Rhett typed a quick reply, his thumbs moving fast over the screen. "Keep it quiet for now. Don't let her know we're connected."
He locked his phone, and a small, satisfied smile showed on his face. "Next Wednesday, are you available? A new place opened in the east district. Let's try it."
That date was Melanie and Gabriel's wedding anniversary. With everything happening, Gabriel wasn't planning to celebrate with her.
Rhett didn't want her blindsided by it, and he didn't want to watch her get hurt all over again.
"I'm busy, so I'm not going," she said. "Stop worrying. I'll get the divorce with Gabriel wrapped up soon, and you don't need to keep checking on me like this."
She barely touched her food, then left and went straight back to the office.
Walking in, she immediately noticed Chelsey in the studio, talking with several employees as if she belonged there.
"Melanie, a lot of the team are fans of Miss Wallace," Melanie's assistant said. She glanced cautiously at Melanie, worried she might take offense. "They were hoping she'd share a few makeup tips."
Melanie nodded once and headed over.
Chelsey held a smile that looked polite on the surface but still felt like a challenge.
She stepped up without being asked. "Ms. Shaw, why don't I do your makeup for you?"
Melanie looked her over for a moment, then took a seat with a faint, amused smile. "Sure."
Chelsey went to her kit, then came back with a powder puff.
The moment the scent reached her, Melanie's brows drew together, and annoyance flashed through her eyes.
That foundation brand set off her allergies, and she had made a point of saying so earlier during Chelsey's studio demonstration.
Chelsey hadn't moved on impulse. She had thrown together a little setup.
Melanie grabbed Chelsey by the wrist. "Why'd you put that foundation on me when you know I'm allergic?"
Chelsey clearly hadn't thought she'd get caught. She put on an innocent look right away, but the sharpness in her eyes still showed.
"You're taking this the wrong way," she said. "I recommend that foundation to other people all the time, and I didn't know you couldn't use it. Even if you're leading this project, you can't just accuse me like that."
She blinked hard until her eyes filled up, like she had been wronged. "If you don't like me, then say so. Don't make things up just to ruin my name."
Melanie watched the act and almost laughed.
She took out her phone and pulled up the surveillance video. It showed Chelsey swapping out Melanie's usual foundation—replacing it with the exact bottle that caused Melanie's allergy, then putting on a heavy amount.
Melanie said, keeping her voice calm, "You should look for cameras before you try something like that."
Color left Chelsey's face as the footage played. Her fists tightened, and hate flashed in her eyes.
"I didn't see them. I swear I didn't mean it," she said, and she made her eyes look redder, like she was the one being attacked. "I'll change the foundation. You don't have to come at me like this."
"I said on the show that I'm allergic to that brand, and everyone heard it," Melanie said, and she smiled even while her eyes stayed cold. "What do you think happens if this video gets out?"
Chelsey's voice sharpened. "What do you want from me?"
"You love talking about charity work, right?" Melanie said. "So do it. Teach the whole team makeup for free. How does that sound?"
Chelsey had put in a great deal of effort to secure this partnership, and the payment they offered was extremely generous.
Giving up that kind of money was not something she was willing to accept.
If the clip ever got out, her fans would turn on her, and she might not be able to make money in the industry again.
Anger tightened her jaw, and she spoke through it. "Fine. But delete the video right now, and I want to know you don't have copies on your phone."
Melanie gave a cold smile and deleted the file in front of her.
"Try that again and I won't let it slide."
She turned and walked off, not seeing the way Chelsey's face twisted with anger the moment her back was turned.
