I flashed a grin, just to see what he’d do. ‘Maybe. I might stick around till the new collection drops.‘
Ashton sat up straight, visibly annoyed. ‘You said one week. Now you’re talking six months?‘
I nodded. ‘Exactly.‘
He started jabbing at his phone.
‘What are you doing?‘ I asked, half–laughing.
“Texting the pilot. Booking the jet.‘
‘Relax. I was joking. No need to scramble a plane. I’ll be back before you know it.‘
He paused, clearly still unconvinced.
‘I mean it,‘ I said. ‘I’ll be home soon. The team here works fast, especially Fabrizio. We had a meeting this afternoon and blitzed through what would’ve taken a week anywhere else.‘
He still didn’t look thrilled, but at least he put the phone down.
I took that as a win.
‘How was your day?‘ I asked, stifling a yawn.
Then came the business jargon. Terms like ‘synergy‘, ‘pipeline optimisation‘, ‘strategic pain points‘.
My eyes glazed over before he even finished the second sentence.
A minute in, I was halfway down the headboard, struggling to keep upright.
Ashton’s voice dipped, suddenly rougher. “Tilt the phone down.‘
I obeyed, eyes half–shut. ‘Why?‘
He didn’t answer.
I cracked my eyes open, followed his gaze… and saw the collar of my nightshirt gaping open.
‘Pervert,‘ I muttered, rolling my eyes as I yanked the phone back up.
He made a grumbling noise of protest.
‘I’m going to bed now. Night, Ash.‘
***
‘We’re hosting a small industry roundtable today,‘ Fabrizio said the next morning as I met him in his office. ‘Interested?‘
‘I can come?‘
I’d heard about it.
Invitation–only, hosted by the French jewellery guild, and crawling with senior designers from the big
houses.
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‘Of course,‘ Fabrizio said with a smile.
By now, I’d built up some immunity to that smile.
My pulse no longer stuttered every time he flashed it in my direction.
Not that I was into him.
It was just… I mean, if Channing Tatum smiled at you like that, you’d melt a bit too, married or not.
Anyway, Fabrizio led me to a grand convention hall where the event was being held.
He told me that on paper, it was a friendly networking session.
In reality, it was a silent bloodbath.
No one made eye contact unless they were issuing a challenge.
Valmont & Cie usually hosted.
Today was no different.
“I don’t normally bother with these things,‘ Fabrizio said as we approached the door. But I figured you might want to see how the locals play.’
‘I do. Thanks for the invite.‘
Inside, about a dozen designers were already seated in little clusters.
Just before we reached the door, a man’s voice drifted out.
‘Valmont’s autumn–winter line is going to flop.‘
Fabrizio stopped mid–step.
The glass panel offered a perfect view of the speaker.
He was blond, narrow–shouldered, and wearing a scarf indoors like it proved something,
Another voice chimed in. “They’ve been slipping for years. Last year’s launch was a disaster, and this one looks even worse.‘
A third snorted. ‘Heard Marchetti’s wrecking the place. Half the team’s already jumped ship‘
‘Can’t wait to watch it implode.‘
I risked a glance at Fabrizio.
He didn’t pretend not to hear.
Still, his face stayed calm, composed, every line held in place.
That kind of self–control was something I admired about him.
“The one running his mouth is Jean–Baptiste,‘ he said, nodding at the scarf–wearer. ‘Used to be a senior designer with us. Quit last year. Made a mess of it.‘
‘Mess how?‘
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‘Poached a few team members and set up shop on his own. Been milking the Valmont name ever since. He actually stole a project from us last month.‘
I thought of Nyx Collective and Violet Lin.
Not quite the same, but close enough to sting.
Fabrizio looked tired for a second, suddenly showing all thirty–six years of his age.
‘Valmont looks okay from the outside, but we’re under pressure. High turnover, shrinking margins, investors breathing down my neck. To be honest, I wasn’t confident about the autumn–winter launch. That’s why I reached out to you.‘
Well. That explained a lot.
He must’ve caught something in my expression because he added, ‘I’m not trying to guilt you. Just giving context. Anyway, forget them. All talk. Let’s go in.‘
‘Alright.
We stepped inside.
Jean–Baptiste clocked Fabrizio immediately.
He leaned over and said something to the man beside him.
The other one looked at me, leaned in, and muttered in French, “That’s her? The new girl from Skyline? She looks twenty. Other than a pretty face, what the hell does she have?‘
‘Probably doesn’t speak a word of French. Don’t know what she’s doing here.‘
They didn’t bother lowering their voices.
I walked straight up to Jean–Baptiste and stopped so close he couldn’t ignore me.
‘My French is crap,‘ I said, ‘but I understand enough. So thanks for calling me young and pretty. As for the rest… this job isn’t about age or face. It’s about the work. And you haven’t seen mine.‘
His mouth twitched.
The smug tilt in his shoulders vanished.
He sat up straighter.
‘You are-‘ he began.
I walked off.
I took a seat beside Fabrizio just as the host stepped onstage.
The room hushed at once.
Each brand was supposed to present its current concept and sneak peeks of its latest pieces.
Except no one was foolish enough to show their best cards.
Most of the presentations were padded with outdated slides, recycled mock–ups, and vague design
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buzzwords.
Still, I took notes.
It was my first roundtable, and there was plenty to learn
Eventually, Valmont’s rep got up.
He wasn’t a designer, more of a polished corporate type.
Everyone expected the usual recycled pitch.
Then he clicked past the title slide.
‘Autumn/Winter 2025 – Lead Designer: Mirabelle Vance lit up the screen.
I was surprised. ‘Wait. I thought we were doing a collaboration. A team effort.‘
‘We are,‘ Fabrizio said. ‘But you’ve seen what my team had before you arrived. We’d need to rebuild it from the ground up. Might as well go all in with your work. Faster, better. And you deserve the credit.‘
Wow, Fabrizio had just given me a massive responsibility.
Also taken a massive risk himself.
It was like asking an Apple intern to design the next iPhone OS.
Chapter 245 Surprise Cuest
Chapter 245 Surprise Guest
