The Blackmail Bride

Chapter 30 Part 2

Take care of both your physical and mental health.

Plastic

"Nora's gone?" Macy gasped.

The news spread within the place faster than I would've wanted to believe. And with the firing of that stylist, fear followed the rest of the employees of The Dives.

"Lower your voice. Jace Black, the fiancé, had her out."Kim was saying.

"What could she have told him?" Macy sounded scared.

"That's why you should be careful in this line of business. Our clientele is no joke. Nora had it coming."

"But getting fired on the spot?"

I knocked on the door. The two jumped at the sight of me.

"Y-You wanted your makeup fixed," Macy rambled, "Let's get to it at o-once!"

Gone was the two women who worked with me earlier. None of them would look me in the eye now. Macy's hands were obviously shaking as she worked on my face. Kim, while she seemed a little more put together than her colleague, had already asked me thrice if I was satisfied with my hair.

This was Jace's affluence in the works.

There was fear I could practically smell leeching off their skin as they reluctantly did their job. They avoided conversation and remained distant. The two women were rushing their craft. Kim, on her own volition, pinned up the top-half of my hair in a twist braid just because she couldn't keep still.

I was treated like a ticking time bomb that they couldn't wait to get away from. And when it was time to go back to the office, both accompanied me. Both ashen... both barely holding themselves together.

And Jace was there, a critical eye on my face. The glam team waited nervously behind me as he assessed my look. The interviewer was approaching too. At the continued silence on Jace's end, he took the initiative to speak.

"Well, Jace? I hope their job this time is satisfactory to you."

"That depends," Jace nodded at me, "She looks like my fiancée but... Well, Isla? How do you feel about their service..?"

I opened my lips to reply but he continued.

"... considering they let their co-worker disrespect you earlier? Should we call them accomplices?"

In my periphery, I saw Macy's visible trembling. Kim was stiffly standing there but the horror at his words were showing.

I couldn't read Jace's expression. There was a slight tilt to his mouth... but that, paired with the irritation in his eyes could not be called a smile.

I didn't like what Nora did earlier—no, I hated it. And as much as I wish I could dissuade them from tapping my limits, Jace's method...

My chest was tightening watching him. This wasn't it either. Scaring people this way, threats... not like this. There had to be some other way.

I lifted a reassuring smile to the interviewer, completely avoiding Jace's eyes, "I like this much better than earlier, thank you."

The interviewer brightened, "Then we should start with the shoot? Jace, Miss, this way please."

I followed instantly, leaving Macy and Kim. Jace would be left no choice but to leave them alone now.

We were seated together on a posh red couch while a cameraman adjusted the lights. Jace's eyes were on me the whole time. The disapproval was coming off him in waves.