The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 911 Alternate Intimidation And Bribery

A sly smile spread over Holley's face as she thoroughly examined Sheryl's appearance. Then, she looked around as though she were a queen with everything under her control.

"In fact, it is not just some modern fancywork. More importantly, you need to..." said Holley and then paused for a bit. Hesitance had crossed her face before she continued, "I asked you to come here today because there are a few important guests who would appreciate our company later."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, the girls wore shocked expressions upon fully comprehending the underlying meaning of 'accompanying guests'. It was not what they expected to hear from her. "What? Are you just kidding me?" a girl asked in a rather indignant tone. "Miss Ye, that is not what you said before. It is so absurd for you to think that we would ever agree to do something like this." "She's right! We are models and model show has always been our major work. We don't want to get involved in any of your shady activities. We have made it clear in our contract, so I am afraid that we can't do that for you," a girl said furiously.

"Yes. Miss Ye," said Susan, looking at her disbelievingly, "how could you make that decision without talking to us about it beforehand? You can tell that everyone here does not want to take part in this."

After she had furrowed her eyebrows into a frown, she then turned to Sheryl, and said, "Sher, BM Corporation looked like a legitimate company and that's why I wanted to work here in the first place. But I neve expected that such an atrocious business would also exist here. It feels so disgusting."

Being cautious, Sheryl pressed her lips into a thin line and kept silent as she felt like it was not an accident. It appeared that everything that had?happened so far was on purpose.

"Miss Ye, if you're asking us to be a bunch of hostesses today, then I'm afraid that we'll have to decline your request," another girl almost cried out.

"Yes, we won't do that," the girls agreed in a furious tone.

It was apparent that Holley's proposal encountered strong opposition from all the girls except for Sheryl, who just sat there motionlessly while refraining from uttering her true thoughts.

She knew Holley well enough not to be impulsive. If the woman had her mind made up about something, she would?do whatever to achieve her purpose. Even if the girls were reluctant to do her bidding, they would be unable to change a thing.

That was why she decided not to contradict the woman. It was futile.

When Holley glanced at Sheryl, she half expected that she would look like a duck caught in a thunderstorm.

After all, she had been waiting for this moment for such a long time.

However, to her surprise, Sheryl looked so composed as though nothing had happened. Her relaxed demeanor was so convincing that it made Holley feel frustrated somehow. 'Doesn't she care about it?' she thought to herself.

The girls' discussion grew louder by the second, so Holley had to cough deliberately in order to interrupt them. When she had their attention once more, she gazed around the room and said in a rather calm ye casual tone, "Stop talking, girls. Listen to me. Calm down. Try to remember that I'm still your boss, and that all of you are my best assets." When she was sure that her words had sunk into the girls' minds, she continued, "Do you really think that I would set you up? Well, if I did, what would I profit from it?"

The persuasive manager smiled bitterly and went on, "We have known each other for a long time. I thought you'd all know me well by now. Still, I never expected that any of you would regard me as such a vicious woman. It's quite upsetting."

Then she feigned a frustrated look while the models became bewildered. None of the girls could guess her real thoughts.

But Sheryl, unfazed even after Holley's little guilt trip, remained seated with her lips tightly shut.

Susan, who trusted Sheryl the most, was seated beside her. If there was anyone who could figure out a solution to protect them, she strongly believed it was none other than Sheryl.

"Sheryl, what is going on here? I am so worried," she whispered in a shaky voice. After a few seconds, she added, "Would Holley really ask us to work as hostesses? I can't do that. I would never do that." Knitting her eyebrows into a frown, she stared at Sheryl and continued, "Although I wasn't born into a rich family, my father taught me how to preserve my chastity since childhood. I'd rather die than do something like this."

"No one's asking you to die. Never say that again," said Sheryl calmly. She turned to Susan and comforted her, "Calm down. Let's listen to her first, and then we'll figure out a solution."

