CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX – CULT OF PERSONALITY

When morning finally broke, casting the world in a pale, watery light, Jasmine felt as though she had been through a battle – battered and bruised, but ultimately triumphant in her resolve. As she emerged from her quarters, she was greeted by a scene of subdued chaos. The other women milled about the main foyer, their usual poise and grace replaced by a palpable air of tension and unease. At the center of the maelstrom stood Isabelle and Katrina, the two artists locked in a heated exchange, their voices carrying the sharp edge of barely-contained animosity. "You think you can just waltz in here and steal my spotlight?" Isabelle hissed, her raven tresses swinging wildly as she advanced upon the smaller woman. "I've worked too damn hard, sacrificed too much to have it all taken away by some wide-eyed little ingenue like you!" Katrina, for her part, refused to be cowed, her delicate features hardening into a mask of defiance. "Don't try to play the victim with me, Isabelle. We both kn