallway.
"You think you've won him?" she hissed. "You think being clever makes you untouchable?"
"I don't want to be untouchable," Lina said. "I want to be undeniable."
"You're being protected. The moment he's bored, you're done."
Lina tilted her head. "Funny. That sounds more like a warning than a threat. Are you scared of being replaced?"
Silence.
And that was the answer.
That night, Kael called from an airport lounge.
"I heard Elle gave you trouble."
"She tried," Lina said. "She failed."
He chuckled. "Good."
"Where are you going?"
"Geneva. Quick meeting. I'll be back in two days."
She hesitated.
"…You'll call me?"
"Every night. Just don't let the wolves get too close while I'm gone."
She smiled faintly. "They're already howling."
"Then make them starve."