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In truth, I didn’t feel up to a party. However, it was an industry party, and networking was an important part of my work as a designer. But I still had the lawsuit and public scrutiny to consider, especially if I had to testify.
“I’ll arrive around seven so we can still go together. Just text me if you change your mind.”
“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Wyatt.”
My phone buzzed with an incoming text from Tomas.
Tomas: Good news. Hayden wants you to work his photo shoot with him in Monaco.
I blinked at the message. How is this my life?
Instead of calling Laurence, I walked to The Louvre Museum with my sketchpad. I had so many ideas brimming from the show, and I was eager to draw while it was all fresh in my mind. After a while in the queue, I reached the inside of the museum and went to check the map to find Canova’s Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss. I reveled in the anonymous feeling as I did when I first came to New York City, seamlessly blending in with the tourists and enjoying the art and beauty. A calm familiarity flowed over me as I moved past the rooms of art. No longer did I have the pressure of time. I live here.
Room 4 came into view, and there were Psyche and Cupid. The sculpture reminded me of seeing Hades and Persephone in Italy with Paul. Paul’s dreamy gaze as he held me close in his embrace played like a vivid vision.My hands slowly slid down my arms to recapture his warmth. It was the little things that often caused the most agony. But how could I not think of him? Paris is romantic.
Sitting on a bench, I stared at the sculpture again with my sketch pad open. My mind flooded with ideas, and I sketched designs and possible fabrics. Each one became my new favorite as I drew more designs. I’d been so lost in my head that I hadn’t noticed someone standing near me.
Peering upward, I locked gazes with…Isabelle?
My stomach dropped, and my eyes flicked over her as she shifted her stance. She’d covered her chestnut curls with a straight black wig with fringe bangs. I admired the cut of her tailored suit and thought it suited her well. Surprisingly, I could still find something admirable in the person who had betrayed me so profoundly.
“Wow, your sketches look great, Nadia,” Isabelle said. She used the same cheerful voice when I had once thought she was my friend.
I tensed and closed my sketchpad. “What…what are you doing here?”
Her smile wilted. “I…I told you in New York I was going to visit Paris this summer. I saw the Givenchy show and watched you walk here—”
“You followed me?” I tensed and glanced around me. A security guard and a few other patrons were close by.
“Uhm, yes, I sort of did. I didn’t mean to bother you…Museums are great places to sketch. Anyway, I wanted to apologize in person since you wouldn’t take my calls in New York.” Her tone wasn’t accusatory, merely stating a fact.
“I’m not supposed to have any communication with you, as it may affect the case.” Against you. I started to pack up my stuff. But she continued to speak.
“I’m not going to discuss the case. Please, Nadia. I just want to tell you that I never meant for anything bad to happen to you. The party was really supposed to launch my swimwear line. Sophie introduced me to Landon, and he told me about all his business connections and friends who would invest in my company. I didn’t find out until later that he’d taken over Lollipop and turned it into Sugar Cookie. Sophie said he was rebranding when I found out. She lied about so many things.” Her tone turned coarse.
I curled my lip. You also lied. You told me you were using East Coast Cruise. You intentionally deceived me the whole time. However, with Isabelle here right now, it could be the last chance I’d ever have to find out something I wanted to know. “Can you answer a question?”
“Anything,” she said without hesitation.
“Whose idea was it to befriend me and work on your designs at my place?”
Her skin flushed, and she shifted on her feet. “I…I thought we could help each other. I had a friend that did your internship, you had a studio. I really did want to be friends and I enjoyed hanging out with you. But honestly, I was wrong to use you like that, and I’m sorry.”
I bobbed my head and crossed my arms. Good for her to finally admit it. “I would have helped you if you were honest with me. You didn’t have to pretend to be my friend—”
“No, Nadia. I did—I do like you a lot. I wanted to be friends—”
“Like you were friends with Kelsie?”
Isabelle’s blush deepened, and she chewed her bottom lip, then blew out her breath.
“Kelsie made a mistake. I didn’t know about your dress until after it happened. She ruined it to impress Sophie…Sophie was angry that she did it—”
“So angry that you all were in the jacuzzi together and laughed while I watched.” My tone was harsher and heated, something I hadn’t expected that I had been holding in. Anger. Raw anger. And I knew it was okay to feel it, so I didn’t berate myself. I had been wronged.
She rubbed her neck. “I didn’t know until after the New York Design’s end-of-the-year fashion show. You were happy and had moved on; I didn’t want to bring it up and hurt you.”
I held my waist as my stomach churned. “But…but it was fine to trick me into leave New York without Ben. So you and your friends could hurt me—”
