Tonight, I'd worn my mask perfectly, every click of the camera seemed to represent another fragment of my rebirth.
I didn't expect this much exposure but it seems I had underestimated myself.
From my silk, to the deep-shadowed makeup, to the cold smile, to the chaos of the night.
It seemed chaos and riddles are what the world loves the most. More than talent itself.
'Well host. Seems like you have sent the fashion world down the road of conspiracy. Open conspiracy.'
'There are a lot of conversations going on about your family. Your old man might vomit blood tonight.'
"Perfect," I muttered, checking the trending tags. "Let them bleed in deep shades of red."
10 pm, The Jiang Family's Living Room.
The proud room that once carried haughty laughter now hummed with panic.
Jiang Ning's phone was on the table, constantly looping the gala footage.
A 4k footage of me smiling faintly, chin held high, in a signature design that no one but I could've made.
The crowd was enthusiastically chanting my name. A pill so bitter for any of them to voluntarily swallow.
Mr Jiang's face was ashen, a deep scowl visible.
My stepmother's nails were tapping the armrest like a morse code for disaster.
And Jiang Ning? Dear, trembling sister, was trying hard to breathe through fury.
"She…" Her voice cracked, devoid of any composure. "She can't be. She can't be Phantom."
Her father frowned in response. "The walk, the attitude... it's her mother...she resembles her so much. It's still Jiang Rui. She's just changed...A lot."
" But she was hospitalized for a month," My stepmother whispered. " And now she reappears… like that? With those designs? That poise? That temperament...How?"
"No matter how you think of it, it's impossible."
Jiang Ning slammed her palm against the table, completely missing the look of contempt coming from the man next to her.
"Because she stole it mom! She must have stolen somewhere! That woman was a nobody! She was just my assistant! She doesn't even have the connections, I even took her man and you expect me to believe she can guard something?"
"Maybe she didn't need your connections," Wei Han suddenly spoke, cutting through her fury.
Jiang Ning's body turned to him, her eyes wide in shock. "What did you say? Whose side are you on?"
He didn't answer. He just kept watching the looped clip. My head was held high as if I knew they would be discussing me later. The smile on my lips made it seem as if I knew exactly what they were thinking.
The silence pressed down like smoke, until a foul smell suddenly filled the room.
"Why do you keep on smelling? What did you eat?"
Wei Han's voice harshly reprimanded Jiang Ning as he pinched his nose in disgust.
"I...I really don't know..."
Both her mother and father had created some distance, their noses equally pinched. It was really that hard to bear with.
The smell lasted for a couple of minutes before it died down.
The other three members sighed in relief as Jiang Ning had an expression of shame and embarrassment. She couldn't pinpoint how she stank.
Father Jiang finally spoke, his voice low and restrained. "If she is really Phantom, then she is now the most valuable designer in the industry. That… further complicates things."
"Complicates dad? Complicates?" Ning hissed.
"She embarrassed us. Me! I told the world she was my assistant, and now people are saying I copied her damn designs!"
Mrs Jiang couldn't stand seeing her daughter in such a state. Her fingers trembled as she spoke. "We need to manage this, publicly."
My sister stared at the screen again, as if in disbelief , then whispered, almost to herself, but loud enough in the silent room.
"Jiang Rui is mocking me. She planned this. Everything that happened in the past month, it was all a setup."
'She is not wrong host. You did come back with vengeance in mind. A plan that has been budgeted for.'
I smirked, sipping coffee miles away in my peaceful apartment. "Budgeted too well, apparently."
Back in My Apartment
My phone buzzed with message after message, jamming it at some point.
From various agents, reporters, and even some concerned heiresses.
Suddenly, one number stood out.
Wei Han's. A number that rarely texted me in the past. What did he even want?
(Can we talk?)
Me: (What talk? Regret dumping me?)
No reply.
"Coward."
'Ouch. That roast had some aftertaste host.'
" You know he deserves it," I replied. "That good for nothing helped them watch me rot. Now they can choke on my comeback."
But before I could enjoy the victory ride, another notification pinged.
An unknown number.
'Oh... looks like your ex wants to have access to you in incognito mode...'
The moment Nova confirmed the owner of the number, I rolled my eyes at Wei Han's stupidity before setting my phone aside.
The Next Morning. Jiang Mansion
" I said find me everything bastard," Jiang Ning ordered, pacing around like an agitated, caged cat.
"Every damn fabric supplier, every online partner, every contact she's had since she was hospitalized. I want them all."
Father Jiang frowned, clearly disapproving of her behavior. "You're overreacting."
