Chapter 2 Sapphire

Italy is a beautiful country, even if you only have a few dollars in your pocket

I've never seen such a beautiful and charming place

Village nestled between vineyards, flower fields and markets for sale of fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade cheeses

In Italy, wine is drunk by people like water and people are willing to share it with strangers they don’t know

The people here are so generous that money is no longer a problem

If I stayed in the United States, I might beg on the street

I took the bus to visit the villages around Milan

Being a tourist is easy, because the most beautiful scenery is free to the public

I slept under the stars and because the weather was hot, I took a shower in the public bathroom.

Although I have seen a better life, I don’t feel that my life is at the bottom of a difficult situation.

At least this is better than being a sex slave

During the first few days, I was paying attention to my back every moment, and whether there was any appearance of the terrible person who followed me.

But three days have passed

He must have guessed that I've left New York

A quick search can tell him where I flew to

I have no doubt that he will follow me to Italy

But since I used cash to pay for everything and avoided staying in a hotel, of course I couldn't afford to stay, so it was not easy for him to find me.

It's as if I no longer exist in this world

The feeling of homelessness is almost a relief to let oneself go

Federal officials are looking for me, because I have not paid the loan in full

Nor will they stop seeking my whereabouts until I get jailed, or allow me to find some bits of work here or there to pay off my debts

I can work for forty hours a week for the rest of my life, and I'm still a poor person

I still don't have the ability to pay for my tuition to continue my education

And restarting in a foreign country seems like a better idea

I just hope I won't be found here

I don't have any unrealistic fantasies about my appearance

Although I know I'm pretty, I'm not a model

But if I propose to do something else, like sewing or secretary work, I might be able to make some money

And I will work for a powerful person

Knuckle will be harder to find me

This is also what my creditors don't want me to do the least: work for a celebrity

Of course people think Conway Bassetti would refuse to hire someone like me who is unknown

But I've seen his blank eyes

He won't care about my exile news

He has better things to do, for example, counting his money and fucking his women

That night, I returned to Milan with a full bag of bread, cheese, grapes and biscuits.

The villagers have given me more food than I can carry

I swallowed the freshest produce, and left the rest for dinner

I spent the night in a youth hostel and offered myself the luxury of a bed and a shower

I'll be auditioning tomorrow and hope to get a good result I don't have any fashionable and beautiful clothes, but that's OK, because I didn't want to be a model

If the pay is good, I'm ready to be a doorkeeper

I was forced to register like everyone else

They gave me a number that I could stick to my T-shirt

All women show off in high heels and underwear

Their beautiful, slender, fluffy hair is perfect for being the next muse of Conway Bassetti

I'm the only one who comes in full clothes, which makes me feel naked

Many contestants frowned at me and commented in a low voice in Italian

Some of them giggled as if I was doing a silly act in my audition in jeans and t-shirts

I did my hair and put on some makeup, and I thought I was dressed properly, for example, I could take a leisurely walk in the park with such a dress

But in the context of these auditions, I feel like a terrible monster

Candidates are called through their numbers

The women walked on the catwalk built for this occasion as if they were in front of the audience

They walked, whirling, shook their hair on their shoulders, and stared at the men sitting behind the table.

Conway Bassetti is not here

He must have something better to do than choosing his next muse

Maybe he is watching you where you can't see it

But I can't help but feel a little disappointed, he's not there

It's always pleasant to stare at a man as handsome as him

My audition number was finally called, 228

I walked up the steps and passed the woman who had just walked past the catwalk

She couldn't help laughing at me as she walked past me in silver panties and bra. The high heels she was on were too high and almost on tiptoe like a ballerina

I didn't have any extra thoughts about her, but walked to the table where the three men sat.

They are all wearing suits, their eyes scan my body, and their assets are evaluated with professional eyes

When I was walking around the city in a short skirt, the men looked at me on the street.

This is a pragmatic, neutral look

The man in the middle pointed his finger at me

Turn around, rotate

I'm not here to be a model, I said, put my hands on my hips, no smile

I am here not to impress them with my appearance, but with my confidence

I have other talents that can help with the Bassetti lingerie series I can sew, clean, cook, manage schedules…you can say anything I'm looking for a job, I'm willing to accept any job

The man in the middle had a pair of black eyes and a head of black hair. He mechanically rotated a pen between his fingers. His eyes were as black as coffee, with a faint cream color.

We're just looking for a model are you interested?

I wanted to step up and fight back, forcing him to introduce me to the right people and ask them to hire me for another job, but from his hostile eyes he was already very annoyed by me

No one should talk to these men in this tone because they have the ability to make all women's dreams come true

Do you think I look like a model?

