The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 153

A week later, an uninvited guest arrived at the studio.

Nora sat at her desk, holding a pair of silver calipers, carefully measuring the dimensions of a loose emerald.

Sitting across from her, Janie Fisher was feeding discarded design sketches into a paper shredder.

The studio door was pushed open from the outside.

Sloane Miller, dressed in a burgundy power suit, led the way. Her face was plastered with a fawning smile, her body leaning slightly forward as she extended her right hand to guide their visitor.

"Ms. Hayes, right this way, please. The newest custom designs from our studio are in this display case here. Take your time."

Sloane made sure her voice was loud enough for everyone in the studio to hear.

Giselle walked in, stepping in limited-edition heels. She wore a pre-fall tweed jacket from Chanel and carried a rare-leather Hermes Birkin bag on her arm.

Several bodyguards tasked with carrying her things and holding her umbrella stopped outside the door. Under the watchful eyes of the studio assistants, Giselle strolled in with her chin held high.

Nora put down her calipers. She looked up, her gaze bypassing the computer monitor to land on the heavily escorted Giselle.

Sloane and a few other designers buzzed around Giselle like moths drawn to a flame.

"Ms. Hayes, this outfit compliments your complexion perfectly. Parisian fashion truly requires someone like you to pull it off."

"Oh, Sloane, you're exaggerating."

Giselle lifted a hand and shyly covered her smile, the massive pink diamond on her finger catching the light and blindingly refracting it.

"Nora, Ms. Hayes specifically came to see you. Why are you hiding back there?"

Sloane crossed her arms, her tone dripping with disdain for Nora.

Nora remained seated, her eyes calm as she looked between Giselle and Sloane.

"Sloane, I am solely responsible for this project. If you have objections, bring them up to Arthur at the weekly meeting. For now, please take your guest away from my desk and let me work."

Being publicly dismissed by Nora made Sloane's face turn ugly.

She opened her mouth to snap back, but Giselle raised a hand, stopping her.

Giselle crossed her arms over her chest. Watching Nora act so unfazed and unyielding made a nameless fury flare up inside her.

She had come here today specifically to pick a fight. She had been choking on her anger from the auction for an entire week.