Chapter 14

[ ARIA’S POV ]

I woke up early the next morning and threw on some clothes as fast as I could. I really didn’t want to face the walk to the office by myself.

Luca had been very clear about the rules: the final sketches had to be on his desk before any of us were allowed to head to our actual departments.

I shoved my portfolio into my bag, but stopped to unzip it and check one last time.

Still there.

I let out a quiet breath. After everything that had gone down with Elara, my trust was completely gone. I didn't even trust the maids walking around the house.

I quickly brushed my hair back and ran downstairs.

“Hurry, the driver is waiting,” the head maid called out the second she spotted me.

“Thanks!” I called back, rushing past her and out the door.

The crisp morning air hit me the moment I stepped outside. The driver was standing by the car, waiting patiently. I took a deep breath, secretly hoping Luca might be sitting inside.

But when I glanced into the back seat, my heart sank a little.

Elara was already in there.

Her own portfolio was resting right on her lap, and she looked entirely too relaxed. Too confident.

When she saw me, a tiny smirk played on her lips.

“Get in,” she said carelessly.

I climbed inside without saying a word, hugging my bag tightly against my chest as I slid over to the window. The driver shut the door behind me, and the car smoothly pulled out of the driveway.

For a few moments, nobody said anything. Then, Elara broke the silence.

“You look tense.”

I kept my eyes fixed ahead. “I’m fine.”

She let out a soft laugh. “You should relax, Aria. After all… today is the day everything gets decided.”

My grip tightened on my bag. There was something off about her tone.

I slowly turned my head to look at her. Elara was just staring out her window with a smug smile, acting like she already knew she had won.

A knot tied itself tightly in my stomach.

The car finally pulled up in front of the massive company building.

The driver hurried around to open the door for us. Elara stepped out first, moving gracefully and cradling her portfolio against her chest like it was a piece of fine china.

I got out right behind her, shifting my grip on my own bag. Looking up at the tall glass building, seeing all the employees rushing in and out, my stomach instantly knotted up.

This was it. Today was the day Luca would decide whose work he was actually going to back.

Elara glanced over at me, a faint smile on her face. “Nervous?”

I looked straight ahead. “No.”

She let out a soft laugh, clearly not buying it.

The driver shut the car door, and we walked toward the entrance together. The second we stepped inside, the staff started bowing and greeting us. Or rather her.

“Good morning, Miss Elara.”

“You see who the boss is, didn't you Aria, no matter what you do, even if you're Luca's wife or not I would only be the female alpha they recognized.”

I forced a tiny, polite smile but kept my mouth shut. Inside, my anxiety was through the roof.

We stepped into the elevator, and the silence in the small space felt ten times worse. With every floor we passed, my heart pounded harder and harder against my ribs.

Then, out of nowhere, Elara leaned in close to my ear.

“You know,” she whispered, her voice smooth and quiet, “sometimes people lose things just because they’re too careless.”

My eyebrows snapped together instantly.

I snapped my head around to look at her.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Elara just smiled, leaning back as if she hadn’t said a thing. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Before I could press her for answers, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Luca’s assistant was already standing there, waiting for us.

“Mr. Luca is expecting both of you,” he said politely.

Elara stepped out first, full of confidence, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. I followed right behind her, my heart hammering harder with every single step we took toward the office.

The assistant pushed the heavy door open.

And there he was.

Luca.

He was sitting behind his massive desk in a dark suit, flipping through some paperwork with a completely blank expression. The moment we walked in, his sharp eyes snapped up to look at us.

The air in the room instantly turned heavy.

“Good morning, sir,” Elara said, her voice dropping into a sweet tone.

I gave a quiet greeting too.

Luca gave a single, tight nod and set his papers aside. “Bring the sketches.”

Elara didn’t hesitate for a second. She walked straight to the desk and laid her portfolio down like she was handing over a masterpiece. I stepped up next and placed mine right beside hers.

For a few agonizing seconds, Luca just stared at the two folders.

Then, he reached for Elara’s first.

My chest tightened up instantly.

He opened the cover and started flipping through the pages, one by one. Elara stood there proudly, looking like she had already won. At first, Luca’s face didn't show a thing.

But then, his eyebrows started to bunch together.

One page.

Another page.

Then another.

The mood in the office shifted fast. Elara’s confident smile began to slip, just a little bit at a time.

Luca stopped on a specific sketch and stared at it intensely. His eyes narrowed. “What is this?”

Elara blinked, looking confused. “My design, sir.”

I looked up slowly as Luca's gaze dropped on us.

"Both of your works are inconsistent," he said, his voice flat. "But since this is your first time, I’ll let it slide. You can go to your various companies now. Your managers are downstairs waiting."

"We have managers now?" I blurted out, a smile bursting across my face.

"Yes, you do," Luca snapped, cutting my excitement short. "And that’s the only thing you're getting. Figure out how to get your own employees."

Elera’s jaw dropped. "What? Luca, you can’t do that! I thought everything was already set up. I thought we just had to move in!"

"No, Elera," Luca said, completely unmoved. "The least I can do is get you a competent manager. The actual build-up, the setting, and finding the people who will work for you? You do that on your own."

"Luca!" Elera protested, her voice rising.

"Out of my office, both of you," he cut her off, not even looking up anymore. "Get to work. Your first fashion show is in two months."