Chapter 43 The Face Of The Company's Campaign

Chapter 43 The Face Of The Company's Campaign
Emma was overjoyed when she woke up the next morning. She shut the curtains completely as she moved toward Zoella's bedroom. As usual, Zoella was already awake when she slid the door open. 

“Good morning, sweet.” 

“Hi, Emma.”

“How are we feeling today?” 

Zoella was not smiling, which meant something. "I am not feeling well." 

“Is there any problem?” She took her temperature, which was normal. "You seem to be in good health." 

Zoe jerked her head up. “No. I am not.” 

Emma sat down next to her and started tickling her, which made Zoe laugh aloud. “You don’t want to go to school?” Zoe's doe eyes stared at Emma with such innocence. “But you love school. You will have the chance to play with Bella and your other friends."

“Can I not go today?” 

“You are three years old. You are going.” 

“But I don’t even learn anything. I already know them all. The alphabet and numbers. Up to a thousand and more." 

Emma exclaimed in surprise, as if she did not already know. "You are a smart girl, but you are still going to school." She got out of bed and carried Zoe in her arms. "If you are not learning anything, just stare at the board like the other kids. Now I must bathe you and get ready for work.” Emma dropped her in the bathroom. "I will tell you what, if you behave today, I will get you whatever you want."

Zoe's face brightened. “Really?” 

She nodded as she removed Zoe's clothes and reached for the sponge. "Good girls get what they want. All you have to do is obey.” She turned on the water and warmed it before pouring it over her. 

Zoe was well-behaved and easily changed into her school clothes. Emma pondered why Zoe would act that way as she served her cereal for breakfast. Zoe enjoyed school and looked forward to seeing Belle every day. Was there something going on? 

She cast a glance at Zoe as she ate her breakfast. She then took a bath after Zoe had finished breakfast, dressed up for her meet up with the media, wore minimal make-up, and styled her hair differently. When she arrived at Zoe's school, she hugged her several times and asked if she would be okay. Zoe nodded, and Emma handed her over to her homeroom teacher. She then found her way to work. 

Emma was dropped off a short distance away from the company's building, and when she looked at her watch, she realised she was already late. She rushed into the company and took the elevator that everyone uses. She tried everything she could to avoid using the CEO's elevator. Just because they are getting closer does not mean she could use him to her advantage. She suddenly felt bad as she recalled she was already doing that with Zoella. 

Emma exited the elevator as soon as the door opened. She could see how crowded the hallway was with people walking around with posters and camera equipment. 

"I bet you are pumped up." 

She was startled by the voice. Emma turned around and saw Susan walking towards her. "Hello, Mrs. Mayberry. I did not hear you walk out." 

“You were daydreaming. You know you can call me Susan, right?” 

“I wouldn’t want to do that. You are my senior.” 

Susan jerked her with her shoulder in amusement. "That will bring us closer together." Her attention was drawn to the workers. "You will be getting ready for your shoot in a few minutes. How excited are you to be advertised on billboards and on television?" 

Emma chuckled. “I am excited but worried.” 

“Why are you worried? This is the type of opportunity that people seek. You earned it, so be happy and get rid of the negative energy around you." 

Emma let out a sigh. "I am just concerned about Zoe." 

“What about her?” as they walked side by side, Susan kept her smile and answered the people who greeted her

"I want her to live a normal life and not be known as Emma's daughter." 

"Being known as Emma Facer's daughter is a big flex." 

Emma gave her a look. “You know what I mean.” 

“I do. But at some points, it is going to be like this. She will be known around the world as your daughter, and there is nothing you can do about it. Unless you stop showing up at her school because those moms are going to want to make a lot of money off of your story," Susan said as she sipped her coffee.

“Right?” 

"It is a small town, Emma. Those people are poor and want something that will build their income. They do not mind destroying a child's innocence in the process. I am just relieved that I have not made headlines yet because I am not sure how I will do it." 

"I am still baffled why you sent Bella to that school if you have that much money." 

Susan burst out laughing. “I just don’t like private school. Not because they are prohibitively expensive. That is something I can afford, but they do not teach well. Those public school teachers always teach like their lives depend on it, and it does. Perhaps you should consider enrolling Zoe in a private school. She is already special. She will fit in just fine. I am just saying this to help the matter.” She leaned in close. "Or, will her father be uncomfortable with all of the public attention his daughter is about to receive?" 

