Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The second Julia’s words hit the air, the whole office went dead silent.
The warm, welcoming vibes vanished, replaced by a bunch of cold stares all zeroed in on Chelsea, like she’d just walked in wearing a scarlet letter.
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Chelsea felt herself freeze, rooted to the spot. She could practically hear the mocking voices from her past, sneering in her ears, dragging her right back to memories she’d worked hard to bury. At that moment, she half–hoped the floor would open up
and swallow her.
“Julia, that’s enough.” Heath’s voice cut through the tension, calm but with a bite that made everyone shut up instantly. “Chelsea and I went to college together. If anyone here can vouch for her integrity, it’s me.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. Heath defending Chelsea? Not in a million years had she seen that coming. “But, Heath-” she stammered, completely blindsided.
“We’re at work, Julia. It’s Mr. Carson to you,” Heath interrupted, his voice like ice. He knew Julia had a tendency to be overbearing, but he hadn’t expected her to pull this crap in front of the whole office.
He gave Chelsea a reassuring pat on the shoulder and guided her toward an empty desk. “Ignore this nonsense and just focus on what you came here to do. None of it’s worth a second thought.”
“Yes, Mr. Carson.” Chelsea blinked herself out of the shock, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Heath was still the same kind, steady guy he’d been in college–always fair, always supportive. His unwavering confidence in her sent a warmth through her, and she silently vowed to repay his trust by giving her all.
Heath looked at her for a moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes before he collected himself. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, alright?”
“Of course, I will,” Chelsea murmured.
As soon as Heath walked away, Julia stormed over, her expression dripping with venom. “Chelsea Wise, listen up–Heath is my future husband, so you’d better stay the hell out of my way!”
Chelsea arched an eyebrow, keeping her tone cool but sharp. “Julia, are you and Heath actually together?” She remembered how back in college, Julia used to brag about being Heath’s girlfriend, though Chelsea never saw any evidence of it.
To Julia, Chelsea’s question sounded like pure provocation. She crossed her arms, eyes flashing with contempt. “Whether we are or aren’t, he’s still way out of your league.
“Don’t think you can just walk into Amber Jewels and plant yourself here like you belong. I’ll make sure you’re out on your ass in no time.”
With that, Julia spun around and stomped off, her heels clacking furiously against the floor, her anger trailing behind her like a storm.
Chelsea felt a deep respect–and maybe a little gratitude–for Heath, the senior who’d bailed her out more times than she could count back in college.
Sure, Amber Jewels wasn’t the prestigious powerhouse it used to be, but the paycheck was solid, and Chelsea fell into the work rhythm quickly.
She buried herself in the company’s recent design projects, picking up every scrap of knowledge she could.
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5:16 pm G
Chapter 7
Her coworkers kept their distance, probably because of the rumors about her past. No one tried to make small talk, but honestly, Chelsea was used to the cold shoulder.
So when lunchtime rolled around, she headed to the cafeteria alone, her quiet determination pushing her forward.
The second Chelsea left her desk, Julia practically busted into Heath’s office, not bothering with the formality of knocking.
“Heath, what the hell were you thinking, hiring Chelsea Wise?” she snapped, her voice dripping with frustration and disbelief.
Julia came from an influential family and had only stooped to working at Amber Jewels to be close to Heath. Now Chelsea’s arrival felt like a threat to everything she’d plotted out.
Heath didn’t even look up from the contract in his hands. “Chelsea’s talented as hell. You were in the same program–you know she was one of the top students in jewelry design.”
Julia rolled her eyes, practically hissing. “Are you serious? She’s a plagiarist, Heath!”
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Heath finally looked up, his expression calm but steely. “Julia, Chelsea isn’t just my junior; she’s someone I respect. Whatever you have against her, get over it.” He leaned back, voice firm. “And I’m the director. Hiring decisions are mine. I don’t have to explain them to you.”
Julia’s face flushed red, anger and embarrassment battling it out. “But we’re supposed to get married!” she blurted, sounding a little desperate. She quickly added that her father was already talking about their engagement with Heath’s family.
Heath looked genuinely surprised, as if the idea was news to him. “Julia, I’ve only ever thought of you as a sister. There’s nothing between us, and there never will be.”
He’d never been on board with this whole arranged marriage deal–his heart had always been set elsewhere, and Julia wasn’t part of that picture.
Julia clenched her jaw, her whole body tensing with barely contained rage. ‘Sister? Like hell I want to be his sister,‘ she fumed internally,
But Heath’s rejection left her with no choice but to spin around and storm out, slamming the door behind her with enough force to shake the walls.
As she walked past Chelsea’s empty desk, a dangerous glint flashed in Julia’s eyes. A new plan started brewing in her mind.
