Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother novel Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Be My Model

Natalie arrived at the studio where Victor’s photoshoot for the latest perfume launch was supposed to take place. The moment she stepped inside, she could feel the tense atmosphere—everyone had strained expressions as if they were walking on eggshells.

A superstar was causing trouble, and no one seemed able to make him cooperate.

"What’s going on here?" Natalie’s cold voice cut through the tension like a knife.

Ella immediately rushed over to her, relief written all over her face. "Thank goodness you’re here, Ms. Natalie. Only you can handle this."

Natalie frowned and made her way to the lounge, where Victor was lounging on a couch, engrossed in a game on his phone.

"Victor, what’s wrong with you?" she asked, irritation clear in her voice.

He continued playing, not bothering to look up at her. "You already know the answer."

"You’ve wasted hours with these pointless demands of yours."

"Creating a favorable atmosphere for artists should be a company’s top priority if they want to ensure better performance," he said, his tone serious, as if she had done something wrong. "But you failed to provide that, Natalie."

"What’s wrong with the working atmosphere here? This is one of the best studios around. Everyone here is practically bending over backwards to accommodate you and keep you happy."

"Not everyone," he interrupted sharply.

"Who caused you discomfort then?"

"You," he said finally, his gaze lifting to meet hers. "Your presence is what makes everything perfect for me. But despite me telling you to be here, you neglected your responsibility towards me. You failed to do what you promised, so I’m not obligated to fulfill your company’s demands either."

"Are you serious right now?" she asked, incredulous. "I never agreed—"

"I’ve already accepted it," he interrupted again. "If you don’t comply, I won’t work. You can sue me for breaching the contract if you want. But what’s mine is already yours, so you can take it—everything, including me."

She gritted her teeth. "Not once in my life have I ever regretted helping someone... but how I wish I’d left you to die back in that pit."

Victor smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "If you had, you wouldn’t have an artist named Victor Reid to help you pull your struggling company out of the mud. Go ahead, try hiring someone else. I’m sure they’re all lining up to lick Sephina Ford’s boots."

Natalie clenched her fists. She knew he had her cornered. There were no alternatives at the moment, and he was well aware of it. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down before speaking.

"Alright, I’m here now. Let’s get to work."

He finally smiled, satisfaction written all over his face. "That’s a good girl."

Victor stood up, and his manager, Ron, let out a breath of relief he’d been holding.

When they moved to the shooting area, the tension in the room seemed to ease, but just as they were about to get started, another issue arose.

"Ms. Natalie, the model we hired to pair with Victor has already left," Ella reported.

"Left?" Natalie’s frustration flared again.

"She had another assignment and decided to leave. We can try contacting other top models. I’m sure, knowing they’d be working with Victor, anyone would jump at the chance," Ella suggested.

"There’s no need to contact anyone else," Victor interjected smoothly. "We already have the perfect one here—the only one I’ll work with."

Ella looked around, confused, while Natalie frowned, wondering what another reckless demand he had now.

"Do you even understand what this product is about?" Natalie’s voice rose with impatience. "It’s a perfume called The Spark of True Love. If customers see me in the promotional pictures—a woman they think of as disloyal and unworthy of anything related to love—do you really think they’ll buy it? It would fail before it even launches! Do you get it now? Anyone can be in the pictures—anyone but me."

Victor, however, seemed unfazed. "No one but you is suitable for this. They don’t know the real you, but I do. Not marrying that fool Ivan Brown was the best decision you ever made. That’s not being disloyal or unworthy—in fact, he was the one who was never worthy of you." His voice was steady, and his gaze sincere as he looked at her.

Theo glanced at Natalie, his voice composed and authoritative, his expression serious. "In this photoshoot, we’re not showing the entire face of the woman. That solves your concern. It’s about capturing the feeling of love, not the faces. It will also save us time which we have already wasted enough."