But Marcelo always had a way.
“Mr. Nygard’s already spoken with the director, but things are getting out of hand. You’ll need to find a way to trip Amelia up yourself,” Melissa pressed.
Gianna nodded. “Fine. I’ll keep my eyes open.”
“I can’t stay here too long. I’m leaving,” Melissa said, shoving some snacks and face cream on the way out, worried her client would look wrecked when the show wrapped.
Gianna wolfed down the food, then went back out.
Hmph. She wasn’t about to suffer like the others.
Still, she had to come up with something-fast-to deal with Amelia.
In the Curran Villa.
Jeremy was in his study, a laptop open beside him.
The live broadcast of Heiress Bootcamp was streaming.
Since Amelia joined the show, she’d all but disappeared from his world.
The gap gnawed at him, so this was the only way to keep tabs.
And she hadn’t disappointed.
The camera panned to her just as she crouched in the yard, coaxing a fire to life. Jeremy casually dropped 20 gala gifts into the stream.
The screen exploded with special effects.
The chat went insane.
[Holy hell, who’s this sugar daddy?]
[Must be here for Gianna-so romantic!]
[No way, he’s after Amelia. Look, he only sends gifts when the camera’s on her.]
Jeremy’s lips curved with the faintest smile. His long fingers danced over the keys, and another wave of extravagant effects detonated in the chat.
The directors noticed instantly.
“Track that ID!” the assistant director shouted.
“That guy’s already dropped over a million!”
Amelia, oblivious, fed wood to the fire, the flames lighting her flawless profile. The comments flared again.
[She looks stunning even while lighting a fire!]
[Another gift! Definitely for Amelia!]
[Gianna’s fuming, hahaha.]
And Gianna was about to lose it.
She stared daggers at the donor list. Every single lavish gift from the mysterious “GJX” account landed squarely on Amelia’s shots.
“Damn it. Who the hell is this GJX? Why throw money around like that?” she was seething inside.
Her thoughts slipped to Vincent.
Since Amelia had called off the engagement, his attitude toward her had shifted.
Gianna pressed her lips together. She wouldn’t allow it.
When this show ended, she planned to patch things up with Vincent.
Whatever Amelia wanted, Gianna would take. Always.
The program rolled on.
The producers announced the day’s task: the guests had to head to the village fish market and sell the fishermen’s fresh morning catch. Whoever earned the most would get first pick of dinner ingredients-live seafood.
“Sell fish?” Gianna wrinkled her nose in disgust, muttering under her breath, “What filthy work.”
But as soon as the cameras turned, she pasted on a sugary smile. “I’m so excited! I’ve never tried anything like this before!”
The chat pounced immediately.
“Didn’t she just look disgusted?”
“She flips moods faster than a light switch.”
“Girl reeks of fake.”
Everyone disliked the idea, but only Gianna had slipped up enough to show it.
After all, they were on camera.
When the group reached the stalls, they froze at the sight of wriggling fish. “Uh … how are we supposed to do this?”
Amelia didn’t say a word. She rolled up her sleeves, grabbed a thrashing fish, and with one clean motion, scaled, gutted, and cleaned it like a pro.
The others froze, mouths hanging open.
“Wow!” Kristina’s eyes went wide, her voice full of admiration. “You even know how to do that?”
“Seriously, Amelia, is there anything you don’t know?” Bella teased.
“This is nothing. I’ve been through tougher,” Amelia said lightly, her hands never slowing.
Gianna stared at her, horrified. “You’re killing a live fish? That’s so cruel! How can you even stomach it?”
Amelia rolled her eyes and shot back, sharp as a whip, “Oh, give me a break. Didn’t you walk into this show with a crocodile-skin purse? And that fur coat you wore? Those weren’t made out of daisies. Spare me the act.”
What a fake!
Gianna’s face flushed red. She glared at Amelia. “Th-that bag was faux leather, not real.”
Her eyes flickered, giving her away.
She instantly regretted opening her mouth.
She had a bad feeling about this.
Sure enough, Amelia’s lips curved into a mocking smile. “Oh? That’s funny. I distinctly remember that brand advertising every single bag as genuine leather. If yours is fake, then either you got scammed, or the company’s committing fraud. And aren’t you … their brand ambassador?”
Gianna nearly choked on her own fury.
She knew Amelia had baited her.
Now, she was stuck. As the brand’s spokesperson, she had to protect its reputation.
Of course, the bags are real leather, but she’d just blurted out that hers was fake. How was she supposed to fix this?
She couldn’t insult the brand-that would end her career and saddle her with damages.
This was a nightmare, all thanks to that damn Amelia.
It was a trap, and she had sprung it perfectly.
Gianna forced out, “Of course, the official promos are accurate. I just misspoke, that’s all. Anyway, aren’t we supposed to be selling fish?”
She pivoted hard, desperate to steer the subject away before her image collapsed completely.
The livestream chat detonated.
[Gianna just shot herself in the foot.]
[So crocodile skin’s fine, but gutting fish is cruel? Classic double standards.]
[She apologized already. Why are you people dragging it? Poor Gianna, don’t do reality TV again, it’s beneath you.]
[Hey, brand reps-you hear that? Your ambassador just said your products are fake.]
[Amelia with the kill shot! She totally exposed her fake nice-girl act.]
On set, the air turned heavy. Behind the monitors, the director’s crew was buzzing, wringing their hands in both panic and glee.
This episode had gone nuclear. So intense!
Did these girls even remember they were on a livestream, not a pre-taped show?
“Ahem, let’s, uh, hurry up with those fish. We’ve got to start selling by noon,” the director jumped in, trying to diffuse the tension.
Amelia just gave a soft snort and went back to her work.
The chat went into overdrive again.
[What a queen! Even cleaning fish, she looks badass!]
The stall owner wandered over, impressed. “Miss, that’s some pretty professional knife work.”
“I’ve done it before,” Amelia said calmly, still scaling, the blade flashing as silver scales flew. One landed squarely on Gianna’s brand-new white dress.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.