Chapter 2

The flash of a camera was the only thing brighter than the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the Grand Hyatt Erawan’s ballroom.

​Lena Schuett didn’t blink. She was trained not to. She simply tilted her chin down three degrees-her best angle-and let the photographers fight for the shot.

​”Khun Lena! Khun Lena, look here!”

​”Over here, Khun Lena! Is it true the Schuett Group is acquiring a French laboratory?”

​Lena ignored the questions with a practiced, bored elegance. She adjusted the strap of her sparkling silver dress, a custom piece that cost more than most people’s cars, and turned to the person hovering nervously at her elbow.

​”Nut,” she snapped, not loud, but sharp enough to cut through the ambient noise of clinking champagne glasses.

​A young man in an ill-fitting suit scrambled forward, nearly dropping an iPad. “Yes, Khun Lena?”

​”My champagne is warm,” Lena said, holding out the half-full flute as if it were contaminated waste. “And tell the organizer that if they seat me next to Neen again, I will personally ensure their agency never works for a Schuett event as long as I live.”

​”Right away, Khun Lena. I’ll get you a fresh glass. And I’ll speak to the seating coordinator,” Nut stammered, taking the glass with trembling hands.

​”Also,” Lena added, scrolling through her phone without looking at him. “Why is my sister calling me? I have five missed calls. Did you tell her I’m at the charity gala?”

​Nut swallowed hard. “Khun Pim… she’s been trying to reach you all afternoon, Khun Lena. She said it’s urgent regarding the quarterly budget reviews.”

​Lena rolled her eyes, a gesture that was somehow still photogenic. “Budget reviews. God, she’s such a bore. Tell her I’m busy saving the rainforests or whatever this charity is for. I’ll call her tomorrow.”

​”She… she said if you don’t pick up, she’s cutting your supplementary card.”

​Lena stopped scrolling. Her thumb hovered over a picture of herself on Instagram that had already garnered ten thousand likes in twenty minutes. She looked up at Nut, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

​”She wouldn’t dare.”

​”She sounded very serious, Khun Lena.”

​”She’s always serious. That’s her problem. She needs a boyfriend. Or a hobby. Or a soul.” Lena scoffed, snatching a new glass of champagne from a passing waiter herself since Nut was too slow. “I’m not dealing with Pim’s drama tonight. Tonight is about me.”

​She turned back to the runway, where the models were beginning their final walk. Lena Schuett was twenty-six years old, beautiful, and the youngest heiress to the premier cosmetic exporter in Southeast Asia. At twenty-six, she should have been managing a division, but she preferred managing her social calendar. The world was her playground, and everyone else was just staff.

​She spotted her friends, Gigi and Proud, waving frantically from the VIP section across the aisle. Gigi was pointing at her own nails, mouthing something that looked like “After party?”

​Lena smirked and winked. Of course there was an after-party. There was always an after-party.

​She took a sip of the cold champagne, feeling the familiar buzz of adoration and alcohol. Life was perfect. She was untouchable.

​Her phone buzzed in her clutch. Not a call this time. A text.

​Sender: Pim (The Dictator)

Pick up the phone, Lena. Or don’t. But if you’re not in my office by 8:00 AM tomorrow, don’t bother coming home. The locks will be changed.

​Lena stared at the screen. The smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she shoved the phone back into her bag.

​”Nut!” she called out again, turning her back on the runway.

​”Yes, Khun Lena?”

​”Get the car ready. We’re leaving early.”

​”To the office, Khun Lena?” Nut asked hopefully.

​Lena looked at him like he had grown a second head. “To the club, you idiot. If my sister wants to ruin my morning, I might as well enjoy my night.”

​She swept out of the ballroom, leaving a trail of expensive perfume and flashing cameras in her wake, completely unaware that this was the last night of freedom she would taste for a very, very long time.

Author’s Note:
And with that… Quality Control has officially begun! ✨
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There’s plenty more banter, chemistry, and chaos waiting ahead, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. 😉
See you in the next chapter! ❤️