As expected, the entire store erupted into whispers.

"What? Did she just mention the Emerson family?"

"Wait, does that mean she’s getting married into the Emersons?"

"To Mr. Xander Emerson?"

"Or Dr. Aaron Emerson? They’re the only bachelors left in the family."

The staff and customers looked at Nora with newfound admiration.

Just then, another voice cut through the murmurs.

"Hold on... isn’t she the new face of Globe Entertainment?"

Everyone turned toward the woman who had spoken.

The woman quickly unlocked her phone and held up a photo.

"Look. This is her, right? She recently did a photoshoot with Kevin Hartwell."

The moment Kevin’s name was mentioned, the crowd’s interest doubled.

"Oh my God, it really is her."

"No wonder she looked familiar."

"She landed a project with Kevin Hartwell?"

"She’s gorgeous."

The comments only continued.

However, Nora’s expression froze.

So did Polly’s and Olivia’s.

The moment they saw the photo on the woman’s screen, their jaws nearly dropped.

"W-When did she become a model?" Polly stammered.

Her eyes widened further when she noticed Kevin standing beside Ivy in the photo.

Olivia was equally speechless.

As for Nora, the revelation hit her like a slap across the face.

How is this possible?

Her fingers curled into fists.

Why didn’t I know about this?

A burning fury rose inside her chest.

"Nora, look at this!" Polly exclaimed, shoving the phone toward her.

But Nora didn’t respond.

Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Meanwhile, Ivy had grown tired of the entire spectacle.

"Sorry to disappoint everyone," she said calmly. "But I don’t think I’ll be needing your money, Sister."

Nora immediately looked up.

The second Ivy noticed the anger flickering in her eyes, a faint smile tugged at her lips.

"I’m doing perfectly fine with what I have," Ivy added. "So you can save your generosity for someone else."

For a brief second, Nora’s composure nearly cracked.

But she quickly forced a smile back onto her face.

Olivia, however, wasn’t as controlled.

"You really expect us to believe that?" she snapped. "I’m sure you sold yourself to get that job."

The boutique instantly fell silent.

Several customers frowned.

Ivy merely shrugged.

"If that’s what you want to believe, then there’s nothing I can do about it."

Her calm response only made Olivia look worse.

Soon, whispers began spreading through the crowd once again.

"Are they bullying her?"

"Why do they keep trying to tear her down?"

"She hasn’t even done anything."

"Some people just can’t stand seeing others succeed."

"What if they’re only accusing her because they’re jealous?"

Polly and Olivia heard every word.

The judgment in everyone’s eyes was impossible to miss.

The admiration they had received moments ago had completely vanished.

Nora sensed the situation slipping out of their control.

Before either Polly or Olivia could make things worse, she decisively turned around.

"Let’s go."

Without waiting for a response, she walked toward the exit.

Polly and Olivia exchanged embarrassed looks before quickly following behind her.

Anger simmered beneath all three of their expressions.

The moment they stepped outside, Polly suddenly stopped.

"Wait..."

Everyone followed her gaze.

Not far away stood a tall man in a tailored black suit, finishing a phone call.

The moment he lowered his phone, his sharp profile became unmistakable.

"Is that Xander Emerson?" Polly asked in disbelief.

Nora’s body instantly stiffened.

Her eyes locked onto Xander.

A fresh wave of anger churned in the pit of her stomach.

There was no way Ivy being here was a coincidence.

And now, after learning that Ivy had somehow become a model for Globe Entertainment, Nora couldn’t stop connecting the dots.

To her, everything pointed back to one person.

Xander.

The thought alone made her stomach twist.

What she hated most wasn’t Ivy’s sudden success.

It was the possibility that Ivy was rising because of Xander.

And judging by how quickly things were changing, Ivy seemed to be getting everything Nora desperately wanted for herself.

"Nora, shouldn’t you go and greet him?" Polly urged from the side. "Now that Aaron Emerson seems interested in you, there’s no doubt you’ll become his wife sooner or later. It would be wise to maintain a good relationship with his family."

"She’s right," Olivia quickly agreed. "I’ve heard Aaron is closest to Mr. Xander. If you get on Xander’s good side, it can only help you."

Nora listened to her friends and almost laughed.

These two fools still believed she was interested in Aaron.

Aaron had never been her goal.

Xander was.

Always had been.

Still, there was no harm in taking advantage of the situation.

Straightening her shoulders, Nora adjusted her expression into a graceful smile and walked toward Xander.

"Mr. Emerson—"

Before she could finish speaking, Xander walked right past her.

Not even a glance.

Not even a slight pause.

It was as if she didn’t exist.

Nora froze.

The smile on her face nearly cracked.

Polly and Olivia stood rooted to the spot, equally stunned.

A few seconds passed before Olivia finally found her voice.

"D-Did he just ignore you?"

Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

Polly looked just as shocked.

They hadn’t expected Xander to stop and chat with Nora, but considering the rumors surrounding her and Aaron, they had assumed he would at least acknowledge her existence.

Instead, he had treated her like a complete stranger.

Nora slowly clenched her fists.

Embarrassment and anger surged through her veins.

For the first time in a long while, she felt humiliated.

Xander didn’t bother looking back.

Whatever Nora wanted had nothing to do with him.

He strode into the boutique and immediately spotted Ivy standing near a display rack.

She was staring at a dress, clearly debating whether she should buy it.

After a moment, she quietly placed it back.

Xander’s gaze lingered on her for a second before he walked over.

"I saw Nora outside."

His voice sounded calm, but his eyes carefully studied her face.

The moment he got closer, he noticed the faint exhaustion in her expression.

The sparkle that was usually present in her eyes seemed noticeably dimmer.

His gaze swept around the boutique.

Several customers were stealing curious glances in his direction.

Most of them simply looked impressed by his appearance, though none seemed to recognize who he was.

Only the manager and the saleswoman knew his identity.

The two women immediately lowered their heads and continued working as if nothing had happened.

Given the store’s strict privacy policies, neither of them would dare reveal the identity of a client.

Satisfied that no one was causing trouble, Xander returned his attention to Ivy.

His eyes drifted to the dress she had reluctantly put back.

"You liked that one."

It wasn’t a question.

Ivy glanced at the dress and then at him.

"A little."

"A little?" Xander raised an eyebrow.

Ivy shrugged.

"I also like keeping my bank account alive."

For the first time since entering the store, amusement flickered across Xander’s face.

At least she still had enough energy left to argue with him.