The city buzzed with the kind of energy that only came when something big was about to happen. The press was already abuzz with rumors about a huge scandal in the modeling competition, whispers of stolen designs and underhanded tactics that would leave the industry reeling.
Kim hadn't yet realized how close the storm was. He was still lost in the plans he'd made with Riele, Jay, and Jane—focused on their next move, on how to root out the mole in their midst. He hadn't yet pieced together that the threat came from somewhere he least expected: someone who once sat at the table, part of the inner circle. Someone who had now betrayed them for her own gain.
The office was filled with an almost eerie quiet as Riele, Jane, and Jay stared at their screens, digging through information, hoping for something—anything—that would point them toward the mole. But every lead was a dead end. It felt like the walls were closing in.
Then Kim's phone buzzed, shattering the silence.
He picked it up, glancing at the screen. It was a notification from a news outlet. He didn't think much of it until he opened the app and his heart sank.
"BREAKING: Major Scandal Rocks the Modeling Industry: Anonymous Sources Allege Stolen Designs and Corruption in the Leading Competition. Exclusive Investigation Inside.
Kim felt his blood run cold. He quickly scrolled through the article, his eyes scanning the words as they burned into his mind. The designs. The plans. His team's most prized work—theirs—was now being paraded for the world to see, presented as evidence of sabotage. The article claimed insider knowledge, linking Kim's team to corrupt dealings and stolen concepts.
The accusation was clear: they were not the innovators they claimed to be. Instead, they were thieves—just another example of the cutthroat world they all operated in.
"No…" Kim muttered under his breath, his hands gripping the phone tightly. "No. This can't be happening."
Riele, who had been standing nearby, rushed over to Kim's side, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What… what is it?"
Kim held up the phone, showing her the headline. Her face paled, and she staggered back, her hands flying to her mouth as she processed the news.
"No… no, this is… this is someone framing us. Someone has leaked everything." She turned quickly to Jane and Jay, her voice sharp. "We need to find out who did this, now. This isn't just a smear—it's a full-on attack."
Jane's eyes narrowed as she grabbed her phone and began searching for more details, but the damage had already been done. Every headline was the same—an accusation of fraud and theft, linking Kim's team to the scandal. The articles were filled with anonymous sources, but one name kept popping up, mentioned in every report as the person behind the whistle-blowing. Utter.
"It's him," Kim said, his voice low, filled with growing fury. "Utter… he's behind all of this."
Jane's eyes flicked to the computer screen, where Utter's name stood out like a scar in bold letters. The reports were pointing directly at him, and as the hours passed, the story grew bigger. The leaks were coordinated, the accusations undeniable. But what they didn't know was how deep Utter's reach went—or how quickly it was spiraling beyond their control.
"He's been feeding them everything," Riele said, her voice a mix of disbelief and anger. "He used Madison. He used her to get to us."
Kim clenched his fists, the weight of betrayal pressing heavily on his chest. Madison—his former teammate, someone he had trusted—had played him. Played them all. He had given her the benefit of the doubt, and she had turned on them when they were at their most vulnerable.
"We need to get ahead of this," Kim said, his tone now hard with resolve. "We can't let this destroy everything we've worked for."
Riele moved quickly, tapping away on her laptop. "I'm calling in some favors. We can't let the media control the narrative."
But as Kim turned back to the phone, it buzzed once more, this time with an unknown number. Without hesitation, he answered.
"Kim?" Utter's voice came through, cool and controlled, the kind of tone that always made Kim's skin crawl. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm not playing by the rules anymore. I'm taking what's mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Kim's heart pounded as he gritted his teeth. "You're not going to get away with this, Utter."
"Oh, but I already have," Utter responded, his voice laced with arrogance. "You see, Kim, this isn't just about the competition anymore. It's about power. And I've got it now. You? You're just a casualty. A stepping stone."
The call clicked off abruptly, leaving Kim staring at the screen in disbelief. Utter had done it. He had orchestrated the perfect takedown. And Madison had been his pawn in all of it.
Kim turned to Riele, Jane, and Jay. "We have to fight back. We need to expose him for who he really is—show the world what he's been doing behind the scenes."
Riele nodded, determination filling her eyes. "We'll do it. We'll take him down."
Later that night, Kim's team worked in overdrive, fighting to turn the tide. They reached out to their industry contacts, quietly gathering the information they needed to clear their names. But as the hours stretched on, it became clear that the damage was already extensive. The media storm was unrelenting, and Utter's influence had already begun to spread through the industry like wildfire.
Kim sat in the middle of it all, surrounded by his team, but a deep feeling of isolation had settled in. No one could be trusted—not when even the people closest to him had turned against him.
But there was one thing Kim knew: he wasn't going to let Utter win. Not like this.
The next move had to be theirs. And it had to come soon.