“What?! How dare he?!” I stared in disbelief.
As the Head of Design, Gabriel had final approval on every piece our company created.
With everything destroyed, next quarter’s collection might not launch on schedule.
No wonder he was so cocky about leaving.
My assistant nervously dabbed sweat from her forehead. “Ms. Gray, should we…. maybe ask him to come back?”
I slammed my hand on the desk. “I never go back on my word. Begging him to return is exactly what he wants.”
“We’ll deal with next quarter’s collection later. Right now, the Saint Vivienne show is our priority.”
“But the designs…” my assistant’s voice trailed off anxiously.
Looking at my computer screen, I smiled. “I have a plan.”
Two weeks later, the Saint Vivienne fashion show proceeded as scheduled.
When I appeared for the finale wearing a light pink satin gown, every eye in the room fixed on my neck–on the necklace composed of seventeen pink
diamonds.
Intricate lacework patterns created from tiny white diamonds surrounded a stunning 6–carat pink diamond centerpiece.
It complemented the luxurious gown perfectly while still allowing the jewelry to shine in its own right.
After a moment of stunned silence, the audience erupted into thunderous applause. Camera flashes went off non–stop.
Unedited photos leaked by fashion journalists and influencers immediately created a sensation online.
By the time I returned to the dressing room and checked my phone, the necklace had claimed the top three trending spots.
The comments section was exploding:
[SO DAZZLING!!! Is this the power of 17 pink diamonds?!]
[Forget the sparkle–did anyone notice the model is the actual heiress of So’She Jewelry? ACTUAL HEIRESS wearing her own gems!]
[Pink diamonds have a 0.01% mining rate, yet she casually wears 17 at once…]
[And the center stone is 6 carats! That’s 2 carats bigger than Skylar’s!]
I smiled to myself and was just about to change when the door burst open.
“Sonia! Where did you get that design without me?”
“When I asked for a 6–carat centerpiece, you said none existed. You lied to me?!”
Gabriel stood there, face flushed with rage.
I leaned back in my chair, utterly composed:
“With So’She’s massive inventory, it’s normal I couldn’t remember every stone.”
“I told you, Mr. Great Designer, you’re not the only talented person in this world. With my family’s resources, I can find all the talent I need.
“Besides, if you hadn’t vacated your position, I might never have discovered the genius hiding within our own company!”
Just as I finished speaking, a young man in his early twenties squeezed past Gabriel, carrying a stack of sketches, and respectfully placed them m my hands.
い
Chapter 2
“Ms. Gray, these are the design concepts for next quarter’s collection for your review.”
The moment he looked up, Gabriel’s eyes widened in shock:
“You?!”
