Chapter 14
“Yes! I’ve admired you since high school. You’ve always been my idol!” Reese’s eyes shone with unguarded admiration as she looked at Shea. “It was because of you that I first got into design.
Shea had never realized her longtime assistant had been such a devoted fan.
“So I’m not afraid of hardship or the unknown,” Reese continued earnestly. “I just want to work with you. Shea, I believe in you!”
“Thank you.” Shea was deeply touched, momentarily at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected anyone to have looked up to her since high school. “Reese, we’ll succeed together.”
Reese’s face lit up at Shea’s words. To her, it felt like Shea had welcomed her as a true confidante.
“Yes! We absolutely will!”
After Reese left the office, Shea’s determination to launch her own venture only grew stronger.
What had once been a fleeting thought had now solidified into a concrete plan that she was determined to see through.
Reese trusted her implicitly, and she couldn’t bear to let her down.
“I need to build up enough capital before leaving Carrington Group,” Shea murmured to herself.
With that, she pulled out her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and tapped on a familiar name.
The call connected almost instantly.
Before the other person could speak, Shea spoke first. “Nolan, do you have any clients lately? I’ve got quite a bit of free time these days.”
The voice on the other end immediately brightened with excitement.
“Some might not, but you, Elios, definitely have clients waiting!” Nolan said eagerly. ” Appointments with you are booked solid all the way until the year after next!”
Shea froze. “That many?”
“You bet!” Nolan nodded vigorously. “It’s a shame you used to limit yourself to just one commission a month, or I would have called you sooner! You have no idea how popular your embroidery has become.
And that’s even after I restricted the queue. Otherwise, we’d probably be booked out for over a decade!”
Shea hadn’t expected this.
She’d known her embroidery would be well-received, but she never imagined it would be this popular.
“Well I was just too busy before” Shea cleared her throat nervously a hint of quilt in her voice
“Lately, I’ve actually got more free time. I can take on a few more orders.”
“That’s fantastic!” Nolan beamed. “How many orders can you handle at most? I’ll organize them for
you.”
Shea paused, thinking it over. “A dozen or so should be manageable.”
A dozen or so!
Good heavens!
Nolan was ecstatic. He’d expected Shea to take on only three or four orders at most.
But whenever things went unusually smooth, there was always a catch waiting around the corner.
“Elios, why are you suddenly so diligent? I’m not used to seeing this side of you.”
“I’ve got good news,” Shea said with a chuckle, a teasing lilt in her voice. “I got married. Yep, married someone, and somehow got a kid thrown in as a bonus. So, I guess I have to work a little
harder now, don’t I?”
So it was a man who was married. And a child she had to provide for…
Nolan couldn’t help picturing some greasy guy living off his wife.
“Elios… You didn’t get scammed, did you? What else would make you marry a freeloading guy?”
Nolan asked, his concern slipping into his tone.
Shea chuckled, about to explain, when she looked up and met a pair of deep, piercing eyes.
Because the speakerphone was on, Hansen heard everything crystal clear.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly hung up.
“My friend didn’t mean it like that…” she said nervously.
Seeing Shea’s flustered expression, Hansen let out a soft laugh. “Living off my wife isn’t so bad, is
it?”
“Huh?” Shea was momentarily stunned.
Hansen stepped inside. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to earn more money? Having someone support you isn’t so bad.”
Seeing Hansen’s unexpectedly lighthearted expression, Shea blinked in surprise and asked tentatively, “You’re not angry?”
Wouldn’t most men fly into a rage if someone called them a freeloader?
“Why would I be angry?” Hansen replied, standing before her, his lips curling into a faint smile. “If my dear wife wants to support me, I’d be delighted. And if work ever becomes too exhausting, I could always retire early and then…”
He leaned closer and whispered, “We could enjoy our married life to the fullest, you and I, Mrs.
Grant.”
The magnetic warmth of his words brushing against her ear made Shea flush instantly.
That mention of “married life” sounded rather improper.
Shea gently pushed Hansen away and quickly shifted the conversation. “Why are you here?”
“To pick up my wife after work, of course.”
Pick her up after work?
Shea blinked, then glanced at the wall clock and realized it was already 6:00 pm.
“It’s that late already…”
Through the glass, she noticed most of her colleagues had gone home.
“Then let’s go home.” She reached for her coat, ready to leave.
“Who said we’re going home?” Hansen raised an eyebrow. “Our marriage might’ve been rushed, but we should still have a little sense of ceremony.”
Shea blinked in surprise. “You mean…”
Hansen took her hand and led her outside. “Come on, let’s celebrate.”
Shea glanced at the man beside her, a soft warmth blooming in her chest.
She hadn’t expected this husband of convenience to have such a romantic side.
“Sure, my treat,” she said with a smile.
Hansen shot her a sidelong look, one brow arching. “Your husband can afford dinner.”
The unfamiliar word, “husband”, made her ears burn.
Soon, she was seated in Hansen’s car as it sped toward Ulta’s busiest district, finally stopping in front of a luxurious-looking restaurant.
At the sight of the place, Shea froze for a moment.
This wasn’t just any restaurant. It was Ulta’s most famous private chef’s establishment, renowned for its exorbitant prices and rumored connections to the Grant family.
A flicker of hesitation crossed her face. Before she could say anything, Hansen had already stepped out, circling around to open her door. He held it open with one hand against the frame, a small but deliberate gesture.
As Shea got out and saw him about to lead her inside, she quickly caught his arm. “Let’s go somewhere else. The food here’s pretty average.”
She doubted her husband of convenience had ever been here and likely had no idea how expensive it really was.
But before Hansen could say a word, a mocking voice sounded from behind Shea.
FC014
S
“Shea. When did you get so down on your luck?”
Shea frowned and turned around to find Aria standing there with her arms crossed, eyes full of
disdain.
Her gaze briefly flicked toward Hansen’s back before returning to Shea.
“What a bummer.” Shea’s lips twitched slightly as she muttered under her breath.
Of all places, how could she run into Aria here?
