Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 177

Chapter 177

AUTHOR’S POV.

Louis.

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Her chest tightened, and she leaned closer to Talia, whispering beneath her breath, her tone urgent yet soft. “Please… don’t leave me alone with him.”

Talia’s eyes flickered briefly toward Louis before returning to Alina, her expression firm. She whispered back, steady and reassuring, “Never. I don’t even intend to.”

Louis finally reached them, his gaze sweeping over Alina with a gleam that made her skin crawl. His smile was practiced, dripping with admiration. “Alina… you look absolutely breathtaking tonight. Truly stunning.”

Talia immediately lowered her head, pretending to scroll through her phone, though her eyes remained sharp, clearly alert.

Alina forced a polite smile, her voice even. “Thank you for the compliment, you clean up nice too.” The weight of his stare unsettled her, and in an effort to shift the focus, she tilted her head slightly and asked, “What do you think about the venue? About how I’ve set everything up?”

Louis’s lips curved, though his tone carried a faint edge of regret. “Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t be much help, seeing as we were supposed to plan it together.” His eyes lingered on her longer than necessary before he added, “But you’ve done a great job with it. Really. I can’t wait to see the fashion show… the launch, everything. It’s all you, and it shows.”

Alina’s lips pressed into a faint smile. “Thank you.”

His expression softened, almost too intimate, as he leaned in slightly. “Alina… we need to talk. Maybe after the show? Just the two of us. There are things we should-”

Before she could respond, Mia rushed over, slightly breathless, her headset around her neck. “Ma’am, we need you backstage. The show’s about to start.”

Alina held back the relief sigh that almost left her lips but she didn’t miss the relief in Talia’s eyes and gave a

small nod.

Turning back to Louis, she kept her voice polite but distant. “I have to go.”

She and Talia followed Mia, walking briskly toward the backstage doors.

Louis stood where he was, his eyes narrowing, lingering on Alina with a heated, almost possessive look as she disappeared from sight.

As they walked quickly backstage, Alina leaned toward Mia with a quiet exhale of relief. “Thank you for coming when you did. Remind me, your bonus this month is doubled.”

Mia blinked, caught off guard. “Wait… what? Why? I didn’t-” She stopped herself at Alina’s raised brow, then broke into a wide grin. “Thank you, ma’am. Thank you so much.”

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Chapter 177

Alina only smiled faintly, brushing it off as they entered the bustle backstage.

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The director was waiting with a clipboard, his tone brisk but respectful. “Ma’am, we have a situation. One of the models can’t make it. For the finale piece, the strongest look in the line. I think… it would be perfect if you wore it. It’s your show after all. Who better to close it?”

Talia’s eyes lit up instantly, her tone enthusiastic. “That’s actually brilliant. You’d be ending your own show, it would be powerful, memorable.”

Alina hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Fine. I’ll do it. But why did the model cancel last minute?” She turned to Mia with a sharp look.

Mia shifted slightly, glancing down at her tablet. “Her car broke down on the way. Where she is, they can’t get it fixed in time for her to make it here.”

Alina exhaled softly, her expression smoothing. “It’s no problem. Hopefully, the rest of the models are ready

to start?”

“Yes,” Mia said quickly with a nod. “Everyone else is dressed and lined up. It’s just you and Miss Hart left to change.”

“Alright then,” Alina said. “Lead us to the dressing room.”

Mia guided them through the flurry of assistants and makeup artists until they reached the private dressing space. After some time, when both women were dressed, Talia gave her reflection a long look before glancing at Alina. “Are you nervous?”

Alina shook her head lightly, adjusting one of the elegant details of her outfit. “No. How about you? This is your first time on a runway.”

Talia grinned, her tone playful yet tinged with pride. “A little nervous, yeah. But come on,I was born for the stage.”

Alina’s lips curved at that, warmth flickering in her eyes.

When they were finished, the two of them returned backstage where the buzz of excitement vibrated through the air.

On stage, the MC had the audience laughing, his lighthearted banter keeping the mood alive. After a few moments, he lifted his hand for quiet, his voice booming through the speakers,

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we are here for something special, a seasonal line launch unlike any other. You’ll see autumn, winter, summer, and spring come alive on this runway. So sit back and prepare to be captivated… let the show begin!”

The music shifted, deep and commanding,the lights dimmed, the crowd hushed with anticipation.

Then runway lights flared back to life and the first model stepped onto the runway.

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Chapter 178