Chapter 426 Blacklist +15 BONOS Ms. Yancey stood stunned for a moment before turning back to look at Melanie.
Melanie stepped forward upon realizing that she had been implicated in the issue.
âMs. Yancey,â she said, âIâm afraid this is all a misunderstanding. I donât really understand it myself, but I heard Ms. Murray mention earlier about someone who thinks too highly of herself in wanting to be Adamâs partner, which was what angered Adam. Was she referring to me?â
âThis was a misunderstanding to begin with.â
Ms, Yancey couldnât be bothered to spare a glance at Kelly. She looked at Melanie, before her gaze landed on Adam.
âI can promise you that no one is able to stuff a partner down your throat without getting your express permission. As such, you can catwalk at tomorrowâs show with peace of mind.â
âThatâs great! We similarly look forward to our first collaboration with you, Ms. Yancey,â Adamâs manager chimed in at just the right time.
âWhat Iâm most concerned about right now is whether Melanie Jones is willing to be my partner?â Adam turned everyoneâs attention to her.
Everyone looked at Melanie, who in turn glanced at a panicâstricken Kelly, who was seizing the chance to retreat into the crowd...
Melanie would never let her have her way!
âI was seriously considering your invitation, but what Ms. Murray said earlier about me thinking too highly of myself affected me very much. I really need to think this through. Iâm not a professional in this area, and I might just ruin yours and Ms. Yanceyâs show,â Melanie said calmly. Her words clearly targeted Kelly.
Adam, Mr. Wright and Linda all turned to glare at Kelly.
âMr. Wright,â Linda said, and Mr. Wright immediately hunched over in a servile manner. âI donât even need to ask you to know what happened. Take a break after this show is over.â
Lindaâs tone was gentle, but it still sent shivers down Mr. Wrightâs spine. âMs. Yancey... I was wrong. Please give me one more chance...â
Ms. Yancey ignored him, and instead turned around to issue instructions to another subordinate of hers.
+15 BONOS âYou! Take over his duties!â
âThank you for giving me the chance, Ms. Yancey. I wonât disappoint you!â her subordinate promised with gusto.
âDo you know whatâs the first thing youâre supposed to do after taking over his work?â Ms. Yancey asked with a smile. If it werenât for the fearful look in her subordinateâs eyes, others might think that she was a friendly and approachable boss.
âPlace the Murrays in the blacklist,â the subordinate said, quickâwitted.
âYouâre a smart one!â She patted her subordinateâs shoulder with a smile.
Kelly was so frightened, she could hardly stand straight.
âMs. Yancey, Adam must be in tipâtop condition prior to the big show. Do you think...â Adamâs manager reminded Linda as he glanced in Melanieâs direction.
Ms. Yancey knew Adam was sincere in inviting Melanie to be his partner. She turned to look at Melanie. âYou donât need to humble yourself like this. Iâve seen you on film, and you give me good vibes. Youâre certainly not a newbie in still shots!â
Seeing no objections from Melanie, Ms. Yancey turned to Adam and went on, âIf Melanie is agreeable, she can be filmed alongside you in my jewelry feature video. However, perhaps we should forget about the catwalk. Itâs tomorrow, and it might be too stressful for her to start practicing for it right now.â
A thought arose in Melanieâs mind as she exchanged glances with Annie. Both of them nodded unanimously.
She wasnât worried about being photographed. She was instead worried that Linda would want her to do tomorrowâs show with Adam. Given her condition right now, she was in no state to wear heels and strut on the runway.
Since Linda gave her a perfect excuse to avoid doing the catwalk, there was no reason for her to reject the suggestion. Thus, she agreed to be in the jewelry feature video together with Adam.
After dinner, Melanie followed the stylist to select some outfits for the photoshoot. Linda came along as well.
The sight of a few slimâfit outfits made Melanie furrow her brows.
She was already three months pregnant. Although her pregnancy wasnât obvious in everyday clothes, wearing slimâfit outfits would surely accentuate her slightly swollen belly, which looked different from a bloated and full stomach.
+15 BONOS She was about to reject the styles, when Linda walked toward her and put them away. âI donât want these few pieces. They donât suit her style.â
No one else dared to oppose Linda. The stylist had no choice but to part with her favorite outfits. She was looking forward to Melanie donning those slimâfit outfits, even one would be good enough.
âAnd those heels...they can be very flamboyant in design, but thereâs no need for her to wear such high heels,â Linda said as she looked at the display of shoes.
âBut Ms. Yancey, Adam is 195 centimeters tall...â The stylist tried to persuade Linda otherwise, no longer able to hold herself back.
âMake him squat a little.â Linda refused to back down, and the stylist had no choice but to give in to her request.
After finalizing the style, Linda brought Melanie out. They bumped into Leo, who was walking in their direction.
Linda teased with a smile, âMr..York, you are efficient indeed! Youâre here already even though my show hasnât started yet?â
âI heard Melanieâs already here. I know that the moment the show starts, all the subsequent interviews and promotional efforts will make you even busier, Ms. Yancey. If thatâs the case, why donât you two busy ladies spare some time and discuss with me about how we can push out our fragrances as fast as possible? Thatâll be ideal for everyone,â Leo said.
âMr. York, are you here for the fragrance or for the lady?â Linda said, grinning, as she led the two of them to a meeting room.
The three of them settled down on their seats. Lindaâs subordinate poured some coffee for her and Leo, and set a glass of fruit juice right before Melanie.
The corner of Melanieâs lips twitched as Lindaâs eyes flashed.
âDoes Melanie not like coffee?â Leo noticed the difference in treatment. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked, âI remember you didnât avoid coffee before?â
âSome ladies are worried they might not sleep well after drinking coffee and that might affect their beauty sleep, especially after being on a longâdistance flight,â Linda said naturally with a smile, as she picked up her cup and sipped on it.
Melanie knew that the frequency of Linda helping her out was way too high.
When she went to the washroom, Linda headed there too. She seized the chance while no one