The Fashion House Fued

Chapter four: The vevlet war

The diamond covered dress on the stage caught the light of the lights above making it shine like a million knives that cut through the quiet room.

Victoria Thorne.

Just her name was like a money machine, a legacy made from money shipping companies that would stop at nothing and a heart that was as cold as the ocean. She stood with a microphone near her lips her blonde hair styled in a perfect bob. Next to her Richard Sterling stood tall his worry replaced by a smug and mean look.

Stephen did not just stop moving his whole body became like stone under his blue suit. He slowly got up from his knee his hands dropping from the bottom of Kaceys pants. The sadness that had made his gray eyes shine a moment ago was gone, replaced by an old and dark fear that Kacey had never seen before.

Kaceys heart felt like it was falling into a hole. She looked at the woman on the stage at Stephens pale face. *The woman he was supposed to marry.* The words echoed in her head, loud and clear like a noise.

"Stephen " Kacey whispered, her voice barely audible. "Who is she?"

Stephen did not look at Kacey. He could not. The shame coming from him was like a cloud that made it hard to breathe. "Kacey it's not... It's a business deal. It was signed by our fathers three years ago. It's a piece of paper."

"A piece of paper that gives me control over twenty percent of your fathers company, darling " Victorias voice came through the speakers as she walked down the stairs. The crowd parted for her the murmurs rising to a noise. The press was taking pictures like crazy the flashes going off like fireworks.

Victoria stopped a feet away from them. She did not look at Kacey with anger she looked at her with an distant amusement like one might look at a stray cat that had wandered into a fancy restaurant. Then her eyes moved to the suit Stephen was wearing.

"I must say, the way its made is very good " Victoria said, her eyes scanning the fit of the dark blue jacket. ". A deal made when one person is not thinking clearly is easy to challenge Stephen. Especially when the rules say that any big changes to the company require my signature alongside your fathers."

Victoria turned her blue eyes to Kacey, a mean and perfect smile on her face. "The old law is like a ghost, Miss Vaughan.. Ghosts do not hold up in court against a real business deal. The sale is final. My signature is already on the papers."

The room felt like it was spinning. Kacey felt like the floor was moving under her feet. The beautiful green suit she wore felt heavy and suffocating like armor that had rusted around her skin. She looked at Stephen. He was staring at Victoria his jaw clenched tight a muscle was moving under his skin.

"You did not tell me " Kacey said, her voice cracking, the pain cutting through her face. "You told me you were trying to save the shop. You told me you did not know your father was targeting the block.. You forgot to mention you belong to someone else."

"I do not belong to her!" Stephen said, finally turning to Kacey, his eyes desperate and pleading. "The engagement was a business deal. I have not seen her in six months. I was working with my lawyers to end the deal before the year—"

"But you did not end it did you?" Kacey interrupted, a tear falling down her cheek. "You let me measure you. You let me touch you. You sat in my shop drinking my coffee watching me work hard on a suit to save my fathers memory while you had a rich woman waiting to sign the papers."

"Kacey, no—"

"Do not touch me Mr. Sterling " she whispered, stepping back out of his reach. The space between them felt like a hole, a vast and uncrossable distance of wealth lies and business wars.

Richard Sterling walked down the stairs joining Victoria. He looked at his son with satisfaction. "Security I think I told you to remove the person who does not belong. Take Miss Vaughan out through the door. We have a press conference to finish."

This time the guards did not hesitate. Two big men in suits stepped forward their heavy hands grabbing Kaceys shoulders.

"Get your hands off her!" Stephen shouted, moving forward. His fathers security team immediately stopped him three large men holding his arms back.

"Let him go!" Kacey cried out struggling against the guards pulling her backward. "Do not touch him!"

"Stephen stop this show " Richard commanded, his voice loud over the noise. "You have embarrassed this family enough for one night. Victoria read the statement."

"With pleasure Richard " Victoria said, stepping toward the podium.

Kacey was pulled backward through the crowd of staring people her eyes locked on Stephen. He was fighting the three guards with an terrifying strength, the perfect seams of the dark blue jacket straining against his broad shoulders but he could not break free. The press cameras flashed relentlessly capturing the end of her shop her legacy and her heart.

Just as the guards pushed her through the doors into the cold corridor Kacey looked back one last time. Stephen had stopped fighting. He was standing still his eyes fixed on the space where she had just been his face a mask of absolute devastation.

The heavy doors slammed shut, cutting off the noise of the room.

The rain outside the hotel was strong a flood that matched the numbness spreading through Kaceys veins. She did not call a taxi. She did not care about the suit getting wet. She walked.

By the time she reached Mayfair the green suit was heavy with water clinging to her skin like a weight. The streets were dark the cobblestones shining under the warm light of the gas lamps. She stood across the street from her shop.

