"I hope you’ll take good care of her," Taylor said with an unusually pleasant smile while looking at the woman seated across from him.

Lola adjusted her glasses slightly before carefully scanning Ivy from head to toe.

"She definitely has the body proportions of a model," Lola admitted thoughtfully. "But we’ll still need to work on several things before making her debut."

Her sharp eyes shifted back toward Taylor afterward.

Meanwhile, Ivy and Sal sat quietly on the side, both looking completely caught off guard by Taylor’s behavior.

"Now I understand why he was walking so fast earlier," Sal muttered under his breath while watching Taylor act strangely attentive.

Ivy rolled her eyes instantly and looked away.

She genuinely could not stand the foolish expression on Taylor’s face at the moment.

"As you say," Taylor replied smoothly. "I’ll leave her in your care."

Lola gave a small nod.

"Good."

"Now that everything’s settled, I should probably take my leave," Taylor announced.

However, despite saying that, he somehow remained seated without moving at all.

The room fell silent for a second.

Then Ivy pointed directly toward the office door.

"The exit is over there." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Taylor’s smile twitched slightly.

Unfortunately for him, the moment Lola looked up at him again, he immediately straightened his expression and stood up awkwardly.

"Yes," he coughed lightly. "I was just leaving."

Sal looked away to hide his amusement.

Meanwhile, Ivy shook her head helplessly as Taylor finally exited the office.

The moment the door closed behind him, the atmosphere inside the room became calmer.

Lola leaned back slightly in her chair before looking toward Ivy again.

"So," she said, folding her hands together neatly, "Ivy, right?"

Ivy nodded politely.

"That’s a nice name."

"Thank you."

Lola was one of the most renowned managers under Globe Entertainment.

Over the years, countless successful celebrities and top models had risen under her guidance. She had built a reputation for being strict, sharp, and exceptionally good at judging people.

Very few managed to impress her easily.

And yet, the woman currently sitting in front of her had personally been introduced by Xander Emerson himself.

That alone made Ivy stand out.

Xander rarely involved himself in anyone’s career matters. In fact, he was known for believing strongly in self-growth and hard work rather than favoritism.

This was why Lola found this entire situation strangely interesting.

She was not someone who enjoyed interfering in personal matters, but there was undeniably something unusual about Ivy.

Not arrogance.

Not ambition.

But something difficult to explain.

An oddly natural charm.

Even the way she sat looked unpolished compared to professional models, yet it did not feel unpleasant.

Lola studied her carefully for another moment.

Meanwhile, Ivy slowly began feeling nervous under the intense stare.

"...Is something wrong with my face?" Ivy asked cautiously.

Sal immediately covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

Lola blinked once before unexpectedly smiling faintly.

"No," she answered honestly. "I was just trying to figure you out."

Ivy looked even more confused after hearing that.

Lola rested her chin lightly against her hand.

"You don’t seem like someone chasing fame."

"I’m not," Ivy admitted immediately.

That answer only made Lola more intrigued.

Most newcomers entered the industry desperate for recognition, money, or attention.

But Ivy’s response sounded genuine.

"Then why modeling?" Lola asked curiously.

Ivy paused briefly before answering honestly.

"...I want to try something for myself."

The simple answer lingered quietly in the room.

Lola watched her expression carefully before slowly nodding.

At the very least, the woman in front of her did not seem fake.

And in this industry, that alone was rare enough.

Most people walked into Globe Entertainment desperate to become famous overnight. Some chased money. Others chased attention, status, or validation.

But Ivy’s eyes held none of that desperation.

Instead, she simply looked uncertain.

Like someone genuinely trying to figure herself out.

And oddly enough, Lola found that refreshing.

A faint smile slowly appeared on her face.

"You’re surprisingly honest," Lola admitted.

Ivy blinked.

"Was I supposed to lie?"

Sal instantly snorted beside her.

Lola laughed softly for the first time since the meeting started.

"No," she replied while adjusting her glasses. "But people in this industry usually know how to say things that sound impressive."

Ivy frowned thoughtfully.

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is."

The straightforward response made Ivy relax slightly.

Meanwhile, Lola leaned back in her chair while continuing to observe her carefully.

The more she looked at Ivy, the more she understood why Xander had personally stepped in for her.

Not because Ivy was polished.

Far from it.

The woman sitting in front of her still looked completely unfamiliar with the modeling world. Even the way she sat lacked the posture expected from someone preparing for camera work.

But she carried herself naturally.

Without pretense.

And that kind of authenticity was difficult to teach.

"You know," Lola said thoughtfully, "confidence can be trained. Elegance can be trained too. Even posture and expressions improve over time."

Ivy listened quietly.

"But authenticity?" Lola continued. "That’s something many people spend years trying to fake."

Ivy looked slightly caught off guard by the compliment.

Sal immediately looked proud for absolutely no reason.

"See?" he muttered dramatically. "I always knew you had hidden talent."

Ivy narrowed her eyes at him.

"You literally doubted my walking skills this morning."

"That’s because your walking still terrifies me."

Lola failed to hide another laugh.

For a brief moment, the office atmosphere became unexpectedly light.

Then Lola opened the file resting on her desk.

"Alright," she said professionally. "Let’s be realistic first."

Ivy instantly straightened.

"You’re beautiful," Lola stated honestly. "That part is not the problem."

Ivy looked awkward after hearing the direct compliment.

"The issue," Lola continued calmly, "is that you have absolutely no professional experience."

Sal nodded immediately.

"Not even basic survival balance."

Ivy glared at him.

Ignoring them both, Lola continued flipping through the file.

"You’ll need posture training, runway lessons, camera awareness, expression control, and public behavior management."

The more Lola listed things, the more nervous Ivy became.

"...That sounds like military training."

"In some ways, it is."

Ivy’s soul nearly left her body.

Lola smiled faintly again before closing the file.

"But," she added calmly, "I don’t think you’ll struggle as much as you think."

Ivy looked surprised.

"Really?"

Lola nodded.

"You’re expressive without trying too hard. That helps a lot in front of cameras."

Then her gaze briefly sharpened.

"More importantly, you don’t look afraid of failing."

That made Ivy pause slightly.

Honestly speaking, she was terrified.

But after everything she had survived in life already, embarrassing herself publicly somehow no longer felt like the end of the world.

"If I fail," Ivy said honestly, "then I’ll just learn again."

Lola’s expression softened almost immediately.

That answer alone told her more about Ivy’s character than any portfolio ever could.

A small smile appeared on Lola’s lips once more.

"Good," she said firmly. "Then I’ll personally handle your training myself."

Both Ivy and Sal looked surprised.

Sal blinked first.

"...Personally?"

Even Ivy looked confused.

Lola was known for rarely taking direct responsibility for newcomers unless she saw serious potential in them.

And yet now she looked genuinely interested.

Lola calmly stood from her chair.

"Whether you succeed or not depends on your effort," she said while looking directly at Ivy. "But for now..."

A faint, confident smile appeared on her face.

"Welcome to Globe Entertainment, Ivy."