Chapter 53: Chapter 53: It Was All Luca’s Plot
On February 20th, New York Fashion Week concluded smoothly.
The *New York Post* published a report that same day, summarizing the event.
According to the statistics, this year's Fashion Week saw participation from 220 clothing companies, with 280 fashion shows held over seven days. Over 1,500 models showcased collections, attracting more than 500,000 visitors.
The report highlighted that the biggest success of this year's Fashion Week was record-breaking sales, with transactions exceeding $5 billion in just seven days. A new record was set.
The most popular fashion element this season was military style.
The best-selling fashion item was the CK military-style denim, with hundreds of buyers reportedly placing orders with CK.
However, the biggest news from Fashion Week was the incident involving the famous supermodel, Luca Kelly, drawing a sword at the CK fashion show.
Following the incident, New York media outlets had a field day, mocking the fashion world's drama.
But yesterday, the situation took a surprising turn.
CK Clothing Company held a press conference.
At the press conference, CK's design director, Raf Simons, publicly apologized to Luca.
Raf Simons stated that Luca was not just a model but also a hero who acted courageously and was a loyal CK user.
He explained that the incident during the show wasn't Luca's fault but due to major design flaws on their end.
Simons admitted that their designs failed to adequately consider the needs of men with larger builds like Luca, which led to the mishap.
To make amends, CK decided to hire Superman Luca Kelly as their new spokesperson, focusing on CK's men's underwear line and other male products.
"Damn!"
In the Elite Models office, agent Ben Hill slammed the newspaper on his desk, his face red with anger.
"James, I need an explanation!"
He gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Explanation? What kind of explanation?"
James, sitting behind the desk, looked up slowly and asked.
"Hmph!"
Ben Hill leaned over the desk, his eyes red as he glared at James. "That day, you told me yourself that Mr. Curtis was very impressed with me and planned to use me as CK's underwear spokesperson."
"Yes, I did say that,"
James replied, wiping the saliva off his face.
"Ha! But why did CK choose Luca, that rookie who's only been in the industry for less than six months?"
Ben Hill fumed.
James lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and slowly said, "That day, Mr. Curtis did say that. He said you were good and that he would consider using you. *Consider*, do you not understand what that means?"
"Of course, I understand. Mr. Curtis said he would consider me, meaning I had a big chance. To seize that chance, I gave my all at Fashion Week, putting in 100% effort. But what about you?"
Ben Hill leaned forward, his neck stretched, shouting, "All you've done these past few days is smoke, drink, and get your hair done! If you had worked as hard as I did, I wouldn't have lost that endorsement! That damned Luca wouldn't have risen up from the ashes. This is all your fault! You're incompetent, James!"
"Incompetent?"
James laughed coldly, holding the cigarette between his fingers. "Ben, you know what? I gave up on that endorsement long ago."
"What?!"
Ben Hill's eyes turned bloodshot, and his face twisted with fury like a wolf ready to devour its prey.
Grabbing James by the collar, Ben Hill snarled, "Why did you do that? Why?!"
James brushed his hand away with a cold smile. "Ben, you should know why."
"Know why?"
"Yes, because of you. Because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."
James crushed the cigarette butt and stood up abruptly.
"The day I told you that Mr. Curtis liked you, you went around bragging, saying that Curtis had already decided to use you as the new spokesperson. Do you know the consequences of doing that?"
"What consequences?"
Ben Hill's voice softened as he realized his mistake, but then he quickly straightened up and said, "So what? What I said was true."
"Hmph!"
James gave him a disdainful glance, frustrated. Ben Hill had good looks and worked hard, but he wasn't very bright.
Shaking his head, James sighed, "The consequence is that Mr. Curtis will never use you again, no matter how hard I try."
"How is that possible?"
Ben Hill refused to believe it.
James smiled faintly. "Mr. Curtis only said he would *consider* you. But you claimed he *had* to use you. When that word got back to Mr. Curtis, it sounded like you were pressuring him. If he used you now, where's his dignity?"
"This..."
Ben Hill's body went limp, and he slumped into a chair. His face paled as the chair wobbled beneath him. Suddenly, he erupted in anger.
"It wasn't me! It was Luca! That damned Luca said it out loud in front of everyone! Oh, I get it now... I see it clearly. This was all Luca's plot! He used tricks to steal my endorsement, the endorsement that rightfully belonged to me. That despicable, shameless villain!"
"Luca isn't simple."
James sighed and picked up a copy of the *New York Post*. Besides the news about Luca becoming CK's new spokesperson, another article featured Luca's sister, the supermodel Kate.
The report mentioned that Kate Kelly had a passion for literature and had spent three years writing a 400,000-word vampire novel called *Twilight*, set to be released on February 22nd.
"Impressive. Both siblings are extraordinary."
Regardless of the sales of *Twilight*, supermodel Kate would now carry the title of "author."
That title held weight.
Most people in the modeling industry weren't highly educated, usually not going beyond high school. Few held college degrees, which was one reason models were often looked down upon.
If Kate gained the title of author, it would give her a prestigious label, opening doors to higher society and intellectual circles. Her future would be much broader.
"Smart move. I wonder if it was Kate's idea or Nina's. Ed, that lucky bastard,"
James muttered, thinking of his early days when he, Ed, Nina, and Andrew had entered the industry as young agents. Nina had been sharp, capable, and beautiful, yet she had chosen Ed in the end. It still baffled him.
Just as he was lost in thought, a heavy breathing sound, like a lion exhaling, startled him.
He jerked back to see Ben Hill, red-eyed and snarling like a starving wolf leaning over the desk.
"Ben, what are you doing?"
James frowned.
"James, I want a chance. I want to be a supermodel. I want to defeat that damned Luca!"
Ben Hill gritted his teeth, his words practically seething from between them.
"Ben, don't rush. You've only been in the industry for two years. You've got plenty of time. The fashion world is full of opportunities. As long as you follow the plan, you'll become a supermodel one day."
James patted him on the shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"No! I want to be famous now! I want to be a supermodel now! I want to beat that damned Luca now!"
Ben Hill screamed through clenched teeth, consumed by frustration.
There was something he hadn't told James. He had tried to sabotage Luca backstage during the fashion show.
Knowing they'd be on the runway together, Ben had bought a special perfume from a friend at a bar, designed to stimulate a man's desires.
He'd planned to humiliate Luca on stage, ruining his career in the fashion industry.
The plan had worked—Luca had been embarrassed on the spot.
But the reports claimed CK chose Luca as their underwear spokesperson precisely because of his physical "assets."
Since women often bought men's underwear, using Luca as a model would attract female attention. CK's decision was brilliant.
When Ben saw this news, he was furious. He had tried to sabotage Luca, but ended up helping him secure the CK endorsement and rise to supermodel status.
"Aaaah!"
Every time Ben thought about it, his heart felt like it was being torn apart by thousands of ants—itching, painful, filled with regret and hatred, driving him mad.
"James, do you have a chance for me?"
Ben Hill's voice turned dark and low.
James looked at him and saw a hint of madness in his eyes, along with a willingness to do anything. If he didn't give Ben a chance, the guy might lose his mind.
Sighing, James pulled out a business card.
"LV's director, Marc Jacobs, is hosting a private party and needs a few handsome male models."
"That pervert?"
Ben Hill frowned.
James said nothing, just quietly looking at him. There were slow paths to success and quick shortcuts. This was a choice. He hadn't planned to offer it to Ben, but now that Ben was practically finished, James figured it was time to make some fast money off him.
Ben stared at the business card, his expression growing more intense. Finally, he snatched the card from James' hand.
"Luca, this is all your fault... all your fault..."
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