The beauty stood at about 5'6", wearing an incredibly well-tailored, tight-fitting A-line dress.
The waist of the dress was cut perfectly, accentuating a waist so slender it looked as if it could be encircled by a single hand. However, the lines at her hips flared outward, amplifying her graceful curves to the absolute perfect degree. One look, and anyone would be deeply captivated by her extreme waist-to-hip ratio.
More importantly, her facial structure was sharply defined yet retained an elegant softness. Her straight nose was perfectly sculpted, and her lips, painted in a soft nude pink, gave her a striking, unforgettable allure. The skin on her face was as flawless as a freshly peeled egg, without a single blemish.
Her exquisite features, combined with her fiercely cold aura, gave off the intimidating vibe of an Ice Queen, making it impossible to guess her exact age. Furthermore, her sharp, almond-shaped eyes gave Rahul a faint, lingering sense of Indian familiarity.
She walked purposefully toward Rahul. The surrounding models and influencers immediately lost their luster in her presence, looking pale by comparison. Every girl passing by cast a respectful, almost fearful gaze toward her. At the same time, a deep sense of inferiority quietly rose in their eyes.
As this Ice Queen drew closer, Rahul finally felt a genuine flutter in his chest. It was a magnetic pull he hadn't quite experienced before.
"Hello."
As soon as she spoke, it was a flawless sentence in Hindi, carrying the distinct, polished accent of South Mumbai's elite. But she immediately switched to English, her gaze locking onto Rahul.
"Are you Indian?"
Hearing her accent and her seamless transition, Rahul became even more certain that she had Indian ancestry. In Thailand, the Thai-Indian community—especially the generational Sindhi and Punjabi business families—controlled a massive chunk of the country's economic lifeblood, spanning real estate, textiles, and hospitality. Being a prominent Thai-Indian in Bangkok was often a symbol of immense, deeply rooted wealth.
At this moment, Rahul couldn't help but silently praise the System. This thing is truly reliable! As soon as I arrived in Thailand, it dropped a top-tier CEO right into my lap!
"Yes, I am."
Rahul responded, but he chose to reply in flawless, native-sounding Thai.
When she heard the perfect Thai pronunciation coming from his mouth, her slender eyebrows twitched slightly in surprise.
"Since you can speak Thai, this will be much easier to communicate," she said, her tone professional and brisk. "Let me introduce myself. I am Divya, the Brand Director of the emerging Thai fashion house, Santiya."
As she spoke, Divya extended a slender, immaculate hand toward him.
This was a real, high-powered Brand Director, completely outclassing the self-proclaimed 'girlbosses' he used to deal with back in Mumbai!
Without any hesitation, Rahul reached out and shook her hand. Upon contact, her skin felt incredibly smooth, as soft as silk.
"Hello, I'm Rahul."
After a firm, brief shake, Rahul gentlemanly took the initiative to withdraw his hand, maintaining his boundaries.
Divya continued: "After observing the on-site auditions today, we've decided that you have the exact look we need. You are perfectly suited to be the new spokesperson for our brand."
"Come, let's go to my corporate office to discuss the details."
With a calm, commanding tone, Divya made a graceful inviting gesture.
Rahul remembered a saying he had heard long ago: The colder a woman's exterior, the more fiery her heart. Since he was already here and the opportunity was literally walking him to a Porsche, he didn't have the slightest thought of refusing. He immediately followed Divya away from the audition site.
At this moment, the dozens of handsome models and beautiful influencers at the scene cast intensely envious looks at Rahul's back.
"That Indian guy is so lucky! Miss Divya actually came over to invite him personally!"
"Didn't you see how stunning he is? He's much more handsome than the runway models here! He looks like a Bollywood superstar!"
"Exactly! I feel like Indian men have this rugged, masculine charm that is just so attractive!"
"Did you see his lips? I really want to try kissing him just to see what it feels like!"
