Chapter 95
The light in the living room was bright, but the balcony felt like the line where light ended and
shadow began.
Sebastian’s tall frame stood quietly in the dim light.
No one knew he had meant what he said.
Valeria arrived at work a bit late today. L&M Design Studio had flexible working hours, but with the year ending and evaluations coming up, everyone had started pushing harder.
She sat down at her desk. Her computer had broken down a few days ago, and the repairman hadn’t fixed it yet, so she pulled out her tablet.
She hadn’t even taken her coat off before the weekly meeting began. It was the same fixed routine as always. After it ended, Sabrina called her over.
She asked Valeria to take a private order. It was a custom gown and due in two weeks.
Sabrina offered a fair price, and Valeria nodded, agreeing to it.
“Okay, I’ll send you the specific requirements,” Sabrina said.
Valeria had just returned to her desk after leaving the meeting room. She hadn’t even warmed her seat when her phone rang.
Nathan asked her to come to his office.
Inside, the brand representative from the client side, Percy Adkins, had arrived to discuss ideas for next season’s designs.
lit
Percy was a middle-aged man. He glanced at Valeria, and his eyes up instantly. After chatting a bit, he asked to add her private number on WhatsApp.
Valeria hesitated. It wasn’t unusual for a brand representative to exchange contact information with the designer. But she felt uneasy about Percy. The way he looked at her was unsettling.
Nathan stood up and suggested making a group chat for the three of them to talk in.
Valeria shot him a grateful look.
To her, Nathan wasn’t like other bosses. He didn’t talk in circles and always looked out for his staff. He didn’t make them guess what he wanted and never forced any of them to drink for work
Although L&M Design Studio wasn’t a big company, Nathan’s name carried weight. He was a rich heir from high society who started his own business.
Investing in the company was just a casual move for him. He owned several subsidiaries and only showed up at Valeria’s company once a week.
Back then, Valeria had sent out tons of resumes, but they all got rejected. Only Nathan gave her a shot. He called her in and even interviewed her himself.
Valeria had always been thankful for that.
After some discussion, Nathan’s assistant came in and took Percy to the design department.
Valeria was about to leave, too, but she still needed Nathan to check some sketches.
At that moment, Nathan’s phone rang. He glanced apologetically at her, then answered.
The office was small, and Valeria was standing nearby with only a desk separating them. She could hear a man’s voice on the other end clearly.
“Nate, what’s going on? We heard you’re messing around in someone’s relationship, playing the other man?”
“Let go, man. Stop spiraling any further!”
“Mark’s new bar is having its soft opening tonight. Remember to come and show your
support. Sabrina’s in your company, right? Bring her along too!”
“Nate, tell us what kind of woman you like. If you were just trying to win someone over under normal circumstances, we’d have your back.
“But she’s married and has a kid. It’s not right to wreck a marriage.”
Nathan frowned. “What are you even talking about?”
Valeria stood to the side, feeling absolutely awkward listening in.
These rich heirs were way too wild. She had always thought Nathan seemed like a serious man.
He looked decent and sharp, not the kind of man who could stun at first glance. But he the air of someone capable, mature, and put-together.
gave off
At that moment, Valeria suddenly felt like looks could lie. She never would have guessed he would stoop so low as to interfere in someone else’s marriage.
She lowered her head. She wanted to leave, but thought it would be too obvious right now.
Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. He figured his friends were just joking around, so he scolded them with a grin and said he would see them tonight. Then he hung up.
He gave Valeria an apologetic smile.
Valeria felt awkward after hearing so much gossip. She didn’t stay in the office long and left
soon after.
Once she stepped out, she let out a sigh of relief.
Later that evening, after she finished her work, she checked her phone and saw a message
from Sabrina.
Valeria added Sabrina’s assistant’s contact to discuss the details.
She learned that the dress would be needed for a concert happening in two weeks to match the stage visual. It was to be an elegant, white, swan-inspired style gown.
The assistant, Jordan Moss, said, “Ms. Dale is currently out of the country. She’ll be back in
about a week.”