‘So Chelsea thought she’s gonna make a name for herself here? Not a damn chance, she thought.
Meanwhile, Chelsea was sitting alone by a cafeteria window, scrolling through her phone.
She sent a quick message to Kate: [Landed a job at Amber Jewels. Working with Heath again.]
Kate’s response was instant. [No shit! That’s awesome! How’s Heath?]
Kate poked at her lunch, lost in memories of college days. She’d always had this nagging feeling that Heath had a soft spot for Chelsea. Not that Chelsea ever noticed–she’d been way too wrapped up in Wade back then to give a damn.
She believed if Heath had come back sooner, maybe things would’ve turned out differently.
Chelsea’s reply was short. [He’s doing well.]
Kate didn’t miss a beat. [We should get together soon! Bring Heath along too.]
Chelsea thought about it, finally replying: [I’ll see if he’s up for it.]
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5:16 pm GDD
Chapter 7
After lunch, Julia stormed back into the office, practically fuming. She slapped a heavy stack of files down on Chelsea’s desk with a loud thud.
“This is the complete jewelry design proposal that our nightmare client demanded. You’re on it now,” she said.
This client was the kind of high–maintenance pain in the ass that could make anyone miserable. Even Heath himself hadn’t been able to crack this one, and the whole Amber Jewels team was running out of patience.
Julia smirked inwardly. ‘Let’s see what kind of miracle Chelsea thinks she’s got in her bag.’
Chelsea knew full well she wasn’t the company favorite, and she knew Julia would happily make her life hell if she could.
She gave the files a quick look, steeling herself. “Got it.” No matter how much of a handful this client was, she’d deal with it. She wasn’t about to let anyone push her out.
Julia’s irritation only grew at Chelsea’s calm response. “Listen, Chelsea, if you screw this up, you might as well pack up and get the hell out of Amber Jewels!”
Chelsea shot her a cool, challenging smile. “And if I don’t screw it up? Will you quit?”
Their eyes locked, practically sparking with the tension between them. Years of resentment hung heavy in the air.
Julia let out a cold laugh. “Fine. If you actually pull this off, I’ll leave.” With that, she spun on her heel, heels clicking as she strutted out, clearly enjoying herself.
Chelsea accepted the challenge, though as she opened the file, a hint of regret crept in.
This client was a young, spoiled rich kid with insane standards and outlandish design demands. No wonder everyone had been struggling with him.
She spent the whole afternoon carefully studying the client’s brief, finally coming up with a rough concept just as the office was clearing out.
Back at her apartment, she saw that Winston still wasn’t home, so she ordered some groceries and shot him a quick text: [Will you be home for dinner?]
His reply came fast: [Nope, got plans tonight.]
With a resigned sigh, Chelsea made herself some seafood pasta, ate alone, and then set up in the living room, fully absorbed in her designs.
Meanwhile, outside the Nova Group building, Fabian had been waiting a while. When he spotted Winston walking out, he hurried over. “Mr. Moody, Mr. Marshall and the others are already at the bar.
“Alright, let’s go, Winston replied, cutting straight to the point.
They headed to Fieldstone Bar. The manager greeted Winston right away and personally escorted them to a private room.
Inside, three sharp–dressed, confident men were already seated.
When Winston walked in, Jordan Marshall, looking effortlessly put–together in a white shirt, got up to greet him. “Winston, glad you could make it.”
After a bit of small talk, Cecil Watts leaned in close to Winston. “So, I heard you’re looking to buy out Amber Jewels?”
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Chapter 7
Winston took a slow sip of his drink. “That’s right. Why, you interested?”
Cecil smirked. “I tried getting Amber Jewels to design a set for me recently. Even Heath Carson himself got involved, but they couldn’t deliver.
“Then today, I get a call saying there’s a new designer on the team, and she’ll have a proposal ready by the end of the week. Makes me wonder–will her design get to me first, or will you close the buyout before she even has the chance?”
Winston gave a faint, dismissive smile. “Not my problem.”
Cecil shrugged. “Fair enough.”
The group moved on to business, and it wasn’t until close to midnight that Winston finally called it a night.
Fabian walked him down to the lobby, exchanged a few last words, and Winston headed up on his own.
When he opened the door to his apartment, he found Chelsea still up, bent over her sketches. She looked up when he walked in. “Oh, Mr. Moody. You’re back.”
He paused, his gaze lingering on her tired face. “Why are you still up?”
Chelsea smirked. “Got myself a job.”
He just nodded, completely unfazed. With her pedigree and skill set, he figured it was only a matter of time–past baggage
or not.
Seeing his lack of reaction, she raised an eyebrow. “Not even à little curious what kind of job it is?”
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