I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and flat sandals on my feet

I'm not as easy to be photographed as anyone else

I didn't smile mischievously, nor did I feel hot and sexy

I'm mediocre

I know they know, too

I don't know, he replied: You haven't walked on the runway yet

I don't think my walking is really the most important thing, I replied with my arms folded

Listen, I'm desperate, desperate. I just got here, with only twenty euros left in my pocket. I'm willing to do anything.

Since you are facing such a situation, either spin, he insists, pointing his pen to the podium or leave

He provoked me with his gloomy eyes, making me realize that his patience had reached its limit. The other two people looked at me quietly without blinking.

I held back my pride and did as they asked

That afternoon, I saw 227 women showing off everywhere.

So I know exactly what to do

I know how to move my shoulders, sway my ass and spin

I think it's ridiculous to walk around the catwalk in this outfit, but I'm already at my end

A desperate person did something desperate

I walked to the end of the runway, turned around, my back straightened, a little nervous I didn't have any smiles, nor did I stare and exuded the scorching look. I had my limits

Man sitting in the middle putting his pen on the writing board

Scar? Trouble

What did you say?

Do you have scars on your body?

No, I don't

Lift your shirt

I rolled my eyes

What's the meaning?

Sorry I need to see your skin He said: Spots, acne, and so on

Please believe me

He made a record on a piece of paper and snapped his fingers in my direction

I put my hands on my hips and stared at him and told me intuition that he was calling me I didn't like this at all

Do you think I'm like a dog?

He grinned arrogantly, moved your butt here, took these and these are your instructions and recommendations

My instructions are recommended? I repeated, approaching the paper in his hand, what does it mean?

It means we want to keep you, you want to go to the next part He replied, put that page in my outstretched hand and show it to the guard, otherwise you will not be able to enter

Oh, wait! I exclaimed as I read the instructions, which include an address and an appointment time Are you serious? Are you going to keep me?

Yes, dear, he replied, and showed me his usual arrogant smile

Please don't call me that

Whenever I hear this title, my throat is stolen by a fear

Knuckle is the only one who has called me that

So I have a deep disgust for this terrible dear

As long as I'm still alive, no man would call me that

Are you confused? Have you not seen all these beautiful women?

Don't you think you are beautiful?

He asked, raising his eyebrows on his side

What you wear doesn't matter. Real beauty cannot be hidden. Leave this catwalk now. We have other auditioners who need to evaluate.

Staring at that piece of paper, I can't believe that I don't know how much money these models have made, but it's certainly enough to buy an apartment and take a hot shower every day which will be enough to start my life again

When I tell you that I'm looking for another job, I'm not lying, there's really nothing else?

He crossed his arms

You are really the most popular of all candidates You just won the lottery, but you're so stupid that you didn't realize this would be more of a sewing woman in the workshop than a model for Conway Barsette? No, as you said, you're the one who got crossed out

He bent forward and stared at me for a long time, his eyes burning like forest fire

Do you want to accept it or not? We should send ten invitations if you don't want it, I'll give it to people who really want to be models.

He spread his palms and pretended to snatch the paper from me

I clenched my fists to protect it from being stolen.

He leaned against his seat and said with a smile

Well... Maybe you're not so stupid yet

You only choose ten women?

You're not wrong

And I am one of these ten people?

Thousands of women lined up on the runway in their most beautiful clothes

They are exotic, beautiful, and passionate

I was hoping someone would let me mop the floor or sew buttons and lace, but I just won the invitation that all these women dream of, and do everything possible to get

Yes, he said, pointing at the stairs and leaving quickly before I changed my mind.

I clenched the invitation tightly in my fists so that I felt my blood beating for it

This is a wonderful day in Milan, the sun shines on my neck

Little water beads oozing between my chest

But these trivial inconveniences are nothing compared to the choices I have to make

I never thought about becoming a model

I didn't blame the women who made a living by undressing, but it was a life that I was not interested in.

My attitude is incorrect, and I am very stubborn and do not listen to the advice.

Knuke once threatened that if I ran away, I would torture me twice, but I did not hesitate

Anyone will realize it's a mistake, but I did that

I'd rather run away than give up

Modeling Conway Bassetti is not my ideal, but it will bring me something that is not easy to find elsewhere

Protect

I will be surrounded by people at any time and live in the shadow of one of the greatest designers of our time

A power that weighs billions of people

He may not want to protect me, but he will protect his brand from the scandal

Maybe this is the so-called blessing in disguise I will appear there