Chapter 147 Protest and Insult
Needless to say, until then, Hailey would not let of Adrian, her backup, for now.
…
After a round of elimination, the remaining twelve contestants of Top Avenue were all models with real talent.
In the wake of the unprecedented surge in popularity of Top Avenue, the production team had taken a bold step to revamp the competition. They decided to merge the second and third rounds, infusing elements of variety shows that involved filming contestants' daily lives.
At this juncture, online voting had already concluded, and the results were in.
Hailey had ridden the wave of attention sparked by her engagement, catapulting her to the top position. Natalie secured second place, while Arwyn found herself relegated to fifth.
Arwyn had a dedicated fan base and efficient agency, but her actions against Natalie had ignited a firestorm of online backlash, resulting in a barrage of insults that boosted Natalie's votes.
Natalie, once an obscure model, had now emerged into the public eye, shining brightly.
Most of the contestants had already gathered at the vacation resort, waiting for the official filming to commence.
While the production team meticulously checked the set and cameras, the contestants unpacked their bags before they gathered in the living room.
This was no longer a mere traditional competition; it had evolved into a contest infused with the dynamics of variety shows.
At this time, a short-hair model whispered to Arwyn, voicing her discontent, "Hailey only got ahead through underhanded tactics. She’s so sneaky!"
"Lyra, don't think I don't know that you want to use me to deal with Hailey!" Arwyn retorted, exposing Lyra's scheming without hesitation.
Lyra awkwardly pursed her lips before she scoffed. "Who do you think you are? You’re only famous because of your scandals!"
Arwyn had a thick skin and a resilient mindset. Most would have withdrawn from the competition if they faced similar scandals, but she soldiered on.
Meanwhile, Natalie, who was unpacking nearby, paid no heed to the intrigue unfolding. She did not like Arwyn and Lyra, who spoke ill of others.
Moreover, Lyra, a B-list model, was among those who had fervently demanded evidence when Natalie faced allegations of having a sugar daddy.
…
At this time, the director spotted a visitor. He exclaimed, "Adrian, what brings you here?!"
The director and the production team welcomed Adrian warmly.
At this moment, the twelve finalists arrived, with Hailey being the last. Her entrance was a grand affair, escorted by the Harrington siblings.
Although Adrian could not say he loved Hailey, he had some feelings for her after they became intimate. Most importantly, his mother, Victoria, approved of her as a potential daughter-in-law. In the wake of that video incident, he had to keep up the pretense of a perfect boyfriend.
At the same time, Noah also went all out to win over her future sister-in-law.
Thanks to Hailey, the Harrington family had generously sponsored Top Avenue, turning it into the influential event it had become. As such, Hailey was treated like royalty by the production team.
"I told Adrian and Noah they didn’t need to come, but they insisted!" Hailey complained playfully as she looked at Natalie pointedly.
Natalie responded with an amused smile, silently mouthing the words, "Congratulations!"
‘Congratulations on winning a scumbag!’
Natalie’s actions shattered Hailey's fleeting sense of superiority immediately.
Hailey seethed with anger, especially when she thought about Oliver’s identity.
At this time, Noah used her identity as a member of the Harrington family and emphasized to the production team that Hailey must not be mistreated. She also glared at Natalie a few times. However, the memory of Oliver nearly strangling her was still fresh in her mind, so she did not dare to openly challenge Natalie for now.
Unnoticed by everyone, as soon as Adrian arrived, his gaze had been locked on Natalie, who was seated on the couch. Every time he saw her, his desire to be with her again would grow stronger. However, due to the recent video incident, he refrained from approaching her. After a while, he left with Noah.
Seeing that Adrian neither mentioned nor spoke to Natalie, Hailey felt a surge of satisfaction.
‘Mom was right. All this man needs is a little training and a lesson…’
In fact, if Adrian could maintain his current devotion to her, coupled with a sister-in-law who listened to her unquestionably and a mother-in-law who approved of her, Hailey could envision a harmonious life with Adrian. However, all of this hinged on Oliver not being the charming and impeccably handsome Mr. Windsor, whom Isaac greatly respected!
…
Filming officially began, cameras capturing every word and action of the contestants before they would be carefully edited later.
At this time, Lyra looked as though she just recalled something and said to Natalie, “Oh, by the way. Natalie, who’s your husband? How old is he? Is he as handsome as Adrian? We're all curious about him!"
Lyra's implication was that Natalie's husband, who could afford expensive diamond rings and cars, was probably a middle-aged man with a receding hairline, a beer belly, and a greasy appearance. Her tactic was to attract attention by initiating a discussion that would give her more screen time.
Others chimed in, subtly trying to curry favor with Hailey.
In the eyes of everyone, Hailey had Adrian, who was both handsome and wealthy. However, only she knew that Natalie’s husband, if her suspicion was correct, was superior to Adrian in both looks and wealth. She felt jealous and a sense of unfairness when she thought about this.
Natalie was very calm and directed the problem to Hailey. “Hailey, you know all about my husband's age, height, and profession. Why don't you share it with everyone?"
Everyone looked at Hailey eagerly.
Only the elites in high society and the fashion industry had received invitations to Hailey and Adrian's engagement party, so the models here were in the dark about Natalie's husband.
Hailey's smile froze on her face as she stiffly stated Oliver’s age, proving that he was not a middle-aged man. However, she deliberately avoided divulging Oliver's family background. After all, if the models learned that Natalie was Oliver’s wife, they would also know she had to address Natalie as ‘aunt’. This would undoubtedly be a huge humiliation to her.
Meanwhile, seeing Hailey basking in everyone's admiration, Arwyn walked away with a cold expression on her face.
…
In the restroom.
Hailey saw Arwyn touching her makeup and spoke to Arwynn. Since her arrival, she noticed Arwyn had been giving her unfriendly looks.
"Arwyn, what's wrong?"
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