Chapter 248
In the end, Niamh stayed in her studio for the entire day.
Michael never imagined he’d waste a whole day there as well, stuck in Niamh’s workspace until even scrolling through his phone lost its appeal.
Natalie and Sophia, on the other hand, were anything but bored. They were on edge the whole time, their nerves stretched thin with anticipation.
Finally, when Niamh emerged from the workshop, the tension in the room hit its peak.
Miranda, seated in a high–backed chair, looked up at Niamh with a faint, knowing smile. “Just because you spend all day on a repair job doesn’t mean you’ll earn my approval.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Niamh gently took her right hand.
Miranda’s brows knit in surprise, but then, as Niamh slid a ring onto her finger, her expression softened completely.
Miranda’s hand was already adorned with two exquisite rings: a Bulgari Serpenti on her index finger–rose gold, black enamel, the snake’s body encrusted with diamonds–and a Van Cleef & Arpels four–leaf clover on her ring finger, crafted from yellow gold and carnelian, each petal shimmering with diamonds.
Both pieces were the kind of luxury jewelry coveted the world over. Yet, the moment Niamh finished, Miranda’s gaze was drawn not to her prized rings, but to her middle finger.
In fact, everyone’s attention was drawn there.
Michael stood up, removed his gold–rimmed glasses, polished them, and put them back on, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
On Miranda’s right middle finger was a butterfly ring.
The butterfly was crafted in three dimensions, wings poised as if it might flutter away at any moment–a delicate, lifelike creature resting on her finger. The fractured emeralds had been pieced together so that the natural lines of the break formed the intricate veins and highlights on the butterfly’s wings. To enhance the brilliance of the synthetic stones, each tiny shard had been backed with a reflective foil, giving the wings a luminous, almost ethereal glow.
Miranda was stunned.
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She shook her right hand gently, and the butterfly caught the light, sparkling with vivid colors. It was every bit as dazzling as the high–end designer rings beside it.
And this was only synthetic emerald. What if this had been crafted from genuine, natural stones?>
Miranda couldn’t even begin to imagine.
“Rebirth from the ashes…” she murmured, her voice soft but full of meaning.
Beside her, Sophia and Natalie could barely contain their excitement. Their boss’s skill and artistry left them in utter awe.
Michael, meanwhile, was sure that Niamh had to be cheating somehow. But he kept that thought to himself. Deep down, he knew she hadn’t–if she had, Miranda would have been the first to spot it.
Niamh stood quietly before Miranda, waiting, saying nothing. Miranda, too, was silent, simply admiring her hand–turning it this way and that, as if inspecting the ring, as if savoring the transformation she’d wrought from a pile of broken synthetic emerald.
“A butterfly…” she whispered, the word lingering in the air.
A symbol of rebirth, of tenacity–a life that rises, fierce and beautiful, from what’s been trampled underfoot.
In meaning and in craftsmanship, the ring was flawless.
“It’s… ordinary,” Miranda finally said.
Niamh froze, caught off guard. She’d been hoping at least for a “not bad.”
Miranda stood, leaving the butterfly ring right where it was on her finger. “If you think a concept this overused will make a splash at Luminous Divas Fashion Week, you’re going to need something more.”
As she reached the door, she paused and glanced back at Niamh. “Keep at it.”
A smile broke across Niamh’s face. It looked like her place was safe for now.
Michael pushed up his glasses, already bored with how things had turned out. He started after Miranda, ready to leave.
“Wait a second.”
Niamh’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
