Katherine's eyes snapped to Maxine, the words sinking into her like a sting. Worthy? She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from blurting something she might regret. The way Maxine had phrased it flipped the entire hierarchy on its head.
It didn't make sense, and the sheer audacity of it made Katherine's fingers itch. Her gaze flicked to the bottled water on the table, and for one dangerous second, she pictured herself hurling it right into Maxine's perfectly composed face.
But she didn't. Not yet.
Maxine's faint grin told Katherine everything she needed to know, the woman was doing this deliberately. She was baiting her, waiting for her to crack.
"I don't think that's needed," Stella, Katherine's manager, said sharply, glaring at Maxine. "Katherine is a top model in Lexora. She shouldn't have to walk with nobody like Alisha."
Alisha's lips twitched, but she didn't give Stella the satisfaction of a reaction.