"Keep dreaming. A guy like that isn't someone you can catch. Only a billionaire like Miss Divya is a match for him!"
The Thai girls at the audition site fell into deep, agonizing jealousy as they watched Divya and Rahul walk away.
Rahul followed Divya into the mall, entering a private VIP elevator that took them directly down to the underground parking garage.
In the enclosed space of the elevator, it was just the two of them. Divya didn't speak the entire time; the elevator was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. However, Rahul's steady, powerful breathing and the distinct scent of his cologne filled the small space, making Divya's mind wander.
She was a workaholic, entirely focused on building her fashion empire for Thailand's youth. She hadn't spared a single thought for her private life in years. Suddenly sharing a small, confined space with a man—and such a strikingly handsome, masculine one at that—caused an inexplicable, fluttery surge of nervousness in her chest.
Normally, a wildcard candidate wouldn't require a high-level executive like her to handle the scouting personally. But for some reason, when Divya saw Rahul's face on that screen, she felt an overwhelming urge to talk to him face-to-face.
At that moment, Divya looked up and happened to meet Rahul's eyes in the elevator's mirrored wall. Her heart skipped a beat, accelerating rapidly.
The elevator doors pinged open, and Divya immediately stepped out, taking a deep, stabilizing breath.
Rahul followed her, holding his DJI camera. Seeing that she remained silent, he took the initiative to break the ice: "Miss Divya, where exactly is your company located?"
Divya didn't answer immediately. Instead, she pressed her key fob. A few spots away, a sleek, black Porsche Panamera flashed its headlights.
"It's not far. Right in the heart of the Siam Commercial District. Come, get in."
Although Divya's tone was still icy, her pace had unconsciously slowed down. Leading Rahul to the Porsche, she surprisingly reached out and thoughtfully opened the passenger door for him—a true display of 'Boss Lady' energy.
Rahul pointed to the camera in his hand and flashed her a brilliant smile. "Miss Divya, you don't mind if I record some of this, do you?"
Divya shook her head, her sharp eyes studying the gear. "Are you a vlogger?"
"That's right. A global travel vlogger," Rahul said smoothly.
"It's fine. Go ahead and film. It might even provide some good organic exposure for the brand."
As she spoke, Divya walked to the rear of the Panamera and popped the trunk, taking out a pair of comfortable flat shoes. Right in front of Rahul, she leaned against the bumper and began to unbuckle her towering designer heels.
Although Rahul was a gentleman and not a creep, seeing such a beautiful, elegant scene unfold right in front of him, he couldn't help but steal a few appreciative glances.
Suddenly, Divya, balancing on one high heel, lost her center of gravity. Her ankle twisted outward, and with a sharp gasp, she began to fall backward toward the hard concrete floor.
Seeing this, Rahul's Master-Level Combat reflexes kicked in. He lunged forward in a blur, his arm wrapping firmly around her waist to catch her before she hit the ground.
Divya fell naturally and heavily into Rahul's solid embrace.
At this moment, their posture was incredibly intimate. Pressed tightly against his chest, Divya was overwhelmed by the warm, intoxicating scent of a mature man. The physical contact caused the Ice Queen's heart to race wildly, and a deep, uncharacteristic flush spread across her cheeks before she even realized it.
"Are you okay?" Rahul asked, his voice low and steady.
Without waiting for an answer, Rahul smoothly scooped her up into a princess carry. Divya gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her to the open passenger door and gently placed her in the leather seat.
He knelt down, gently lifted her right foot, and slowly unbuckled and removed the remaining high heel.
"Your ankle is already swelling," Rahul noted, inspecting the slight discoloration. "I'm afraid you won't be able to drive with this."
Divya's face turned a deeper shade of crimson. Even her delicate earlobes were burning red.
"It's... it's okay..."
Her voice had completely lost the aloof, commanding edge of a billionaire CEO. She didn't dare to look Rahul in the eye, her gaze dropping to her lap as she whispered:
"Can... can you drive? Take me back to the office..."