After her dazzling display at the Frostvale Queen’s gala, where she’d designed and presented the royal crown, Niamh suddenly found herself swamped with bespoke jewelry requests.
It was almost ironic–she didn’t even have a proper office to work in, yet the city’s elite had taken notice of her craftsmanship that night. Now, they were reaching out to her, quietly commissioning unique pieces.
Not that she was complaining. It was a good problem to have, and it rekindled her old ambition to relaunch her own company.
She knew better than to reach out to her former investors. They’d only been interested in her because Julian Neville had pulled strings behind the scenes. Niamh was convinced that the less she had to do with Julian now, the better it
would be for both of them.
Even with her winnings from racing, she was still short on initial capital. So, she decided to take it slow–build things up from scratch, one commission at a time, and only think about expansion when she’d saved enough.
For now, she borrowed workspace at FY–a high–end jewelry brand with a fully equipped studio. It was easily the most professional setup she could access.
She’d tried to talk to Peter about paying rent for the space, but he’d shut her down immediately.
“Talking about money just makes things awkward,” he’d said.
Niamh had to bite back a wry laugh.
In this day and age, she thought, it’s *not* talking about money that ruins relationships.
She spent the entire morning hunched over her workbench at FY, eyes straining from the intricate details. She was just rubbing her forehead when someone knocked at the door.
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“Come in!” she called absently, looking up to see two men standing in the doorway-
Elmer and Peter.
She blinked, surprised to see Elmer here. He was dressed in an immaculate white suit, even more elegant than the one he’d worn at the gala. Peter, too, had traded
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his usual look for something sharper.
Niamh cocked her head. Was today some special occasion she’d forgotten about?
“What brings you here?” she asked Elmer.
“Lunch,” Elmer replied with a warm smile. “I wanted to take you out.”
Peter’s expression shifted, something complicated flickering in his eyes. He hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.
He’d been intending to ask Niamh out for lunch himself, but he couldn’t exactly tell Elmer to back off. Word had gotten around quickly about what happened at the gala–the dramatic rescue, Niamh’s brilliant entrance, and, of course, Marina’s child–sized tiara and see–through dress.
Peter was quick to pick up on the fact that Elmer wasn’t just a friend. In fact, he might be Peter’s most formidable rival.
“I was hoping to invite you to lunch as well,” Peter finally managed to say.
Normally, Peter avoided competition of any kind. But this time, he found himself unable to back down.
Niamh exchanged a quick glance with Elmer, which made Peter’s chest tighten.
“Sorry, Peter. Rain check?” she said, offering him an apologetic smile.
Peter’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, the fabric of his suit trousers pulling
taut.
Setting aside her tools, Niamh left the studio with Elmer to find somewhere for lunch.
“Are you sure you have enough time for a break?” she asked, remembering that Elmer had a private workspace provided by the government, complete with a technical staff. Clearly, they valued his talent.
“My hours are flexible. No one’s keeping tabs on me,” Elmer said lightly, opening the passenger door of his car for her.
Upstairs, Peter stood by the windows of the FY building, watching as Elmer ushered Niamh into a white Lexus and sped out of sight.
He let out a quiet sigh and pulled a small gift box from his pocket–a present he hadn’t managed to give her.
Niamh had assumed Elmer meant a quick lunch at a nearby café. Instead, she
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found herself watching in disbelief as he steered the car straight onto the freeway.
Chapter 376
