Chapter 494

Isabella Montgomery gave Evelyn Sinclair's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"If you despise him, just treat Xavier Delmont as Nathan Blackwood's doppelgänger and make him suffer."

"If you fancy him, obsess over Xavier to drive Nathan insane! Either way," she winked, "you come out on top."

A faint smile touched Evelyn's lips. "You two really are my ride-or-dies, aren't you?"

"Damn right we are!" The best friends chorused in perfect sync.

Sebastian Hart, lounging nearby, let out a derisive snort. "You women only know how to stir up trouble." He scooted closer to Evelyn with sudden enthusiasm. "Say, darling, want to hear a brilliant business proposition?"

Natalie Beaumont rolled her eyes. "Sebastian, this better not be another one of your harebrained schemes."

The man grinned shamelessly as he scrolled through his phone. "I've got eight hundred pounds of organic potatoes that need selling. Fancy helping me move them at your next fashion show?"

Evelyn's mouth fell open in disbelief.

Natalie's icy glare could have frozen lava. "You want me to peddle your farm produce at Lumière's Paris Fashion Week showcase? Are you out of your mind?"

Sebastian pouted. "What's wrong with that? Don't fashionistas eat? Don't they... you know... digest?"

Evelyn sighed, tuning out her eccentric friends' bickering. Her attention kept drifting to the striking man beside her - not Nathan, yet his presence felt just as suffocating. Every breath came slightly quicker, her pulse fluttering like a trapped bird.

Perhaps this was the lingering trauma of her marriage. Needing air, Evelyn rose to step outside, only to find the exit blocked by a swarm of reporters with flashing cameras.

The entire room tensed. Natalie, slightly tipsy, positioned herself protectively in front of Evelyn.

"What's the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"Ms. Beaumont! We heard international supermodels are flocking to Montecito for career opportunities. Care to comment on negotiations?"

"Who's signed so far? Will Ms. Sinclair be involved?"

"Is this really a business meeting or just rich women playing with their toys?"

One reporter's particularly salacious question silenced the room.

Evelyn didn't need to be psychic to know they'd been set up. Whether the target was her, Natalie, Sebastian, or Isabella - each was gossip gold. Some ambitious model had clearly sold them out for fame.

The potential headlines made her nauseous: "Socialites' Wild Orgy" or "Heiresses' Dirty Secrets." Either would devastate their businesses.

Evelyn's gaze swept the male models present. Their varied expressions gave nothing away. Isabella had gone pale, hiding behind Sebastian, who looked equally horrified at another scandal brewing. The man just wanted to be a respectable trust fund baby!

The reporters showed no signs of leaving.

"Commercial secrets," Natalie snapped, blocking the doorway. "Wait for the press conference."

She reached for her phone to call security, but the media pack surged forward.

"Let us see who's inside!"

"Come out for interviews!"

The situation was spiraling out of control.