Tough day?

The following morning, Amelia stood in front of the full-length mirror, smoothing invisible creases from her cream blouse. A soft tan blazer hugged her form, paired with sleek, plain black trousers and low heels. Clean, professional—but not too flashy. Just enough to say; I belong here. Her silk, Golden strands fell in loose waves, complimenting her smooth face, paired with beautiful jade eyes.

She inhaled slowly, glancing at Leo asleep on the small pull-out bed in the next room. His soft breathing was steady, peaceful. She had arranged for him to be picked up by the company’s nanny service at nine. Her stomach tightened at the thought, but she had no choice. She couldn’t bring him to work.

By 8:30 a.m., she was in the elevator heading up to the twenty-fourth floor of LIOR Design Group, one of the most prestigious fashion empires in the country. The lobby had been luxurious–marble floors, glass walls, and a chandelier like falling stars—but the executive floor was quieter. Sharper.

When the doors slid open, a tall handsome receptionist glanced up. “Miss Harper?” he smiled politely.

“Yes?”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kline Bradford. Mr. Lior is expecting you.”

Amelia nodded. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her bag, as Kline directed her to Matteo’s office.

Matteo Lior stood behind a wide matte-black desk, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows that flooded the room with morning light. He wore an Onyx-grey button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up, revealing strong forearms. He didn’t look up immediately.

“You’re on time,” he said without greeting.

“I assumed lateness wasn’t tolerated.”

His gaze flicked up—cool grey eyes, locking briefly with hers. Looking into his eyes, Amelia could see the striking resemblance with that of her Leo–eyes that had terrified her, the first time he came into her world, but then, they became her world.

There was a quiet pause. Something unreadable passed between them, then he gestured to a folder on the desk. “Today, you’ll observe. Understand our rhythm before inserting your own. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t tolerate interruptions during fitting or mood board sessions. Keep your phone silent. Note everything.”

“Understood.”

He stared at her for a bit longer than neccesary. Then turned.

Downstairs, the main studio pulsed with energy — stylists rushed with hangers, models rehearsed their walks, designers adjusting pins, and hemlines. Giant screens displayed mood boards and sketches. It was controlled chaos. The vast and spacious room, a luxurious and elegant furnishing that screamed of creativity, affluence, and fashion, with logos of Lior Design group highlighted in bold neon lights.

Amelia followed Matteo silently, observing. She was overwhelmed by the sight, finally understanding why her boss from DZY had been so happy to work with the Lior group—they didn’t come to play. They meant business.

The people in the room seemed to not notice him, as they were still focused on their work. When one model hesistated in a trial walk—her dress catching awkwardly on her heel–Matteo’s expression darkened.

“Off. Start again.”

Startled, the girl flushed.

His presence sank in—dominating. The atmosphere shifted, as they all snapped their attention to him and greeted politely. Then, their gaze shifted from him and fell on Amelia, behind him.

Matteo stepped forward slightly, scanning each and everyone, he cleared his throat and began, “Y’all, meet Amelia Harper, from DZY group. She’ll be the one working with us on that very new project.”

“Ms. Amelia, meet my team,” he said politely, introducing them one after another.

Cyan Brett, an assistant designer and model, made his way towards Amelia, his handsome face flushed with excitement, as he extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Amelia, I’m Cyan.”

“Nice to meet you, Cyan.” Amelia took his hand, returning a smile.

Cyan narrowed his gaze, “Don’t tell me those are natural blonde…”

Amelia flushed, “I am.”

“Oh God! You’re so beautiful! Your eyes too. Been a while since I saw a natural.” he squealed, really intrigued.

“Thank you, Cyan.” Amelia smiled. She was used to getting compliments like this.

Matteo, who seemed to be on the edge of exploding, directed his dark, warning gaze at Cyan. “If you want to flirt, take it outside. Not in my presence.”

Amelia, embarrassed, shifted slightly and looked away, returning greetings to the rest of the team, who waved at her.

“I want you all to work together, for a very exceptional result.”

“Rest assured, sir.” They chorused.

Matteo glanced at Amelia, “Are we good?”

“Of course.” she gave a curt nod of agreement.

He returned his attention to the petite model, “Try lifting your right leg first, not the left. The fabric flares wider that way.”

Everyone turned their attention to the girl. So did Amelia.

She nodded, and tried again. Perfect glide.

“Thank you, sir.” She looked up at Matteo and smiled shyly.

“Now, y’all get to work.”

At 2:00 p.m., Amelia was given her own small desk just outside Matteo’s office. She sat, typing notes from a previous client review, when he stepped out holding a piece of fabric—deep navy silk.

“Uhh… Ms. Amelia, what colour accents would you pair with this?”

Amelia turned and blinked. “I…wasn’t aware you needed my opinion.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”

She stood, eyeing the fabric. “Muted gold… or emerald. The silk is dark, enough to take bold contrast. But it depends on the statement.”

While she was speaking, Matteo was more focused on how her lips moved. Noting the silence, he recovered.

“That’s right. Thank you.” he nodded, barely grasping what she had said. Without any more words, he turned and disappeared back into his office.

Inside the office, Matteo took his phone from the desk and dialed a number. His jaw clenched. The line went through on the second ring, with Asad’s voice echoing in the background.

“Boss,”

“Did you find something?”

“Err, Yeah. A couple of things, I’ll meet you in the office or —”

“My study.”

“Alright.”

Matteo hung up and stared blankly at his screen before tossing it back on the desk.

That woman didn’t remember him.

It was evening, when Amelia returned to the guest residence, hair now tied into a messy bun. Leo ran to meet her, his arms around her legs.

“Tough day?”

She laughed softly. “Something like that. Tell me about your day.”

Leo loosened his grip and followed his mom to the sofa. “There were many kids there,”

“Ohh,” she tilted her head, surprised.

Seems she wasn’t the only one who had a kid. That was a relief.

“They stared at you weird?” she asked, analyzing his expression.

Leo shook his head. “They offered me their snacks.” he said quietly.

“Woah! Seems like you made friends, they are good kids.”

“They are girls, mom. Uncle Carry said, they are bad.”

Amelia shook her head, smiling, “Oh Leo, don’t listen to everything uncle Carry says. Besides, I’m a girl.”

“You’re a woman. And you’re my mommy.”

“Come on here,” she pulled him close and ruffled his hair.

Amidst the hug, her thought drifted to Matteo—he was still a mystery, cold and unreadable. Yet something in his gaze said otherwise.