Chapter 51
Five minutes before the show started, Jessica finally rushed back to her seat, slightly out of breath. Most of the guests had already arrived. She nodded quickly at Zachary as she took her
seat.
He glanced at the light sheen of sweat on her forehead, then pulled out a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed her one.
“Thanks.”
He didn’t respond, but simply leaned back in his seat and casually draped an arm around her
lower back.
Jessica turned her head to look at him, surprised by his bold move. It was no wonder their seats were tucked away at the end of the row. It had clearly been his idea.
With his broad frame, Zachary easily blocked her from view, shielding her from the others as he pulled her to his side.
She leaned back, pressing his hand against the seat to pin it in place. He smirked, then gave her waist a firm squeeze.
Caught off guard, she let out a startled sound and quickly covered it up with a fake cough, just in case anyone noticed. Her cheeks flushed again, and the sweat he had just wiped away crept
back to the surface.
“Mr. Jones, please behave,” Jessica whispered under her breath, side–eyeing him.
Zachary grinned and said nothing more, his arm lingering around her.
As she let out a sigh, her eyes suddenly locked with a pair of striking ones across the room. The woman staring at her had a kind of familiar intensity in her gaze.
Her almond–shaped eyes didn’t waver, but locked onto Jessica with a quiet sharpness.
She was undoubtedly stunning. With long, brown hair, she wore a tailored, cropped designer jacket layered over a white cashmere turtleneck, completed with a pair of fitted jeans and tall boots.
She exuded an effortless but elegant confidence.
Jessica found herself staring back, dazed by the silent energy the woman carried. Then, the woman curled her lips into a half–provocative, half–envious smile.
A chill ran down Jessica’s spine.
She turned to Zachary, ready to ask who she was, but paused when she caught his reaction. His
Chapter 51
usually cool gaze flicked across the room, landed briefly on the woman, and then just as quickly, he looked away.
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That flash of recognition was all she needed. They had to know each other. From the look in that woman’s eyes, this wasn’t some harmless connection.
That said, Zachary clearly had no intention of entertaining it.
The runway show soon commenced.
Zachary finally understood Jessica’s repeated questions from the night before. The first model to step out was none other than Shirley, who had a classic runway face–expressionless yet confident with her every step.
Slowly, he shifted his gaze to Jessica. For the first time, he realized he didn’t really know her.
Her friend, Elsa, was probably the highly sought–after designer in the fashion world. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
He had thought it was just someone with the same name. Of course, he had heard of Elsa- anyone in the industry had–but he rarely paid attention to media photos or bothered putting
faces to names.
To his pleasant surprise, he had met such a prestigious talent in person.
Jonest had only been around for two years, yet it had somehow clawed its way to the top of the industry, mostly thanks to Jessica and her circle of young, brilliant designers.
To be fair, they never had a big–name designer to anchor the brand. Now, the company was
hitting a plateau.
If they didn’t find a way to break through—with a standout designer–they might not survive
the next industry cycle.
Jessica’s gaze followed Shirley’s elegant figure down the runway, then landed on a foreign model wearing one of the newer spring looks. The former’s expression changed.
Her eyes lost focus, her lips pressing into a thin line. The usual clarity in her eyes clouded over, like a film of mist had settled.
Zachary, on the other hand, studied the design with sharp focus.
It had a crisp white, semi–high collar blouse with a striking emerald green stripe cutting diagonally from the shoulder to the waist. The cuffs and collar were lined with the same green detailing, while the puffed sleeves cinched at the wrist, adding a structured elegance.
Jessica withdrew her gaze. “That one’s by Madame Mayhem.”
“I wonder if she’s here today.”
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Zachary’s attention remained on the runway, but he tilted his head over to listen to her. From a distance, they looked like two lovers, whispering secrets to each other.
“She should be. It’s her first time being invited to Fashion Week. It means a lot to her,” she said, wearing a stiff smile.
In that split second, she locked gazes with that same pair of sharp eyes from across the room. This time, the woman’s gaze was soft, so tender that it was weirdly eerie.
“Mr. Jones, why don’t you remove your arm? I don’t feel so comfortable sitting, like this.”
Jessica didn’t want to be stared at like that. It felt like she was about to be devoured at any
moment.
Chapter 52
