Chapter 336 PAY BACK TIME 2
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The announcer, sensing the growing hostility, stepped forward. His voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Be careful of the accusations you make, Ava…"
But Ava, now drunk on her own bravado, didn't back down. "What am I supposed to be afraid of? The glorified side piece, Anna Sui?" she mocked, her eyes flashing with arrogance. "What will you do, Anna? We want Mr. Declan here. If he's not the one in charge, then this screening is cancelled."
"And who are you to say that?" the announcer asked, his voice steady but firm.
The models shifted uneasily. Ava's challenge had taken on a life of its own, but the announcer's words reminded them of something deeper, something more powerful that lay beneath the surface of this spectacle.
Everyone within the company knew the truth. Noah Declan may have been the public face of Eclipse, the man the media lauded as its owner, but the real power behind the throne was Anna. She held the majority of the shares, the highest authority within the company, and had been the one quietly pulling the strings behind Eclipse's meteoric rise. Anna was the mind behind the scenes, the one Noah trusted to run the company as if it were her own. Because, in truth, it was.
Anna had proven herself to Noah time and time again. Eclipse wasn't just a business to her; it was her proving ground. Noah had let the world believe he was in control, but in reality, Anna was the one shaping its future, guiding its success. Noah had set this stage for her, to test her, to see if she could handle the pressure, the scrutiny, the weight of running an empire. And she had.
Anna, still composed, still smiling, stepped forward. Her eyes never left Ava's, but now there was something cold in her gaze, something that sent a chill through the room.
"You think you know everything, don't you, Ava?" Anna said softly, her voice carrying easily through the room, though it was barely louder than a whisper. "You think you understand how this company works. Who owns it. Who runs it."
Ava's sneer faltered, but only for a second. She opened her mouth to respond, but Anna raised her hand, silencing her without effort.
"You don't," Anna continued, her tone sharp now. "You have no idea what it takes to build something like this. You have no idea who I am, or what I've done. You're just a jealous girl clinging to your own insecurities."
The models, once compelled by Ava's boldness, now watched Anna with wide eyes, sensing the shift in power. Ava's smug expression crumbled, replaced by uncertainty. For the first time, the fear she had so eagerly tried to impose on Anna began creeping into her own heart.
"Let me make something clear," Anna said, her voice growing stronger. "Noah Declan may have been the face of Eclipse, but I am its foundation. And you, Ava..."
She smiled, cold and dangerous.
"...you're just another name in a sea of faces I'll forget by the end of the day."
—
The room fell into an almost deafening silence, the tension thick in the air. It was as if the very walls were holding their breath, waiting for Anna's next move. For the first time, Anna's composed facade was cracking, but not in the way anyone had expected. Her calm demeanor remained, but beneath the surface, a quiet storm brewed.
There have been countless fake news and accusations about her, and Anna had let it slide time and again, ignoring the whispers and sideways glances. She had never felt the need to defend herself; the truth was something she had always held close, letting others believe whatever they wanted.
But tonight, something snapped.
Ava's voice had pushed her too far. It wasn't just the venom in Ava's tone—it was the way she spread her lies so confidently, as if she had been there, as if she had witnessed the things she was accusing Anna of. The arrogance, the bitterness, the sheer cruelty in Ava's words had cut deep.
Anna stood there, her gaze fixed on Ava, and for the first time, there was something cold and dangerous in her eyes that sent a chill through the room. The models, once eager to side with Ava, now stood frozen, sensing the shift in power.
"Ava," Anna began, her voice low and steady, but there was a razor-sharp edge to it that hadn't been there before, "I've let a lot of things slide over the years. People like you, spreading rumors, creating your own stories about me because you can't stand the idea that I might have something you don't."
Ava's sneer faltered, her confidence shaken as Anna's words cut through her like a blade. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came.
"You talk about me as if you know me," Anna continued, her voice rising ever so slightly. "As if you've seen me in those moments you're so eager to paint with your lies. But you haven't, Ava. You don't know a thing about me or the life I've lived."
The room remained still, the models hanging on every word. No one had ever seen Anna like this, and it was as though they were witnessing a side of her that had been hidden for far too long.
"You think spreading rumors about me makes you powerful?" Anna asked, her eyes narrowing. "You think that tearing me down with lies will make you rise higher? That it will somehow change the way things are?"
