Chapter 62
Victoria and her rival split up to scout for filming locations.
Victoria's rival was Ethan Young, a seasoned photographer with 18 years of experience. His eye for aesthetics was razor–sharp, and he excelled at crafting exquisite compositions.
Ethan headed straight to the tiger enclosure. Behind a layer of chain–link fencing, several large tigers lounged leisurely on the grass. Some napping, others grooming themselves.
Victoria glanced in Ethan's direction briefly before leading Diana toward the wolves.
"Do you think you've got this?" Diana asked.
Victoria said, "Remember that photo I took in the mountains a while back?"
Diana pondered for a moment and nodded. "Of course. You were visiting your grandmother, wandered up the hills, and ran into wild wolves. You didn't cry or panic. Instead, you took some photos."
Victoria smiled, "Nature and wilderness go hand in hand. I've photographed wolves before and know how to capture their untamed spirit."
Seeing Victoria's confidence, Diana's worries melted away.
Two hours flew by, and soon, everyone was on the way back.
Ethan glanced at Victoria with a smirk. "Why would Mrs. Harrison trade the comforts of her title for the grind of photography again?" His words carried a sharp edge, the taunt unmistakable.
Victoria leaned back, her eyes closed. "Because I can. I do whatever I want, and I do it well." Her tone was bold, bordering on arrogant.
Ethan scoffed. "The overconfidence of youth. I admit your photography had a certain spark. But five years is neither short nor long. You got married, had kids, and let the decadence of luxury dull that spark. If your work doesn't measure up, don't go crying to Mr. Harrison later."
The disdain in Ethan's tone was palpable, as though he saw Victoria as nothing more than a trophy wife relying on her husband's status.
Victoria opened her eyes and stared at Ethan.
"You seem pretty hostile. Maybe it's because I'm good at what I do, and you feel threatened at you age.
It must be tough, especially since your haven't had great work in years.
But honestly, that happens when you focus on attacking others instead of improving your skills. "
Ethan's face darkened instantly. "In this industry, I'm still your senior. Show some respect."
Victoria snorted, "Respect is a two–way street. Have you ever shown me any?" If Ethan wanted a fight, she wasn't backing down.
Ethan's expression turned even sourer. Realizing he couldn't outtalk Victoria, he shot her a cold glare before looking away.
Ethan clenched his fits tightly, his gaze flickering to Victoria's camera.
"Stop the car. I need a smoke," Ethan suddenly demanded.
Coincidentally, the driver needed a restroom break and pulled the car over.
Ethan stepped out and walked to a distant spot, lighting at cigarette.
Diana leaned toward Victoria and said, "Don't waste your energy on him. Just use your skills to shut him up."
Victoria smirked. "I'm not putting up with his nonsense. I already have to swallow my pride when Henry gives me grief. But Ethan? He's nothing. Why should I hold back?"
Diana was speechless. She thought, "These past five years have really worn her down."
Victoria stood up. "I'm heading to the restroom too."
"Okay," Diana replied.
When Victoria returned, she saw Diana standing by the mirror, dabbing at a stain on her clothes.
"What happened?" Victoria asked.
"The driver accidentally spilled his drink on me," Diana explained. "Let's go." She brushed off the incident.
Victoria lowered her head thoughtfully. After a moment, she said, "You should brace yourself."
"For what?" Diana asked, puzzled.
Victoria said, "Just a hunch. I'll explain later. Let's head back first."
When they returned to the car, everyone else was already there. Ethan had stopped fiddling with his camera and now sat with his eyes closed.
Victoria pulled out her phone, acting as if nothing had happened.
Back at the magazine office, they gathered in the familiar conference room.
Brittany smiled, "I trust you've all brought back something good. Let's see your work."
Ethan gestured toward Victoria. "She's the junior here. Let her go first."
Victoria rolled her eyes and opened her camera bag. But the moment she looked inside, her expression shifted. "Why is everything soaked?"
Victoria's face was grim. "My camera got water damage, and all the photos are ruined."
Emily was quick to jump in. "How could you be so careless? Do you realize the importance of this shoot? Failing to protect your equipment shows a lack of professionalism. How can we trust you with a magazine cover? What if you let the photos slip? The consequences would be disastrous!"
Emily turned to Brittany. "Let's stick with Ethan. We've worked with him, and his performance is always reliable."
Brittany frowned, clearly troubled by the situation. She glanced at Victoria with a hint of regret. "Vika, even after five years, I still have high hopes for your work. Unfortunately, you didn't pass this trial."
Victoria's expression was grim. But she suppressed her emotions and said evenly, "Then may I stay and view Ethan's works?"
Emily responded immediately, "We're not hiring you, so you have no reason to be here. Please leave."
Victoria's eyes darkened, her calm expression turning cold. "On the way back, my agent and I went to the restroom, leaving my camera in the car. Now it's waterlogged. Shouldn't I bet allowed to suspect anyone who was in the car? Could someone have damaged my camera on purpose?"
Emily sneered, "Do you have any proof?"
Victoria replied, "No, but I could always call the police. They're good at finding evidence. By the way, my camera is worth 500.000"
Emily's expression faltered. She looked at Victoria coldly. The tension in the room thickened.
Victoria shifted the topic. "All I want is to see Ethan's work. Once I've seen it, I'll leave. I'll accept the damage to my camera. Is that really too much to ask?" Her gaze swept the room as she spoke, landing on Ethan.
Ethan said didactically, "Go ahead and take a look. You're still young, and you have a long road ahead." Then, he transferred the photos from his camera to his phone and projected them onto the large screen.
The theme was nature. Ethan had photographed tigers.
While the tigers appeared fierce in their wild state, the ones in captivity lacked their primal edge, exuding a languid, almost lethargic air.
Even though Ethan had chosen specific angles to emphasize their strength, something was missing.
The photos were passable at best.
Ethan was brimming with satisfaction over his work. With Victoria's camera out of commission, the competition had practically vanished. This time, the magazine feature was as good as his.
Victoria raised an eyebrow and let out a dismissive "That's it?"