"Elara Voss," Nora whispered the name, letting it roll off her tongue as if hearing it from someone else’s lips. It felt distant and foreign now, though it had been hers for so long. She stared at the intricate design before her again, then sighed softly. Her hand hovered over the page, fingers li
Cassia continued to stare at Liam, who still wore his confident smile. Suddenly, a man and a woman approached, their expressions warm and welcoming. "Welcome to the Arcadia International Design Challenge, proudly sponsored by the renowned luxury brand, Novaré Collection," the young woman announced
"It's time to win this competition. Not for anyone else... but for myself, to prove my worth," Cassia whispered, her voice steady with determination. "And then I'll call Nora and finally brag about how I impressed Master Elara Voss with my designs," she added, a small smile tugging at her lips. El
Smiling brightly, Cassia made her way to Liam. She didn’t care if she had stirred up trouble for herself; right now, she was completely satisfied with how she had handled things with Adeline. When she reached him, her smile widened even more. "Greetings, boss," she teased, her eyes twinkling mischi
Martinez let out a deep sigh as he set his phone down beside him. But within moments, he picked it up again, his gaze landing on Cassia’s name. This time, instead of making another call, he opted to send her a simple goodnight message. After hitting send, he tossed his phone aside and closed his ey
Turning her attention to the designs in the sketchbook, she carefully examined them for the first time since Martinez had handed it to her. She nodded at some of the designs, taking her time to study the intricate details. The more she analyzed, the more inspired she felt. By the time she was done
"Well, at least I made it to eighth position. Who knows? I might even surprise myself in the other rounds," Cassia muttered to herself with a faint smile. Felicia turned to face the group, her expression warm and encouraging. "Congratulations to all who made it to the next stage," she said brightl
After a moment of hesitation, he whispered sincerely, "I wish you luck." With that, he turned to leave but stopped abruptly when he noticed a familiar figure exiting the building. He squinted, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him. But no—it was her. "Aurora?" he called loudly. She turned towa
"Aliyah..." Lucas's voice came again, more impatient than before. His tone got on her nerves, leaving her with no choice but to end the call. But Lucas wasn’t one to give up easily, and she knew that. He called again, his persistence only annoying her further. With no choice, she ended the call once
Kelvin walked down the street, his hands tucked into his pockets, his head tilting repeatedly toward Martinez's house. "She really doesn’t eat chocolate?” he muttered to himself, his brows knitting together in confusion. The thought clung to him as he continued walking. "Maybe she’s not the woman
"She’s... alive?" he muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper. Cassia arched a worried brow, turning fully to face the waiter in front of her. "What did you say?" "Nothing." He cleared his throat, his gaze darting everywhere but at her. "I said you're... pretty." Her eyes narrowed sl
Cassia stood on the stage, her heart swelling with a mix of triumph and relief as the judges took turns offering their congratulations. Each word of praise felt like a warm embrace, validating not only her talent but the long, difficult journey that led to this moment. "Your innovation and craftsma
"I.. won?" She murmured in disbelief, blinking as if she couldn't believe her ears. Adeline’s eyes burned with fury as she glared at Cassia during the announcement of the competition results. Her expression darkened as cheers erupted from the crowd, and quiet whispers filled the room. Other contest
Felicia gave a final smile and turned to the remaining participants. "Good luck with the competition," she said warmly. "Thank you," they replied with a nod as Felicia left with Damien. Aliyah’s gaze remained fixed on the piece of paper detailing the design type, fabrics, and theme to be used. S
"It's chilly outside," his voice came through gently. "But, can you come out for a bit?" He asked, and once again, silence took over. Cassia raised a brow, wondering if he’d hit his head. The gentleness in his tone was unfamiliar. Before she could respond or break the silence, Darvan spoke again.
Nora's eyes returned to the designs in front of her, a slight smile forming on her lips. "What about something simple yet difficult? I'm eager to see who will actually become the face of the design world this time around," she muttered, rising to her feet. A small smile lingered on her lips as she
Cassia offered a soft smile, already knowing Samantha was here to mock her—just like always. But Cassia wasn’t ready to back down. She wasn’t going to tolerate any more insults from her. "I didn’t realize the contest was looking for something... different this year," Samantha said with a pointed t