The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 76

The only thing she knew for sure was that in a world determined to tear her down, Julian was one of the few people who actually treated her like a human being.

Meanwhile, the vibe at the atelier had undergone a bizarre mutation.

The junior designers who practically lived to roast her by the water cooler had suddenly, unanimously shut their mouths.

Whenever she walked into a room, the loud, catty whispers vanished. People actively looked away, looking panicked whenever she passed.

Once, Nora walked into the breakroom to grab an espresso.

A group of women had been laughing loudly, but the second she stepped inside, the room went dead silent. The awkward tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Ignoring them, she stepped up to the machine and hit the brew button.

One of the worst gossips on the team practically jumped out of her way. Forcing a terrifyingly stiff smile, the woman offered, "Hey Nora, grab this mug. It's totally clean."

Nora completely ignored the peace offering, filled her own mug, and walked out without a word.

Even Sloane had mysteriously backed down. Outside of strictly professional handoffs, she had completely stopped forcing Nora into doing grunt work. Meetings were strictly business; the snide comments about Nora's aesthetic choices had totally evaporated.

Lunchtime rolled around.

Nora was sitting at the high-top counter, lazily swirling her black coffee. Janie slid onto the stool next to her, picking at a fruit salad.

"Nora, doesn't everyone seem incredibly weird lately?"

Nora stopped what she was doing and glanced over. "How so?"

"Like, everyone is suddenly acting like a saint."

A VIP assistant. A mysterious phone call. A brutal warning.

Nora's fingers tightened painfully around her mug.

Julian?

Julian was deeply bound by corporate etiquette. He might love her designs, but he would never blindly trample over another studio's HR department. That kind of scorched-earth, terrifying power play wasn't his style at all.

A single name blasted through her mind like a lightning strike.

Gideon.

She instantly remembered him sitting on the edge of her bed that morning, holding a glass of water, casually dictating that as long as she stayed in line, she was free to work.