Utter sat in his dimly lit apartment, a devious smile spreading across his face as he dialed Kim's office number. After a few rings, the line was picked up.
"Kim's office. Who's this?" came the curt voice of Kim's assistant, Amanda."
"It's Utter," he drawled, his voice dripping with confidence. "Tell Kim I need to speak with him. It's urgent."
The assistant hesitated for a moment, but then complied with Utter's request. "Please hold," she said, placing him on hold. "Um, Miss Jane, can you please get Mr. Kim?" Amanda politely asked Jane who was standing in a corner.
"What's wrong?"
"It's one of our ex-models…"
"Put him on loudspeaker," Jane cut in before Amanda could finish her sentence.
Amanda did as she was told.
After what felt like an eternity, Utter was furious. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the other side of the call, but it wasn't Kim who picked up the phone.
"Utter, how may we help you?" Jane's voice was sharp, cold as ice.
Utter's smirk only widened. "And you are?"
"My name is Jane."
"You sound like a pretty sexy lady, would you mind if we…" He could practically hear the blood boiling through the phone line.
"I don't have time for your games," she hissed. "What do you want with Kim?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Utter asked, his voice dripping with a smirk. "I'm calling to tell Kim that he's about to lose this competition. But don't worry, I'm sure he'll be able to bounce back. Eventually."
Jane bristled at his words. "You don't know what you're talking about. Kim's team is the best in the industry. There's no way you could beat them."
Utter laughed, the sound echoing through the phone line.
"Oh, Sweetie! I know more than you think. And besides I've got a secret weapon."
Jane's blood ran cold at Utter's words. "What do you mean, secret weapon?" She demanded.
"Let's just say that I have someone on the inside," Utter continued, savoring the power he held over her. "Someone who knows everything about you guys. And I know just how to use that to my advantage."
Jane's mind raced, trying to think of who it could be. She didn't know Kim had a lot of enemies, but who would be working with Utter?
"If you think you can win this competition, you're wrong," she spat.
"I'm not just thinking, my love. I'm certain. And you know why? Because I'm smarter than Kim. I'm more ruthless. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win." Utter's words were calculated, precise.
"You don't have the faintest idea of what you're getting yourself into, Utter," Jane warned.
"Oh, I think I do," he retorted. "I know exactly what I'm doing. And I know that when I win this competition, I'll have everything I want. Including your precious Kim. Who knows, I might have you too."
Jane's heart sank.
"You'll never get away with this," Jane hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "You think you can just waltz in here and steal everything Kim's worked for?"
Utter laughed again, the sound echoing in the silence of Jane's office. "Oh, but Jane. You won't have a choice. By the time you figure out what's going on, it'll be too late. The prize will be mine. And there won't be a damn thing you can do about it."
Jane slammed her hand down on her desk, sending a stack of papers flying. "You're bluffing," she said, her voice shaking with rage. "You don't have a plan, Utter. You're just a washed-up model who's desperate for attention."
Utter's laugh this time was cruel, mocking. "Jane, Jane, Jane. You have absolutely no idea what I am capable of. But I think you're starting to realize that I'm not bluffing. I'm not desperate. I'm in control."
In a flash, Jane hung up the phone and stormed out of her office, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Kim, standing with Riele in the hallway.
"Kim," she called out, her voice sharp and urgent. "We need to talk. Now."
Kim turned, a look of surprise on his face. "What's wrong, Jane? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Not a ghost. Utter. He called," she said, the words rushing out of her in a torrent.
Utter? Why would he be calling? They wondered.
Riele's eyes widened as she listened to Jane's story. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized the gravity of the situation.
"What did he say?" Kim asked, his voice calm but firm.
"He said he had a secret weapon. Someone on the inside. He said he was going to win the competition. And he said..."
Jane hesitated, her voice trailing off as she took a deep breath. "He said he was going to take everything you've worked for."
The words hung heavy in the air, their weight pressing down on the small group.
Kim's face hardened as he considered Jane's words. "I'll be ready for him," he said, his voice low and determined. "We'll prepare for the competition as we always have. We'll work harder, smarter. And when the time comes, we'll show Utter that he's not the only one with secrets."
Riele stepped forward, her hands trembling slightly. "But what if he knows something we don't? What if he really does have an advantage over us?"
Kim placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll find a way," his voice was strong with confidence. "And in the meantime, we'll keep this between us. We can't let Utter know that we're onto him. He's dangerous, Riele. And we can't afford to underestimate him."
Riele nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. "I'll be careful, Kim." She ignored how her heart palpated when he looked at her with those caring eyes of his.
As they spoke, Jay entered the hallway, a folder in his hand. He stopped when he saw the small group, his eyebrows raised in question. "Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned about creasing his features.
Kim took a deep breath, knowing that they couldn't keep Jay in the dark. "Jay, there's something you should know. We received a call from Utter today. He... he made some threats. He says he has a secret weapon, and that he's going to win the competition."
Jay's face paled slightly, his eyes flashing with alarm. "Utter? But he's not even in the running. How could he--?"
Riele stepped forward, her expression serious. "We don't know, Jay. That's what we're trying to figure out."
Jay ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "We need to do something," he said, his voice urgent. "We can't just let Utter walk all over us. We need to find out what he's planning, and we need to find out now."
"I agree," Kim replied, nodding in agreement. "We need to investigate Utter's actions and see what we can uncover. And in the meantime, we'll continue to prepare for the competition as usual. I know he is trying to throw us off balance, but we won't let that happen."
Jane nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. "So what's the plan?" she asked, her voice sharp and decisive. "How are we going to find out what Utter is up to?"
"We'll need to dig deeper into his past," Kim replied, his mind already spinning with possibilities. "Find out who he's been in contact with, who he's working with. We'll need to infiltrate his circle of friends and associates, see if we can uncover any clues."
"And what about the competition?" Jane asked, her voice intense.
"The competition is still our priority," Kim replied, his gaze never wavering. "We'll continue to work on our designs, perfect our strategy."
"And what if we find out that he does have a secret weapon?" Riele asked, her voice trembling slightly. "What do we do then?"
Kim's expression hardened. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said, his voice firm. "But for now, we focus on the competition."