Back when she first came up with the Grand Piano Collection, it had been nothing but a stroke of luck.
If not for that accident she’d rather not talk about, the spark of inspiration would never have struck her.
Niamh thought to herself, “I suppose this is what people mean when they say good things happen when you least expect them.”
Miranda launched into a stream of praise for BYC.
Niamh’s cheeks grew redder by the second.
Michael caught the blush spreading across Niamh’s face and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“Look at you–at least you have the decency to be embarrassed.”
Niamh couldn’t be bothered to answer him.
Honestly, she was in a pretty good mood.
She didn’t want to take credit for being BYC, but hearing Miranda shower BYC with such admiration still made her feel proud inside.
After all, Miranda was a giant in the world of jewelry and fashion–receiving her approval was no small honor.
Miranda, on the other hand, was a bit baffled. She’d been singing BYC’s praises for a while, so why was Niamh grinning like she was the one being complimented?
Truth be told, Miranda hadn’t thought much of Niamh at first.
At least not after Michael had picked up that emerald necklace from Niamh’s desk–Miranda couldn’t see any merit in it.
Sure, the studio often used synthetic gems to practice on, but even if you ignored the materials, the cut, the setting, the design–none of it was up to par.
If something like that showed up at Luminous Divas Fashion Week, it would only drag down the whole event.
That was something Miranda simply couldn’t tolerate.
Jewelry was, after all, a symbol of status, power, and wealth.
7./2
17:27
Miranda’s standards left no room for mediocrity.
That’s why, from the outset, she’d been determined to strip Niamh of her spot at Fashion Week.
But now…
“I’ll give you one chance. Just because of your confidence.”
Miranda lowered her heavily mascaraed lashes.
“If you want to attend Luminous Divas Fashion Week, you’ll have to prove yourself… by making something worthwhile out of this trash.”
She punctuated her words by grinding her stiletto heel into the main emerald, crushing what little remained of the fractured necklace.
“That’s too much!” Sophia couldn’t keep quiet, bristling on Niamh’s behalf.
She’d designed that necklace herself. Niamh was just collateral damage, and Sophia already felt guilty about it. Now Miranda was making things even worse.
“Too much?” Miranda crossed her arms and snorted. “If a designer can’t handle this, she’s in the wrong business.”
“You-!”
Sophia wanted to argue, but Niamh just waved her off.
Niamh crouched down and began collecting the shards of gems and twisted bits of metal that Michael had broken, and Miranda had destroyed even further.
Michael, watching Niamh so earnestly gathering the scraps, couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“You look like a scavenger right now.”
Niamh rolled her eyes at him.
She’d picked up every last bit, but no matter how she looked at it, the pieces seemed beyond repair.
Nearby, Sophia and Natalie were practically beside themselves with worry.
They both knew how much it meant for Niamh to attend Luminous Divas Fashion Week.
It was a requirement from their investors; if they didn’t deliver, the funding would
dry up, and the studio would be finished. Their jobs would be gone, too.
2/3
17:27
So Sophia and Natalie were even more anxious than Niamh–ten times more, a hundred times more.
Michael, meanwhile, was waiting eagerly for the spectacle.
Miranda’s attitude was much the same–except, perhaps, she held the tiniest sliver of hope for Niamh.
Niamh took her handful of ruined materials into the workshop. By the time she emerged, the sun was nearly setting.
She noticed Michael lounging in her chair, yawning out of sheer boredom. For once, he’d taken off his gold–rimmed glasses–either dozing off or just waking up.
“I’m finished,” she announced.
At the sound of her voice, Michael fumbled for his glasses on the desk and slid them back on.
If he was being honest, he thought Niamh had taken this little performance too far.
Everyone knew that the shattered emerald necklace was beyond saving. He’d thought Niamh would just pretend to work for a bit, then come out and beg Miranda for mercy.
