Back inside the studio, James suddenly gasped again, immediately drawing both Sal’s and Lola’s attention.

Lola looked at him with visible irritation.

"Now what?" she asked impatiently.

James quickly raised his phone toward them.

"Look at this," he said in disbelief. "All the negative comments are gone."

Both Sal and Lola frowned before stepping closer.

"The posts too," James added. "They disappeared like they never existed."

Lola grabbed the phone from his hand while Sal leaned over her shoulder to look at the screen. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Their expressions slowly changed.

The comment sections that had been flooded with hate just moments ago were suddenly clean.

Several fan posts had vanished entirely.

Even the leaked studio photos were nowhere to be found.

"How did this happen?" Lola muttered in confusion.

Meanwhile, Sal narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

There was no way thousands of comments would disappear this quickly unless someone powerful had stepped in.

Lola suddenly looked up at James sharply.

"Are you messing with us?"

James looked genuinely offended.

"Why would I do that?" he defended himself immediately. "I’ve been standing here with you the whole time. I swear on my job, I didn’t touch anything."

Honestly, even he was struggling to process what had just happened.

The hateful comments they had been reading barely minutes ago had vanished before he could even report them properly.

"Then who deleted them?" Sal asked slowly.

Before anyone could answer, Lola sighed and handed the phone back.

"Whoever did it, they did us a favor," she admitted.

She had dealt with Kevin’s toxic fans for years now.

No matter how many times Kevin publicly asked them to stop harassing his female co-stars, some fans continued crossing the line every single time.

James and Sal quietly exchanged looks before nodding.

Unfortunately, Lola was right.

Things could have become much uglier if the posts had remained online longer.

But before the conversation could continue—

"What are you doing, girl?!"

Fin’s loud voice suddenly echoed across the studio.

"I said closer, but I didn’t mean stand there like a statue!"

All three of them instantly turned toward the photoshoot area.

Sal immediately grimaced.

"God, why is he always yelling?"

His face twisted with concern as he watched Ivy standing stiffly under the bright studio lights.

Lola rubbed her forehead tiredly.

She had already expected working with Fin would be exhausting.

The man was talented beyond comparison, but his personality was equally difficult to handle.

Still, his shoots had the power to make careers explode overnight.

That was exactly why she tolerated him.

Meanwhile, on set, Ivy looked completely speechless after being scolded yet again.

Fin walked closer while holding the camera in one hand.

"Relax your body," he instructed impatiently. "You look too guarded."

Ivy frowned slightly.

All this time, she had been trying to follow his vague instructions about standing "closer" to Kevin without looking awkward.

But before she could properly react again—

Kevin suddenly stepped forward.

One of his arms smoothly wrapped around her waist before he gently pulled her closer against him.

Ivy’s eyes widened instantly.

The sudden contact completely caught her off guard.

Her body stiffened on instinct as warmth rushed through her chest.

For a brief second, she forgot the cameras, the staff, and everyone watching them.

She could feel Kevin’s hand firmly resting against her waist while his body stood dangerously close to hers.

Just as Ivy was about to push him away—

"Perfect!"

Fin suddenly shouted excitedly from behind the camera.

The loud reaction startled both of them.

"There!" Fin pointed immediately. "That expression right there. Don’t ruin it."

Ivy blinked in confusion.

Meanwhile, Kevin looked oddly calm.

Almost too calm.

"See?" he said quietly near her ear. "You were overthinking."

Ivy immediately shot him a warning glare.

"You could’ve warned me first," she muttered under her breath.

Kevin’s lips curved slightly.

"If I warned you, your reaction wouldn’t have looked natural."

Before Ivy could argue again—

"Stop talking and stay exactly like that!" Fin barked while rapidly clicking more photos.

The sound of the camera shutters filled the studio repeatedly.

For the first time since the shoot started, Fin’s attention became completely focused.

The chemistry between them looked unexpectedly real.

Too real.

And that only made Fin’s mood worsen internally.

"Kevin," Fin called while lowering the camera slightly, "tilt her chin toward you."

Kevin obeyed naturally.

His fingers gently lifted Ivy’s chin, forcing her eyes toward him.

The movement made Ivy’s heartbeat stumble again.

