LOGINWhen we finally got home, Jessie and I collapsed onto our separate beds, staring up at the ceiling in silence.My body ached from exhaustion, yet sleep refused to come. Every muscle in me felt heavy, but my mind wouldn’t slow down. Daniela’s bruised face kept flashing behind my eyes.Jessie groaned dramatically beside me.“God, I can’t believe I stayed awake the whole night,” she complained, dragging a pillow over her face. “Something I’ve never done before.”She turned her head toward me with narrowed eyes.“Who are you, Anna, that you’ve made me sacrifice my beauty sleep?” she added dramatically. “I swear… today might be the day I get fired, because right now I can’t move an inch.”Despite everything, a tired smile tugged weakly at my lips.“Come on,” I said, slowly sitting up. “Let’s go take a shower so we can get ready for work, and figure out how to help Daniela.”I tied my hair into a messy bun as I walked toward the bathroom. My eyes felt unbearably heavy, but I forced myself t
Anna's POV“Remember when we were about to leave his office that day… and he called me back?” Daniela said softly, looking at me.I nodded slowly, encouraging her to continue.“He said… If I wanted to know what he liked and how he wanted his design made, I should come see him. He said it would be his way of making up for how he treated us.”She swallowed hard, her voice trembling.“I didn’t think about it at first, Anna. Not even once.” She shook her head slowly. “But when our designs kept getting rejected… everything started to feel frustrating. I felt like I was failing, so I went to Martha. I asked her if it would be a good idea to meet him.”“And what did she say?” I askedDaniela gave a bitter laugh through her tears.“She said… If I wanted success, I should be willing to do anything to get it.”Jessie leaned back in her chair, shaking her head in disbelief.“Every single day that woman amazes me,” Her voice dripped with disgust.Daniela continued with her voice breaking.“She s
Anna's POV“Remember when we were about to leave his office that day… and he called me back?” Daniela said softly, looking at me.I nodded slowly, encouraging her to continue.“He said… If I wanted to know what he liked and how he wanted his design made, I should come see him. He said it would be his way of making up for how he treated us.”She swallowed hard, her voice trembling.“I didn’t think about it at first, Anna. Not even once.” She shook her head slowly. “But when our designs kept getting rejected… everything started to feel frustrating. I felt like I was failing, so I went to Martha. I asked her if it would be a good idea to meet him.”“And what did she say?” I askedDaniela gave a bitter laugh through her tears.“She said… If I wanted success, I should be willing to do anything to get it.”Jessie leaned back in her chair, shaking her head in disbelief.“Every single day that woman amazes me,” Her voice dripped with disgust.Daniela continued with her voice breaking.“She s
The thought still lingered in my mind as I walked straight toward the hospital’s front desk. “Hello,” I said with a polite smile as I approached the receptionist. “I would like to see Doctor Juliet, please.” The woman looked up from her computer, her expression neutral. “Are you a registered patient here?” she asked. For a brief second, I hesitated, trying to think quickly. “Not exactly,” I admitted. “But she was the one attending to my friend.” The receptionist nodded slightly and began typing on her computer. The soft clicking of keys filled the quiet space. After a moment, she stopped and looked back at me. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Doctor Juliet’s shift is already over for today.” My heart sank a little. “Could you try calling her office line?” I asked quickly. “Maybe she hasn’t clocked out yet.” The receptionist shrugged lightly and picked up the telephone. She dialed a number and waited. A few seconds passed. Then she lowered the receiver. “No answer,” she said. “You
“By who?” I askedShe swallowed.“Mr. Fourth.”The name felt poisonous in the air.Heat crawled up my spine.“Oh God,” I whispered, pulling her into my arms.Her body stiffened at first, then melted against me, shaking.“But how?” The question slipped out before I could stop it. Confusion crept across my face, disbelief fighting logic.She pulled back suddenly.“You don’t believe me?” she asked, tears flooding her eyes again. “Anna, please… don’t look at me like that.”Her voice cracked on the last word.Guilt punched through me.“No,” I said immediately, cupping her face gently despite the bruises. “No. That’s not what I meant.”“Shh…” I murmured, brushing my thumb lightly beneath her eye. “I believe you.”Her shoulders sagged with relief, but the fear didn’t leave.“What will I do now?” she asked, her voice smaller than I had ever heard it.I forced myself to steady, I didn’t know what to do either, but I knew one thing — I had to be strong for her.I had to think for both of us.Be
It had been two weeks since we measured Mr. Fourth.Two long, suffocating weeks.Every single design Daniela and I submitted was rejected.Not revised.Not adjusted.Rejected.I sat in the living room staring at the latest rejection email from my laptop, my jaw tight, not from fear, but from frustration.I am already exhausted.My fingers ached from endless sketching. Crumpled papers littered the floor around me like silent evidence of failure. I already knew it wouldn’t be easy working with Mr. Fourth—but what I hadn’t expected was how deeply it would drain me.I couldn’t sleep.Ideas came halfway and died halfway.My mind felt stretched thin.What kind of man was Mr. Fourth?I stared into nothing. The house was quiet except for the ticking clock on the wall.My phone beeped with a notification from Instagram.I picked it up lazily from the table, hoping for a distraction.New York Fashion Blog.I clicked it.Luxury & Bliss — New Store Opening Celebration.The photos loaded one after
For a split second, I wondered what he was doing there. The question barely had time to form before I decided it didn’t matter. I shifted my bag on my shoulder and moved to walk past him.“Anna,” he said quickly, reaching out just enough to stop me without touching. “Miss Adele wants to see us.”I
He closed the door behind us, the soft click echoing louder than it should have.My breath caught as he drew me closer, the pull between us immediate and undeniable. His fingers slid smoothly into my hair, slowly, just enough to make my pulse jump.The look in his eyes darkened, hunger sharpened by
With my head still resting against the window, I didn’t say a word to Nathan, watching the city drift past while his driver navigated the quiet streets. The glass was cool against my temple, and I let the silence wrap around me.After a while, I felt the subtle shift of his presence beside me. Two
Backstage erupted the moment I stepped off the runway.Reporters surged toward me as if pulled by gravity, microphones rising, cameras flashing, voices overlapping in a chorus of excitement.“Anna! Over here!” “How does it feel to debut as a Sweet Body designer?” “Tell us about Middlermistique—w







