Se connecterEvelyn's POV"You know… This feels a little déjà vu…" Nathan said with nervous excitement as he held onto my arm for dear life. "Please don't let me bust my ass, Eve."I barked out a laugh. "The roles are reversed now, but I promise I won't let you fall as long as you don't tug down on me too hard!""Hey, you've got me blindfolded here!""It was necessary! Otherwise, you would've just opened your eyes and ruined the surprise!"I led Nathan up the stairs and outside onto the restaurant's balcony. Low-lit fairy lights and the various potted plants and trees made it feel like we were encased in a small forest, and not in the middle of the busy metropolis of New York.It was like being in a dream.I let out a small sigh of reverence. "Okay… You can undo your blindfold. And for the record, the pictures online definitely didn't do this view justice."Nathan untied his blindfold and allowed his vision to adjust. He took in the surroundings slowly, almost like he couldn't believe where we were
Evelyn's POVAs the days pressed on, I threw myself into my work. Deadlines weren't an issue for me so-to-speak, but I needed to make sure our storefront would have something I hadn't already released.I came up with several new concept designs from necklaces, bracelets, shoes, and even dresses. For those, I had no theme in mind outside of timeless elegance.But knowing that the holidays were coming soon, I tried to integrate more of the lighter, and whimsical color palettes and designs that felt like winter and Christmas.I wanted someone to feel like they were wearing snowflakes on their bodies, and that they were embodying the beauty of all the Christmas lights lighting up the night sky.While the days were busy… It was still fun. It felt like I was in my element with designing clothes and jewelry.Luckily, I didn't have to do too much as I received an email from Mr. Milani that held all of my previous design files. On top of that, I was told that a huge shipment of my Italy-exclusi
Adrian's POVThe Chimera was a rustic, low-lit bar, but there was no mistaking the old money kind of vibe the place gave off. Clients lined the bar stools and booths as the atmospheric jazz played softly in the background.I looked towards the back and saw Luke sitting in a mostly secluded booth."You like Old Fashion, right?" He asked."I'll drink just about anything outside of tequila.""Didn't fancy you a margarita type of guy anyway," he said as he motioned for the bartender.A waiter came by a few moments later and sat down a few shot glasses of Old Fashion and two beer bottles."Is there anything else I can get for you two? Maybe an appetizer?" The young woman asked in a perky tone."No, thank you," Luke replied.Still, she lingered close to the table for whatever reason. Her eyes darted to me."No." I shook my head and handed her a $50 bill. "Just some privacy for me and my friend."The young waitress took the money and bowed her head immediately. "Y-yes sir. T-thank you!"Luke
Evelyn's POV"After the cake cools, Emily puts some icing on the cake," Nathan read aloud. "Then, Josh puts sprinkles on top. 'Look!' Josh says. 'We baked a great cake!'"Alex nodded his head, his face somewhat scrunched up in thought."So, let's go over the questions one more time. What does Josh like to do?""Bake," Alex replied."That's right." Nathan smiled. "Alright, next one. Who helps Josh?""Emily.""Good stuff, buddy. Now, who puts the icing on top?""Um…" Alex hesitated. "Josh?""Are you sure?"Alex's lips pressed into a thin line."That's okay, bud. Just read the passage again. Take your time, and read slowly, okay?"Alex nodded his head and did as he was told. After a few seconds of scanning the text, he tilted his head up. "Emily?""There you go!" Nathan said encouragingly. "And who puts the sprinkles on top?""Josh!""Good work!" Nathan held his hand out for a high five, which Alex reciprocated with glee. "Alright, that's enough for the day. You can go ahead and go play y
Evelyn's POVIt was a good thing Nathan was driving… I couldn't even think straight right now! It was only the first day of school. How could something like this have already happened?When we arrived at the front desk, we were greeted by the receptionist, who showed us to the nurse's office.Once I laid eyes on Alex as he sat in the stool, my heart immediately dropped.Alex's lip was busted; dirt was caked on his face, which the nurse had mostly cleaned up. His uniform was disheveled and dirty, and there was a hole in his khakis that also revealed his scraped knee.I took his hand in mine and knelt beside him. "Are you okay, sweetie? My goodness, what happened?"Alex looked up at me and tried so hard not to cry. "I… I don't know… I-I was just playing outside a-and some kids s-started to make fun of m-me… T-they told me I came from a f-family of nobodies b-because they didn't know m-my family…""But I t-tried to leave…" Alex sniffled. "I tried to walk aw-way… But someone was f-followin
Evelyn's POVIn just a matter of weeks, my perception of returning to New York had completely done a 180. From feeling so lost and hopeless to feeling confident and ready to take those next steps, I only had those around me to thank for their endless support.Another two weeks had passed since meeting Nathan's parents, and everything with the store was finally falling into place. Just last week, I was able to meet with the new employees who were once Judith's and Greg's.They were wonderful and eager to take on a brand new challenge. Their insight and experience in the field also helped when it came to figuring out when we needed to open.It was then that they informed me of some annual networking gala, where a ton of businesses came to meet each other and introduce their businesses into the market.We agreed that we'd all be in attendance to ensure the company made a good first impression with all the other established giants.Mr. Milani was pleased with our efforts and gave us his fu







