The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 51

The next morning.

Maloney drove Nora to her studio.

They had agreed not to stay up late, but things had stretched past two in the morning.

Exhausted, Nora curled up in the passenger seat to catch a few extra minutes of sleep.

Upon arriving at the studio, Maloney didn't leave immediately. He grabbed breakfast nearby and sat with her in the office to eat.

Nora finished a bowl of oatmeal and a breakfast pastry. Feeling full, she set down her fork, picked up her coffee, and asked, "Aren't you going to the office?"

"It's Saturday," Maloney replied casually.

"Oh, right." Nora chewed on her coffee stirrer. "Jasmine is coming over later."

"You do your thing. I'll just sit here for a bit."

"Okay."

After breakfast, Nora headed into her workspace.

The workspace had glass walls. Since she hadn't drawn the blinds, Maloney could see her every move clearly from the outside.

Leaning over the large drafting table, Nora's pencil glided effortlessly across the paper.

Maloney's gaze was dark and predatory.

Normally, she would have shrunk back shyly under such scrutiny.

But work was the exception. She was entirely in her element, completely oblivious to the outside world.

She had been the exact same way when studying.

Even if someone stood right in front of her to mock her, she would still manage to finish a reading comprehension question without missing a beat.

She used to say that academics were her only way out.

So she had studied as if her life depended on it.

And her grades had been spectacular.

Years ago, she had scored at the top of the city and been admitted to the prestigious Empire State School of Law.

She was a law student.

Once in college, she had minored in fashion design.

She called it a balance: half career, half passion.

During the spring of her freshman year, she casually entered The Golden Needle Awards with a few upperclassmen, just for the experience.

To everyone's shock, she won gold.

The international committee sent her an invitation to the award ceremony in London.

It was her first time traveling abroad.

Using the excuse of expanding his overseas market, Maloney had secretly followed her there.

He even pulled some strings to get a ticket to the ceremony.

He had wanted to see her shining on stage.

But after a long flight, the first thing that hit her wasn't the glory of the gold medal, but a crushing wave of skepticism.

While the competition wasn't the absolute pinnacle of global fashion, it was highly respected for uncovering new talent.

It was the perfect launchpad for young designers.

And Nora? She was an outsider—a freshman who didn't even major in fashion. Why should she win gold?

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