Chapter 33
Rosy threw her phone onto the sofa in frustration. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what’s going on with Arial. She was so nice to me before, even added me to WhatsApp herself. Every time Dely Studio had a new release, she’d send it to me first. And now, she’s blocked me! I have no idea what I did to offend her. It’s just so bizarre!”
Amelia, who had been listening, looked disappointed. She had been looking forward to Dely’s new collection and planning to show it off. But now this happened.
“Don’t worry, darling. It’s fine. If we can’t get Dely, we can always order from another brand.” Rosy tried to comfort her.
Amelia nodded, but a sense of regret lingered. Other brands simply couldn’t compare to Dely’s designs and reputation.
University of Ardenfall. Isabel had just arrived on campus when Seraphina pulled her aside. “Did you hear? The Swanson and Clyde families are connecting! Liam and Amelia are getting married at the beginning of next month!”
“I know. That’s why I’m planning to give them a big wedding gift.”
“Oh, you’ve got a plan, don’t you? I’m so curious to see how they get what’s coming to them!” Seraphina laughed.
It was soon time for class. Isabel arrived just as many students were discussing something. “It’s been half a year, and Lily is finally releasing a new collection! I’m so excited!”
“Too bad, even with the money, I couldn’t buy it. I’m just a student.”
“Her designs are always top-notch. The pre-order will definitely sell out in minutes!”
“I heard this collection took half a year to design. It’s going to be amazing!”
Isabel shook her head at the “half a year” comment. This was clearly a marketing tactic invented by Arial. If they knew it had only taken a few minutes, they’d probably freak out.
Soon, the teacher arrived. She praised several students, including Isabel. “Among them, Isabel’s design shows the most improvement. It’s the best work, so everyone should take a look and learn from it.”
The class turned to look at her. Isabel had always been considered an underachiever, frequently criticized for her lack of talent. So why the praise today?
Chapter 33
Isabel watched warily. She had always been hiding her skill. That’s why she tried to make her assignments look mediocre. Who knew that last time, she hadn’t hidden it well enough, and her talent shone through?
After class, students crowded around to admire Isabel’s design. The teacher even told them to learn from her as they left.
“Totally! Yeah, the design is so unique!”
“When did she get this good?”
“Especially the patterns, and the way she handled the lines—it’s just amazing!”
Everyone showered her work with praise. Yvette, however, sneered. “Who cares? I think she’s just copying Lily’s style. Haven’t you guys noticed? The sleeves here, and the patterns—they’re just like Lily’s!”
“She’s totally following the trend. She must have borrowed Lily’s style!”
“Isabel, you really have no shame! Let me warn you, Lily is my ultimate idol, and I won’t let you copy her style. Her designs are one of a kind!”
Isabel was speechless. She hadn’t expected Yvette to be such a hardcore Lily fan. She had spotted it right away. It wasn’t that Isabel had deliberately revealed anything; she just hadn’t managed to hide it well enough this time.
“You are amazing, Yvette. No wonder it looked familiar! It turned out to be imitating Lily’s style! How shameless!” A jealous classmate chimed in, “Hmph! I’m Lily’s die-hard fan. I study every one of her pieces in detail. I know her work inside out.”
Under Yvette’s influence, the others stopped admiring the design and began criticizing Isabel.
In the evening, Isabel returned home. Roy had also come back. Since she stopped delivering takeout, she had much more free time. “Roy, are you getting along well at Dely?” Isabel asked.
“Yeah, they’re all very nice to me. Especially my mentor, Liura: She’s always so patient and teaches me so much.”
“That’s good.” With Arial around, Roy wouldn’t face any trouble at the company.
At dinner, everyone had gathered. Roy brought something up. “Dad, Mum, did you hear that Amelia is getting married? Do you know about it?”
Samuel and Hannah looked at each other in surprise.
“So what? Why are we talking about it?” Jack said.
“Yeah, she’s not part of our family anymore. I checked her social media, and she seems so proud of herself now,” Simon said with displeasure.
“I know what you’re thinking. I just brought it up casually,” Roy said, continuing to eat.
Samuel’s body was recovering well. He took a bite and said, “If Amelia still has any affection for our family, we should go to her wedding. But she clearly hates us, so we don’t need to rush to go.”
“Your dad’s right. That’s the way it should be,” Hannah agreed. The matter was settled.
After dinner, Isabel went to check on Blake. “Can you try to stand up?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
After a month of recuperation, Blake’s health had improved. With Isabel’s help, Blake slowly managed to stand up from the bed. Even this small act drained him of sweat.
“I know this is hard for you right now, but you have to learn to stand up, just like my father did. That will make your recovery faster!” Isabel encouraged him.
“Okay, I’ll do it!”
Blake placed one hand on Isabel’s shoulder and slowly pushed himself up. Finally, he managed to stand.
“I can do it! I’ve done it!” Blake said, his face full of joy. He finally stood up!
“Congratulations! You’ve made progress again!” Isabel beamed.
“Thank you, Isabel,” Blake said gratefully. But in his excitement—and because his body wasn’t fully healed—he lost his balance and fell toward Isabel, knocking her down onto the bed.
Bang!
They were so close, and their lips met in a kiss. In that brief moment, something electric passed between them. Isabel’s heart was racing. What was happening? She had actually kissed a man.