Ezra would be overjoyed, but she would not be. She was terrified of being caught. Emma gave a nod. "We have not even had that discussion yet. I just do not want Zoella to get involved in this. She is far too young to be making headlines. I do not want to jeopardise her promising future by letting her become famous. I do not want other children to refer to her as a Nepo baby." She let out a low groan and looked at Susan when she remembered something that had been bothering her. "Oh, before I forget, I have something I want to tell you." 

Susan concentrated her entire attention on Emma. “What is it? You look serious.” 

“It is serious. Was Bella acting strangely today? Like not wanting to attend school at all?" 

“No. Why?” 

“It's Zoe. She enjoys school, but today she said that she does not wish to go. She even pretended to be sick, but I caught her quickly. She said that learning the alphabet and numbers was beneath her.” 

"Perhaps it is. Perhaps it is time to move her class from preschool to pre-kindergarten or kindergarten." 

"But those are for children ages 4-6." 

"I am sure she knows more than they do. I am not going to tell you how to train your child, but maybe you should discuss this with her when she gets home. It will make her feel safer knowing you are listening. Then you should take the next step.” 

“Next step to what?” 

"Test her to see if she is ready for a promotion. Give her some kindergarten work and see how she does. If she impresses you, talk to her father about having her promoted." 

Emma nodded. “That is actually okay. Thank you very much, Mrs. Mayberry." Susan raised her brows, and Emma corrected herself. "Thank you very much, Susan." 

"I am glad I could assist. Get ready for your campaign. That man has been staring at you for quite some time. Make sure you have a good time." 

Emma hoped.

A few moments later, she was approached. “Miss Facer. I am Fletcher. I will be making you over today. Shall we go into the room?” The lady who spoke appeared to be in her early thirties. Her hair was black, long and curly, and she was tall. She had blue eyes and wore light makeup. 

Emma smiled as she followed Fletcher into the room that had been prepared for her. If she had known they would do this to her, she wouldn’t have worn any makeup at all. When she entered the room, she noticed various types of clothing that had been laid out for her. She could tell it had been designed by other designers. Perhaps from the past, but it looked stunning. 

Having her face served as the company's face and appeared on billboards was the main focus of the campaign. Her image would appear in any advertisement for the Queen's company. She was nervous because she had never done anything like this before, but she kept calming herself. Breathing in and out to maintain control. 

"Are you ready to start?" Fletcher inquired. 

“Yes. I am ready.” She took one last deep breath before looking in the mirror and then let the makeup artist work her magic. 

Fletcher expertly brushed and blended, enhancing rather than overpowering Emma's natural beauty. Emma looked in the mirror at herself, feeling glamorous and ready to take on the world. 

With her makeup done, she moved to the set, where the camera crew had set up the equipment. The shoot was to take place in a stunning indoor setting with lush greenery and a cascading waterfall as the backdrop. The theme was glamour, which Emma adored. 

Daniel, the photographer, instructed her on how to pose as she stood in front of the camera. He had a pleasant demeanor and an uncanny ability to capture the perfect shot. He would give her gentle instructions, encouraging her to use her poses to express various emotions and personalities. 

The hours flew by as Emma moved with grace, her energy and enthusiasm never faded. The way she moved in front of the camera overshadowed her previous nervousness. The crew took breaks in between shots to adjust lighting and settings, ensuring that each shot was perfect. Emma's excitement was palpable throughout the day, and her love for her craft was obvious in every photograph. 

They had captured a plethora of incredible shots by the time the clock struck 6 p.m. Emma felt accomplished, knowing that this would be a memorable campaign. She expressed thanks to the camera crew and the entire team for their hard work and dedication. 

She decided to visit Ezra's office with a sense of accomplishment to share the exciting news about the successful shoot. As she approached the office, she noticed Milan in her seat. “Good evening, Milan. I am here to see Mr. Queen.” 

"I am sorry, Miss Facer, but he is not on the seat.” 

“What?” Where would he have gone by this time? "Did he leave early for home?" He would, however, have told her if he did. 

"He did not show up for work." 

Emma was surprised. One thing she knew— Ezra Queen hated not being active or not making money. "But that is not what he said to me yesterday. What happened to him? Is he all right?" 

Milan sighed softly, her face troubled. "I am not entirely sure. He called in sick this morning and said he would not be able to make it to work today." 

“Oh.” Emma nodded as Milan received a warm smile from her. “Thank you.” 

Sick? Was it because of the rain? Did he get sick because of her? Those words bothered her as she walked away from his office and back into the elevator.