You Are The Apple of My Eyes novel Chapter 775

The location of the photo shoot was on the eighteenth floor of a building, inside a bright and spacious dance studio.

Valerie had done the preliminary work—planning and providing the outfits. Caroline would later have the posters printed at her studio.

Michelle had been tagged as the photographer.

Because it was important to get the photo shoot done as soon as possible, the ballet company had sent someone to negotiate a contract with Michelle.

That person's name was Randi He. She was a newcomer who had joined the troupe about two months ago.

Randi was actually somewhat related to Michelle. She was a cousin of Haley's, and Haley was a good friend of James'. Randi had kept her mother's surname and lived with the He family after graduating.

Two months ago, she had seen Valerie and Leon at an evening event, but there had been no chance to talk to them. Later, she was formally introduced to Valerie during a rehearsal, and she mentioned that she had seen the woman at a dinner party.

"There was a man standing next to you. Is he your fiance? You two make a lovely couple."

Since then, Valerie became her friend.

On the day of the photo shoot, Valerie took Randi along. The prospect of getting her photo taken made the younger dancer giddy with excitement.

Randi had a pretty face, but her features were not as delicate as Valerie's, and her personality was not as elegant.

Valerie was a seasoned ballerina, one of the best in the troupe. Because she had such a gentle disposition, she got along well with the other dancers.

Randi really admired her and was determined to become like her idol.

The weather was ideal for a photo shoot. Clear skies meant that sunlight could shine through the windows and brighten up the inside of the studio.

Randi paced along a corridor as she talked with Michelle over the phone. She reminded the other woman not to mess up.

After hanging up, Randi returned to the dressing room. Valerie was seated on a sofa with her eyes closed. A makeup artist had just begun to work on her face.

"Valerie, the photographer is on her way here." Randi stood next to the couch. She noticed that Valerie had dark circles under her eyes so she asked, "Have you not been sleeping well recently?"

"No, I haven't," Valerie admitted.

She couldn't sleep at all these days. Leon's reminder echoed in her ears, keeping her awake.

Rumors that Leon was her boyfriend or her fiance had spread all over the industry. How could she put a stop to them?

Leon had asked her to give him a deadline, but Valerie didn't know how and when he could stop the rumors.

Because of that, she lost her appetite and sleep eluded her. Her eye bags became more prominent, but she managed to maintain her good looks with a lot of skin care products.

Bryant's wife had noticed the change in her and had asked her about it, but Valerie found herself unable to tell her why. Bryant was the next person to express concern, but she couldn't tell him either. There was no one she could talk to about her problem.

And she lay all the blame on Michelle.

Valerie had deliberately chosen Michelle to take charge of their photo shoot because she had been planning to use the old trick to keep the woman away from Leon.

However, Leon's warning had been unexpected. The man must have had an inkling of her scheme and was giving her a chance to back off.

After what happened seven years ago, she didn't dare to go against him anymore.

So now, Valerie was in a dilemma. She was hesitating on carrying out her original plan. If she pushed through with it, she was afraid that something bad would happen to her. She had to assume that Leon was keeping an eye on her somehow.

But if she just let Michelle be, she knew that she would regret it.

The more Valerie thought about it, the more irritable she became. She opened her eyes and told the makeup artist, "It feels a little stuffy in here so let's take a break. I need to go out for some fresh air."

With that excuse, she went out to the corridor to enjoy the breeze coming in from a window.