The gold letters on the glass. Her grandfathers handwriting. Looked so fragile. Through the window she could see the glow of the shop lamps she had forgotten to turn off. It looked like a beacon of a life that was already over. In less than twenty-four hours the bulldozers would arrive. The wooden walls would be broken into pieces. The cutting table her father had taught her on would be thrown away.

She crossed the street her keys shaking much in her wet hands that it took three tries to unlock the door. The bell above the door rang a note as she stepped inside.

The smell of steam, old wood and wool rushed to greet her. It no longer felt like a safe place. It felt like a funeral.

Kacey walked over to the cutting table her knees finally giving out. She collapsed against the wood burying her face in her arms and let the screams of heartbreak out into the empty room. She had fought hard. She had broken her fingers stayed up for seventy-two hours straight and humiliated herself in front of the city all because she had allowed herself to believe that a bad person could love a good thing.

"He lied to me " she sobbed into the wool of her sleeves. "He lied to me."

The old clock in the corner ticked away the minutes, a countdown to her ruin.

An hour passed. Then two.

At 2:00 AM the quiet of the shop was shattered by the loud squeal of tires on the wet cobblestones outside.

Kacey lifted her head, her eyes. Red. Through the rain-streaked window she saw a black sports car stop at the curb. The door. A figure ran out into the rain sprinting toward the shop door.

The lock clicked. The door was thrown open with much force it banged against the wall the bell ringing frantically.

Stephen stood in the doorway.

He was completely different, from the rich man who had stood on the stage. The dark blue jacket was gone. His white shirt was torn at the collar the tie missing. His chest was heaving as if he had run across the entire city. He was completely wet his dark hair plastered to his forehead his gray eyes wild, bloodshot and frantic.

Kacey scrambled backward backing up against the row of fabric bolts. "Get out " she breathed, her voice raw. "I told you to get out Stephen. Have you not taken enough from me?"

Stephen did not say a word. He did not offer an explanation or an apology. Instead he marched across the room his heavy boots thudding against the floor until he reached the cutting table.

Stephen grabbed his leather briefcase. Slammed it down onto the table. He opened it. Dumped all the papers out. There were lots of documents, corporate briefs and financial statements all over the place.

"Look at these papers Kacey " Stephen said, his voice shaking. "Look at them Kacey they are all my documents."

"I do not care about your business deals " Kacey said, crying. "I do not want to hear about them."

"It is not a business deal " Stephen said, his hands hitting the table. "It is my resignation. It is my notice to leave the company. It is the bank account numbers for the Hanover trust. I gave them to the government an hour ago. I gave them all the papers."

Kacey was shocked. "What are you talking about?"

Stephen looked up at her his eyes empty. He did not look like the man. He looked like a man who had lost everything.

"I told the truth about my company " Stephen said, his voice quiet. "I told the press that my company was doing things. I gave the papers to the police."

Kacey stared at him she could not believe what he was saying. "Stephen, what about your family what about your money?"

"I do not have any money now " Stephen said, smiling. "My family is very angry with me. They are suing me.. I do not care, because I did the right thing."

He walked over to her his clothes all wet. He did not try to touch her he just stood there.

"I told you I would fix this " Stephen said, crying. "I told you I would make it right. My family built a company but it was all wrong. You showed me that, Kacey. You showed me that I was living a life."

He got down on his knees his hands on the floor.

"I do not have a company anymore Kacey " Stephen said, crying. "I do not have any money.. I have my hands and I have my heart. My heart belongs to you if you will still have me."

Kacey looked down at him she was crying too. The man who was once mean to her was now on his knees crying.

She reached down. Touched his face wiping the water away. Stephen put his face in her hands he was crying hard.

"You are very silly " Kacey said, smiling. "You are very silly Stephen."

Kacey pulled him up. Stephen put his arms around her kissing her. It was a kiss it was like he was trying to tell her something.

When he stopped kissing her they were both breathing hard.

"The people who own the building are still going to make us leave tomorrow " Kacey said, smiling.

But Stephen just smiled he had a plan. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

"I stopped them " Stephen said, giving her the paper. "I went to court. Stopped them from making us leave. We have six months to make a plan."

Kacey was so happy she was laughing. "Six months that is a time."

"Yes it is " Stephen said, smiling. "We can make a plan we can make a new life. We can buy this building. Make it our own."

Kacey laughed she was so happy. "You do not even know how to cut fabric, Stephen."

"I will learn " Stephen said, kissing her again. "I will do anything for you Kacey."

then the door opened and a big man, with a scary face walked in. He was holding an iron stick.

"Stephen Sterling " the man said, his voice mean. "Your father sent me. He said if we cannot destroy the building we can destroy you.”