Determined, they had no other choice but to put with Holley's charades for a bit longer. It was the only way, Sheryl thought, that could help them succeed in avoiding her trap.

When Susan had finally understood her tactic, she stopped talking and instead, looked at Holley with such enraged eyes.

"Miss Ye, what do you mean?" asked a young model. Even though they were adamantly against working as hostesses, some of the girls could not make up their minds. It appeared that Holley's words had worked like a charm. Now they wanted to know what more she had to say.

While wearing a bitter smile, Holly replied, "I know you are all decent girls. Indeed, people often say that the glamorous world of modeling is chaotic. But let's be clear about one thing: we are all pure girls here, and no one would ever do such cheap things for money. So of course, it is impossible for me to ask you to do that. The mere thought of it also makes me feel sick. Our company has encountered many hardships, and now it is on track. I wouldn't lift a rock only to drop it on my own feet. What do you take me for?"

"Miss Ye, please don't keep us guessing. Just get to the point!" said Sheryl abruptly. As she did not want to beat around the bush with Holley anymore, she interrupted her directly and then continued, "You know that all the models here are good girls. If you still want to ask us to be a hostess after that, then I'm sorry. No one would be willing to do that for you."

"Yes, we will never do such crummy things," the girls said, nodding their heads in agreement.

Thanks to Sheryl's words, all of them stood at the front with renewed courage.

Seeing this, Holley burst into a discreet sneer, and snorted slightly. 'I am afraid that it is not up to you,' she thought to herself.

Nevertheless, she did not reveal her real emotions. Instead, she smiled softly, and said, "In fact, tomorrow's event isn't as filthy as any of you assume. A few big bosses will come here for a meeting, and they just want to invite you to keep them company while eating. It doesn't mean that you have to be their hostesses. Don't act like you are all innocent girls."

After she had finished explaining, she laughed in a scornful manner.

"But how different is that from being an escort service?" asked Susan in an indignant tone. She stood abruptly while staring at Holley and went on, "Miss Ye, I can't interfere in other people's thoughts, but I have to make it clear that I would never do such a thing. I will rather die if you force me to do that."

"Yes, Miss Ye, you must know how these men tend to act when they've had a little liquor to drink. We've also met such people in the past, so we are telling you that nothing can change our minds. I'm afraid that we have to decline your request," said another girl.

"Well..." Holley heaved a sigh and then responded, "How could you see it as escort service? I just don't understand. They are very different cases. It sounds so ridiculous."

Taking a glance at Susan, Holley was a little bit angry. Had it not been for Sheryl, the girls would not be so agitated.

After calming down her nerves, she looked at Susan and asked, "Susan, haven't you always wanted to ensure your father's health? And on top of that, afford your sister's tuition?"

"So what? I'll achieve that eventually," replied Susan furiously. "Just not in this way," added Susan. It did not take her long to comprehend what Holley was trying to allude. Frankly, what the woman was trying to say annoyed her.

"Well, you are a nice girl. If you promise me to do this favor, I promise that you would have enough money to achieve all of your dreams," persuaded Holley patiently. She showed a smile and then went on to continue, "They offered a huge payment in exchange for all of you to show up tomorrow. I know you all work very hard, so I'll only take a fraction of it and you could have the rest of the money. Coral, didn't you always want to buy that bag? If you grab this rare opportunity, you can buy more than ten bags the next day."

"What? Are you serious?" asked Coral suspiciously. After hearing Holley's offer, she refrained from revealing the slightest hint of interest. Truthfully, the pay was tempting. She looked into Holley's eyes and tried to figure out whether she was telling the truth. "Miss Ye, are you serious or is it just a joke?"

"Of course, I am serious," replied Holley firmly. Then she turned to another girl and said, "I know you've always wanted to buy a big house. You could achieve your dream if you'd accept this deal." Persuading them was a cinch since she knew how to exploit their weaknesses. All of the young models looked reluctant after hearing her tempting offer. Soon enough, just as she had expected, they became less resistant to her proposal than they had been a few moments ago.