Rewriting My Heart's Fate

"Hey, I heard your brand's going to be part of Lendora Fashion Week. Congrats!" Ethan said.

"You heard about that?" I was surprised. "That spread fast."

"Of course, I'd hear about it right away. That's great news," Ethan said as if it were the most obvious thing. "As your business partner, I'm super proud of you. You're definitely going to make waves in the fashion world."

A warm feeling spread in my chest. "Thanks for believing in me. I'll work even harder to make sure I don't let you down."

"Yeah, I've got faith in you," Ethan said, pausing for a second before suddenly changing the subject. "By the way, has the itinerary for Lendora Fashion Week been locked in yet? Is there anything the company can do to help?" "Um... not yet. The organizers are handling everything, so the company doesn't need to stress about it," I replied.

"How can we just leave everything to the organizers?" Ethan asked, clearly unhappy about it. "As an emerging designer, you don't have a lot of industry connections yet. I'll send someone reliable with you to make sure everything runs smoothly." I hesitated, that sense of being controlled creeping up again. "Is that really... necessary? I don't want to cause any trouble for the company-"

"Why are you saying that?" Ethan cut in. "The company's here to support you. Besides, I'm worried about you being alone in a foreign country. Having an assistant with you will put my mind at ease."

My heart skipped a beat. "W-Well, I guess I'll have to trouble you then. With the company backing me this much, I'm definitely going to make it count."

voice surprisingly gentle. "Evelyn, take care of yourself. Just

I replied, my face turning red. "Thanks,

let out a deep breath. My mind was all over

my face and asked,

to let me know Carlos' issue is taken care of, and I can focus on getting ready for Fashion Week." Lianne looked relieved. "Glad to hear

gave me a thoughtful

shake

business partner. Don't you

about you?"

smile faltered. "You're reading too much into it. He's acting that way because he values my design skills and wants to help me

had more to say but decided not

be lost in it. I couldn't let