"Overreacting?" She spun, fury over pouring.
"Do you know what they're saying? That she was the true designer behind my 'Meta Line'! That she let me take the credit because she pitied her sister! They are saying I started stinking in fear because I was in the presence of the real designer!"
"Then ignore them," he snapped, his patience finally worn out. "Do you want to make it worse? I can't even communicate with my partners in peace!"
But she couldn't ignore it. She'd rather die than ignore it.
How could she ignore it when every magazine , every blogger, every member of the fashion industry was circling like sharks, smelling fine blood in the silk.
'Meanwhile, the cause of all these chaos is busy throwing more baits.'
"Let's see how long it takes before they die in it," I murmured, skillfully sketching another piece.
My pen danced across the sketchpad with bright but furious strokes.
Each line sharper than the last.
Later, in a private room sat the mysterious man. His office was surrounded by glass and steel.
His assistant hovered nearby, looking excited and nervous at the same time.
"Sir, about Phantom…she is a real wave, maybe we can..."
He lifted a hand, pausing his assistant's words.
"I know. She manipulates fabric in a way one can."
"You...Sir..."
"You can leave "
The assistant didn't linger around for too long as he obeyed his words.
The room was suddenly quiet again. The majestic man leaned back on his chair, a quiet smile tugged at his lips.
Late in the night, I was deep in another design when Nova suddenly spoke.
'Easy there Host. You need some rest.'
"I will rest after this."
Both Nova and I knew that my words were a lie because the air reeked intensely of fabric dye and coffee. Vietnamese coffee to be exact.
'There is a lot of analytics about you host. From your talent to your family. There's about a 70% spike in public interest.'
"Hmm lovely. And my dear family?"
'They are in full crisis mode. Also, your sister might have spit on one reporter and thrown a shoe at another.'
"Tragic. I hope it was one of her beloved designers."
Then, unexpectedly,
'You do realize that someone seems to deeply know you, right?'
I froze. " The mysterious man? What makes you think that?"
'He has been running internal checks on you and what led to the burning of your old studio. I won't be surprised if a powerful figure suddenly reaches out to you.'
I sighed, pressing my temples for relief.
"That man's curiosity is dangerous."
'Or his curiosity can pass off as flattering. Entirely depending on whether you like being psychologically dissected by powerful men.'
"Eww. I'll Pass."
Still, my stomach did that traitorous twist I knew so well. Because part of me wanted to be recognized. Not for romance, but validation.
I wanted to be recognized for the thrill of being seen but untouchable.
The artist in me craved recognition.
Meanwhile, things were not so peaceful at the Jiang mansion at midnight.
Jiang Ning stood alone in her dressing room, surrounded by dozens of gowns she hadn't designed.
The mirror reflected her seemingly perfect face, but the panic in her eyes cut down the illusion.
"That damn thing thinks she's better than me now," she whispered, biting her nails anxiously.
Her voice got louder "She thinks she can humiliate me? Me?? Jiang Ning?"
Her mother appeared in the doorway, looking all tired and worn out.
"Enough Ningning. You'll make things worse if you lash out unreasonably."
"Worse? Unreasonably? She's already made me a joke mother!"
Her father entered too, voice firm. "We will manage to fix this quietly. She is your sister after all...and..."
"She's nothing to me Old man!" She screamed back in fury. "She was beneath me, that is her position, it should be her position and now she's...she's...bars above me!"
Jiang Ning didn't get to continue her rant when a sharp slap struck her.
" What did you just call me?"
"Dad! Did you just slap me?" Her eyes were wide with disbelief and unwillingness. She couldn't believe that the man who had always pampered her would slap her today.
"You dare still ask such a question? Look at you. What kind of anger do you think befits insulting me? Your own father??"
"Dad..I..."
"And winning? Instead of crashing out like a fool, you should be pushing yourself for a positive public spotlight."
"Everyone now knows I have a stinky, incompetent designer for a daughter."
His sharp words hung like a blade.
Jiang Ning turned, eyes flashing.
" Dad but you used to love me."
He looked away and didn't reply.
The room fell silent.
Outside, thunder rolled as the storm began.
I smiled to myself as I watched everything unfold. Then, as if it didn't concern me, I continued designing, my fingers constantly flying across my sketchpad.
'Host, our signboard will be here first thing in the morning.'
"Good. And what about the team I told you to do a background check on?"
'They are perfect host. They are fiercely loyal and even if they dare do anything, they will have to get past me fast, which is technically impossible.'
"Thank you Nova. We will have a long day come morning."