Chapter 14
Ruby’s frustration finally boiled over. With one violent sweep of her arm, she sent stacks of documents flying off her desk, crashing to the floor. The sudden commotion turned heads throughout the open-concept design studio, all eyes swiveling toward her glass-walled office. Catching their stares, Ruby stormed to the door and slammed it shut with enough force to rattle the framed design awards on her wall. Outside, the team exchanged meaningful glances.
“So, who’s volunteering to tell the Ice Queen about the design competition?” Rachel whispered, eyebrows raised. Everyone immediately found something fascinating to look at on their screens. Nobody wanted to be Ruby’s emotional punching bag today. The co-director, James, sighed heavily. “I’ll take one for the team.” He carefully navigated the paper carnage and placed the competition brief on what little clear space remained on Ruby’s desk.
“The company’s entered the National Jewelry Design Awards,” he explained cautiously. “Dylan specifically requested that you spearhead our submission.”
At the mention of Dylan’s name, Ruby’s demeanor shifted subtly. She snatched up the brief, scanning it quickly before dismissing him with a flick of her wrist. “That’ll be all.”
The design competition brought a rare period of productivity. For nearly a week, Ruby actually stayed in her office working, emerging only for coffee refills. She’d sketch intensely for hours, only to violently rip the page, crumple it into a ball, and launch it toward her already overflowing trash can.
The uncomfortable truth was that Ruby’s technical skills were amateur at best. Her college awards meant nothing in a department staffed with industry veterans who had decades of experience. If she’d swallowed her pride and collaborated with the team, they might have created something remarkable. But Ruby was obsessed with proving herself superior to Harper, so she insisted on working completely solo. Her appointment as Director had been Dylan’s decision, against unanimous opposition. Everyone assumed she’d gotten the job solely through favoritism. She needed to show them all that she had twice Harper Coulson’s talent.
While desperately searching for inspiration in Dylan’s office one evening, Ruby discovered an exquisite hand-drawn sketch tucked in his desk drawer. “Who designed this?” she asked casually, holding up the meticulously detailed ring drawing.
Dylan recognized it instantly as Harper’s work. The memory rushed back with surprising clarity—Harper bursting into his office, eyes bright with excitement as she presented her sketch. “Dylan, I’m calling it Primavera. See how the setting mimics cherry blossoms? I thought maybe for the spring collection—”
“Jesus, Harper, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?” he’d snapped, barely glancing up before tossing the sketch aside. Her smile had crumbled, but she’d quietly placed the design back on the edge of his desk before slipping out without another word.
Now, staring at the sketch, Dylan felt an unexpected twinge of… something. “It’s Harper’s,” he finally answered. A flash of pure venom crossed Ruby’s face before she quickly composed herself, setting the sketch down with calculated nonchalance.
“Did you ever produce it?” she pressed.
Dylan wasn’t sure what she was getting at, but answered honestly, “No.” After a beat, he added, “She designed it specifically for use.”
The following week, Ruby proudly submitted her competition entry to Dylan. As he examined the design, a sense of déjà vu nagged at him. The ring bore a striking resemblance to Harper’s “Primavera” concept, with just enough modifications to mask the inspiration. He’d spent years trying to remove Harper from his life, yet lately found himself thinking about her constantly. He hesitated, conflicted. Despite recognizing the ethical issue with Ruby’s design, he decided to let it slide.
“Nice work,” he said instead. “When this competition wraps up, maybe we should get away somewhere. The Hamptons, perhaps.”
Ruby’s head snapped up, eyes widening with undisguised triumph. The relationship had been cooling for weeks, and despite their official status, she sensed that Dylan’s thoughts still drifted to Harper more often than he’d admit. His attitude toward his former admirer wasn’t nearly as hostile as he pretended. This made Ruby desperate to cement her position. A romantic getaway could be exactly what they needed. She slid closer, leaning in for a kiss, only to feel Dylan’s hand on her shoulder, gently but firmly creating distance.
“We’re at the office,” he reminded her, reaching for another file. His tone cooled noticeably as he added, “If there’s nothing else, the team’s waiting for you downstairs.”