Meanwhile, not far away, Sal looked ready to march onto the set himself.

"I suddenly hate this shoot," he muttered darkly.

James immediately nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Lola silently watched the photos appearing on the monitor screen beside Fin.

And despite all the chaos...

Even she had to admit one thing.

Together, Ivy and Kevin looked dangerously good on camera.

Once the couple shoot was finally over, Kevin stepped aside while Fin decided to take a few solo shots of Ivy.

Surprisingly, the moment Kevin moved away, Ivy immediately looked more relaxed in front of the camera.

The stiffness and awkwardness she carried during the couple shoot slowly disappeared as she posed naturally under the lights.

Even Fin had to admit it silently.

When photographed alone, Ivy looked incredibly professional.

"Good," Fin said while adjusting the camera settings again. "Turn slightly to the left."

Ivy followed the instruction calmly.

"Lift your chin a little."

Click.

"Perfect."

Click.

The staff standing nearby quietly watched the monitor screen as picture after picture appeared.

Even Sal couldn’t hide his surprise anymore.

"She seriously looks like a natural," he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Lola looked beyond satisfied.

By the time the shoot ended, everyone had gathered around the monitor to review the final pictures.

"Okay, we’re done," Fin finally announced while lowering the camera.

Lola immediately stepped closer, her eyes widening at the results displayed on the screen.

The photos looked stunning.

Kevin and Ivy’s chemistry looked unexpectedly real, while Ivy’s solo shots carried an elegance that made her stand out naturally.

"You two seriously look good together," Lola said honestly while looking at the couple shots.

The moment the words left her mouth, Sal immediately looked horrified.

’Girl, think before you speak,’ he screamed internally.

If Xander ever heard that sentence, the entire studio might disappear overnight.

Meanwhile, James nodded absentmindedly in agreement while Fin quietly scoffed from the side.

"Then maybe we should schedule another shoot together soon," Kevin suddenly suggested.

His eyes naturally shifted toward Ivy.

Honestly, even he was impressed by the results.

Despite how uncomfortable Ivy looked initially, she had gradually relaxed beside him, making the final pictures come out far better than expected.

"What do you think?" he asked her directly.

Ivy calmly looked at him.

"That’s something my manager should decide," she answered politely.

The indirect rejection instantly made James cough awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Fin looked personally offended on Kevin’s behalf.

"Seriously?" he said sharply while looking at Ivy. "There are countless female models dying for the chance to work with Kevin, and here you are acting difficult."

His tone carried obvious irritation.

But the moment he turned toward Kevin again, all the sharpness in his expression disappeared instantly, replaced with an almost embarrassing smile.

Meanwhile, Kevin remained calm.

"She’s not wrong," he said casually.

Fin’s smile faltered slightly.

"Lola manages her schedule," Kevin continued. "So naturally, it’s her responsibility to choose the best projects for Ivy."

Fin immediately nodded, though his expression clearly looked dejected.

Both Lola and Sal exchanged subtle looks.

Kevin’s behavior throughout the entire day had genuinely surprised them.

Meanwhile, James stood nearby looking deeply offended internally.

’Brother... don’t make it this obvious,’ he thought helplessly.

As Kevin’s manager, James felt like he was witnessing a disaster unfold in real time.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t say any of it out loud.

Ivy had completely underestimated how exhausting professional photoshoots could be.

Between outfit changes, lighting adjustments, retakes, and endless posing, several hours had passed without her realizing it.

By the time everything wrapped up and they finally stepped out of the studio, the sky outside had already turned orange with sunset.

Ivy quietly stretched her sore shoulders while walking beside Lola and Sal toward the parking area.

"I think my back is permanently damaged," she muttered tiredly.

Sal immediately nodded.

"Welcome to the modeling industry."

Lola laughed softly while checking messages on her phone. But before any of them could continue toward the car suddenly, a loud scream cut through the air.

"She’s the one!"

All three of them froze as a group of girls suddenly rushed toward them from outside the barricaded area near the studio entrance.

Their faces were filled with anger and excitement as phones flashed rapidly in their hands.

Everything happened too fast.

Before anyone could properly react, one of the girls suddenly threw something.

Splaat!