ANMELDENEllie's P.O.V.“Are you alright?”The moment Zack doubled over coughing, I rushed to the sideboard. My fingers wrapped around the nearest glass of water before I hurried back.“Here. Drink this.”He accepted the glass without looking at me.After taking several slow sips, his coughing gradually subsided. He exhaled before placing the half-empty glass on the desk.Then he looked at me.“You were saying?”I straightened my shoulders. If Zack believed me, that was great. If he didn't, at least I had finally told the truth.“I worked for Walton Lux for two years,” I repeated, louder this time. “As I know their standards, I can design dresses that match them.”Then I braced myself for laughter or being dismissed for lying. I didn’t have any employment proof, so if he didn’t believe me, it would be only fair.However, Zack didn’t say anything immediately.He placed the glass down and strode toward me in three long steps. Before I could react, his hands landed firmly on my shoulders.His amb
Ellie's P.O.V.I stood frozen where I was while Zack glared at me from across the room. His chest rose and fell with restrained anger.“Why can't you just listen?”His voice raised an octave."I sent you to one damn board meeting, and you turned it into a battlefield."He threw the file on the table again.“Why? Who asked you to play the hero there?”My heart hammered like a frantic drum. I'd never seen this side of Zack before. He had teased me, mocked me, and even uttered cruel words. But he never raised his voice on me.My voice quivered.“I thought…”The words barely left my mouth before he cut me off.“You thought what?”He stepped around the desk, his polished shoes echoing against the wooden floor as he walked toward me.“That humiliating your ex in front of the board would solve everything? Or that one dramatic speech would magically fix years of problems?”His laugh was cold.“This isn't some high school argument, Ellie. This is business.”Zack’s words stung more than I wante
Ellie's P.O.V.My question hung in the conference room like a thunderclap.I folded my hands neatly on the polished conference table, keeping my face calm despite the satisfaction blooming inside me.‘Go on, Jared. Show them the designs I never gave you.’Jared's confident smile faltered for the briefest second before he recovered.“My previous collections have been among Walton Lux's best-selling lines. My work speaks for itself.”His work?A familiar bitterness settled in my chest.For two years, those collections had begun in my sketchbook. I had celebrated their success beside him, believing we were building our future together.Now he stood there claiming those achievements as his alone?Not anymore!I smiled professionally. “That is true, Mr. Jared. But business doesn't operate on promises. We operate on facts.”I looked around the long conference table.“Gentlemen, every one of you has invested your trust, your reputation, and your money into Walton Lux. Yet none of us knows wh
Ellie's P.O.V.“Is there someone at Walton Lux you're trying to avoid, Ellie? A person from your past with bad intentions?”Even after leaving White Mansion, Zack’s question refused to leave my mind.As the driver steered the car through the afternoon traffic, I stared out the window without really seeing anything.Jared… Could he really become one of those people?After spending an entire morning reading horrifying reports about obsessed ex-fiancés, stalkers, acid attacks, and murderers, my imagination had become far too active.For one ridiculous second, I actually pictured Jared hiding behind a tree with a knife.I snorted.“No.”I shook my head immediately.Jared wasn't a psychopath. If anything, he had made one thing painfully clear. He didn't give a damn about me anymore.He had Alice now. His only concern was making sure I never asked for what belonged to me again.I sighed and glanced down at myself.Instead of the simple blouse I'd worn that morning, I was now dressed in the
Ellie's P.O.V.“Gosh, why does the office start at 07:30?”Muttering under my breath, I straightened my olive-green blouse for what felt like the tenth time.Waking up early wasn't my strength, and from today, I have to wake up early for the next five years. This alone was enough to make me nervous.It was my first day at work, not exactly the glamorous return to the fashion industry I had imagined. Instead of becoming a famous designer, I was about to start my career as a data entry employee because of one ridiculously expensive vase. Life could be unpredictable in many ways. I slipped into my cream trousers, tied my hair into a neat ponytail, and studied myself in the mirror.“Presentable enough.”It wasn't the outfit I wanted, but it was the best one I had left.Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.The grandfather clock in the hallway had just struck seven.Perfect.If traffic wasn't terrible, I should reach Walton Lux before seven-thirty.As soon as I s
Ellie's P.O.V.“How dare I think my life could be simple?”I groaned as I marched down the hallway of White Mansion, the employment contract clenched in my hand.One disaster ended and another one immediately took its place. How could I even think Zack’s offer would be in my favor?My patience had completely run out by the time I reached the study. I pushed the door open without knocking.“Five years?” I demanded. “Are you out of your mind?”Zack slowly lifted his head from the documents spread across his desk. His amber eyes met mine without the slightest hint of panic.“Excuse me?”I walked straight toward his desk and dropped the contract in front of him.“Why should I sign a contract for five years just to pay for a damn vase?”He frowned in genuine confusion.“You will work as a basic data entry employee with a twenty-dollar-per-hour salary.”He leaned back in his chair.“If you pick up extra hours, you'll make around fifty thousand dollars a year. You'll need to work for ten yea
Zack’s P.O.V. The Hunt family sent a bride to the White mansion? That matter alone was suspicious! I leaned back in my chair, fingers resting lightly against the armchair as the city stretched beneath the glass office of my house. Quiet and controlled, unlike the situation of this arrang
Ellie’s P.O.V. Exhaling sharply, I turned. Zack stood a few steps away, one hand in his pocket, the other loosely holding his phone. There wasn’t a speck of concern on his face. His keen gaze moved over my face, scanning me, as he added casually. “I came to visit Dad. Didn’t realize I had wa
Ellie’s P.O.V. “Leave? No!” I blurted out before I could organize my thoughts. “Dad, please. Grandma is dead. I don’t have anywhere to go…” But my dad didn’t even let me finish. “You should have thought about it before, Ellie.” His face darkened with fury. “Do you have any idea what you have
Ellie’s P.O.V. The first whisper didn’t reach me. It brushed past me like wind, disappearing under the soft melody of violins and the scent of flowers decorating the grand hall. But the second whisper lingered. And then the third one… grew teeth. “…did you see that?” “…is that really her?” “…p







