The city buzzed with the kind of energy that only came when something big was about to happen. The press was already abuzz with rumors about a huge scandal in the modeling competition, whispers of stolen designs and underhanded tactics that would leave the industry reeling.

Kim hadn’t yet realized how close the storm was. He was still lost in the plans he’d made with Riele, Jay, and Jane—focused on their next move, on how to root out the mole in their midst. He hadn’t yet pieced ...