Chapter 23
“You’re in a pretty good mood today!” Lilian leaned over the moment Jessica arrived at her desk. She had noticed the latter’s rosy cheeks.
“Am I? Is it that obvious?” Jessica chuckled.
Couldn’t rosy cheeks also be from being smacked?
“The other day, I saw Derrick waiting for you at the company entrance with flowers. Did he propose to you?” Lilian was eager for some gossip, catching Jessica off guard.
“Derrick? He’s not worthy.” Jessica scoffed. She revealed everything about Derrick and Celine to Lilian, who froze in shock, a cold sweat forming on her brow.
Those two really did make quite a pair.
“So, where are you living now? Give me an address so I don’t have to worry,” Lilian said as she tidied up her design drafts.
Jessica couldn’t exactly say that she was living with Zachary. So, she simply said, “I’m just staying at a friend’s place for now. I’ll let you know once I settle somewhere.”
Jessica hadn’t breathed a single word about her marriage.
Lilian said, “I heard that we need to leave two days early for Fashion Week in Sylvaria. Are you ready?”
Jessica jolted in surprise. She had completely forgotten about it.
Fashion Week in Sylvaria was an event that drew designers from all around the world. It would be an enormous opportunity for her to connect with any established names.
Just then, Eric approached with a folder. “Ms. Lockman, let’s go. Mr. Jones wants to discuss Fashion Week with us.”
“Right now?” Jessica asked.
“Yes.” Eric nodded.
“Alright.” She tidied up her things. She couldn’t help but feel uneasy as she went up to the 30th floor.
“Don’t be so nervous,” Eric reassured her when he noticed her tense expression.
He said, “Mr. Jones might look hard to approach, but he’s actually quite gentle and easy to talk to. As long as you don’t mess up badly, he won’t give you a hard time.”
She wondered if that was indeed the case. That night, she hadn’t seen a trace of gentleness in
him. He was clearly nothing but a beast.
Jessica smiled faintly, nodded, and said nothing.
After Eric knocked on the door, Zachary called from inside. “Come in.”
He was sitting on the couch, with his glasses hanging lazily on the bridge of his nose. Several documents lay on the coffee table, and his brows were deeply furrowed, as if he were
grappling with a complex problem.
The pen in his hand hovered over the file, keeping still.
“Mr. Jones,” Eric said.
“Sit,” Zachary curtly said without looking up.
Eric and Jessica sat across from him.
“There are two dossiers here. Take a look,” Zachary said. Then, Joshua handed each of them a
file.
Jessica flipped through hers and didn’t notice anything unusual about it. However, her eyes stopped at the words “Madame Mayhem”.
“Zach-Mr. Jones…” She almost blurted out his name familiarly.
“Yes?” Zachary suddenly lifted his gaze and locked eyes with her. For a moment, it was as
though Jessica was staring at a stranger.
“This Madame Mayhem…” Jessica was a little puzzled.
“All the pieces showcased at Fashion Week were from renowned designers, but Madame Mayhem had submitted her work anonymously. Others rejected her work, but I want her information. I want to invite her to be an external designer next year,” Zachary said as he placed another stack of documents before them.
Eric and Jessica began discussing things quietly, which was perfectly normal. However, Zachary’s expression darkened, and his cold gaze fixed on Jessica.
The moment their eyes met, Jessica quickly leaned back, putting some distance between her
and Eric.
Zachary’s gaze was so sharp that Jessica almost felt a chill crawl down her spine.
Eric didn’t notice anything off about it. After all, Zachary’s demeanor was always like this. Eric picked up half the documents Zachary had passed over and gave the rest to Jessica.
Meanwhile, Joshua pulled up a popular designer website on his phone and placed it on the table. “It’s this person, but none of the websites have her contact information.”
Jessica picked up the phone. The profile picture was painfully familiar, as were the sketches uploaded there. She forced an awkward smile as she hastily put the phone down.
