Celeste’s POVThe morning started like any other, except it didn’t.My phone hadn’t stopped vibrating since sunrise.Every ping brought another headline, another cancellation, another knot tightening in my chest.“Rosemary Atelier under investigation for design theft.”“Audit initiated—Rosemary’s reputation in question?”I didn’t know whether to throw my phone across the room or hide it under a pile of sketchbooks.“This can’t be happening,” I whispered, staring at the unread messages piling up like tiny knives.Ryan appeared beside me, his sleeves rolled up, his expression dark but composed. “It’s happening,” he said evenly, “but panicking won’t fix it.”“I’m not panicking,” I snapped before realizing how sharp my voice sounded. “I’m—”He raised a brow. “Gripping your pen like it’s a dagger?”I sighed and set it down, massaging my temples. “We’re going to lose everything, Ryan. The clients, the orders, the trust—”He crouched in front of me, his gaze steady, searching. “You built this
Last Updated : 2025-11-05 Read more