“I was so nervous at the time, but once I calmed down, I actually felt pretty proud.” Zachary’s ears flushed red. Even when he was riding high on aplishment, he could never say it outright–if anything, he always seemed a little embarrassed.
“That’s great. You should be more confident. After all, you’re Father Xander’s star pupil–no one would ever say you fall short.”
Zachary rubbed his nose, still unable to respond naturally to such direct praise.
“By the way, your friend–isn’t she the designer that Liam just started endorsing?”
“Yeah. It’s actually the first official endorsement deal he’s ever done.”
Zachary let out a long breath. “Finally, his hard work is paying off. Lessie, you’re honestly incredible.”
“You’re all just as good,” she replied, which was as close as she’d evere to openly epting Zachary’spliment.
He ruffled her hair, a smile tugging at his lips.
He knew he had to work even harder now–he couldn’t let Lessie down after all the
chances she’d given him.
Day after day, life pushed on. Some students went to ss as usual; others were caught up in the whirlwind of cases, barely seeing daylight. <i>Some </i>dashed between meetings and interviews, while each chased after their own goals, carving out their own piece of the world.
And atst, the long–awaitedunch event arrived.
As the designer, Queenie would, of course, be front and center.
Alessia and Penny Sullivan, the founders of A&P, kept a low profile and didn’t appear onstage. Instead, Vera attended as their representative, while Alessia herself slipped in as Queenie’s friend, quietly watching the proceedings from the
audience.
People filtered in, one after another. Across the crowd, Vera spotted her, gave a subtle nod, and waved in greeting.
Alessia nodded back, the two exchanging nces before looking away in perfect understanding. It was just then that Liam arrived, with Lillian White by his side.
Sitting in a tucked–away corner, Alessia went unnoticed by them as staff ushered
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Liam and Lillian to their front–row seats.
Onstage, banners disyed Liam and another actress, both wearing the very jewelry pieces debuting at theunch.
More guests found their seats as camera shes flickered throughout the room, though no one worried about leaked photos. At an event like this, only selected shots would be released for publicity.
The lights began to dim. A hush settled over the room as the live broadcast started. A spotlight found Queenie. Dressed in a sleek white gown that shimmered softly under the lights, she looked breathtaking–her figure and poise impossible to ignore. She bowed gracefully, stunning the audience.
“Queenie just keeps raising the bar! Oh my god, who can rte?”
“I want to look like that in my next life!”
“She’s gorgeous, but she’s not just a pretty face. She’s so talented–how is that even fair?”
Thement feed exploded on Alessia’s phone; she nced up from the screen, eyes drawn to the stage.
Perhaps sensing Alessia’s gaze, Queenie looked over, still speaking confidently about the inspiration behind her new collection, but now with an even brighter
smile.
“Her beauty is lethal! Who’s she smiling at? I need to know everything about that person–right now!”
“That face is a national treasure!”
“There are so many rich women in the world–why can’t I be one? This collection is amazing, and the pieces look stunning!”
“Wait, is that seat next to her… is that Liam?”
As the camera panned over, the front row, eagle–eyed fans quickly chimed in.
“What? Liam’s here? I love a power duo!”
“This is it, I’m already imagining a whole novel about them.”
“Thanks for the invite, I’m officially stealing Queenie for myself. Beauty unmatched.”
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“Excuse me, but I’m taking my favorite guy home! If it wasn’t for my Liam
endorsing, who would even care?”
“Then just leave, no one’s stopping you. Like you could even afford this collection!”