Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounters
1047 Words
Golden light poured into Sophia’s bedroom through the slatted blinds. The jolt jostled her from a slumber, her alarm buzzing frantically toward her bedside table. She rubbed her eyes, looked at the clock and groaned. She had overslept.
Today was a big day. She was to present her final designs to the executives at Luxura, the luxury fashion conglomerate that had hired her to create her most recent collection. The long, tailored blazer framing her face matched with a pair of slim trousers, she grabbed her portfolio, rushed out the door, mind already racing through presentation points.
The trek to Luxura’s headquarters had been a maelstrom of traffic and caffeine. She fretted her way there, though made herself take a deep breath when she arrived. There was nothing that she could afford to let distract her today.
When she arrived at the lifts, she noticed a disturbance near the private lift at the far end of the lobby. A group of dark-suited men were stepping purposefully, cutting the crowd. A tall, well-known figure stepped coldly into their backs, filling the room without effort.
Ethan Carter.
He stylishly sported a well-tailored, dark gray suit and a meticulously knotted tie. An aide sprinted along, whispering his schedule. Ethan listened, his face unreadable, until he suddenly stopped, his eyes lifting, like he’d sensed her.
Their eyes met.
And for a brief moment, the world held its breath. Sophia gasped, clutching her portfolio tightly with her fingers. His first eyes were cold and distance just as they had been at the gala but he had caught something else now — a blink of recognition, perhaps, or something deeper she had not words for.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, Ethan veered away and stepped onto the private lift without saying a word. The doors closed behind her and Sophia was left standing with the panic ringing in her chest.
She blinked, as if to clear the instant from her brain. What was he doing here? The only tea-leaf reading she'd heard was that Luxura had been bought out by a large conglomerate; she hadn't had a moment to digest that news.
He was the new owner.
“No, no, no,” she said to herself when she reached the public lift. “Please tell me I don’t have to work with him for the next few months.
She tried to pull herself together as the lift rose. Ethan, world-famed industrialist, was the CEO of the biggest conglomerates. He wouldn't have the bandwidth to micromanage one design project. She would present to the team and solicit their feedback, and move on. It was simple.
As she walked through the doors, she was greeted by a gleaming, modern office, all glass and steel. She sat up in the office, walked into the conference room where Meredith Employees awaited.
"Sophia! “Right on time,” said Meredith, smiling warmly. “The team should be here any minute now. “you can set yourself up while we wait. ”
Sophia nodded as she set her laptop on the table and plugged it into the projector. In the first seconds of her presentation, she was left to look at the empty seat at the head of the table.
“Is the boss with us today?” she said casually, maintaining a light tone.
Meredith shrugged. "It depends on his mood. “He’s had back-to-back meetings this morning, so hard to say.”
Sophia nodded, and she was just about to ask a new question when the door burst open and the room went still.
Suddenly Ethan entered the scene, heads turned. He was traveling with a small entourage, including the aforementioned assistant. Meredith got up and gestured to the empty seat at the head of the table.
“Mr Carter, this is Sophia Lane, the designer we’ve been working with for the new collection,” Meredith said.
Ethan turned to Sophia, his expression impassive. “I know,” he said blandly as he took a seat.
Her heart leapt but Sophia pulled herself together. She was not going to let him distract her. Not here, not now.
She sat up and peeled her blazer off, a well-fitting shirt that flattered her figure. Her heels clicked softly against floor as she edged toward the front of the room. The room turned to her, and for a moment she felt she could start her speech.
“Thank you all for being here today,” she began, her voice steady. “We are excited to the some the theme of the collection as ‘Eco-Chic: Fashion for a Sustainable Future’. “My designs stem from the concept of luxury and environmental awareness, with the use of responsibly sourced materials and unique techniques to reduce waste.”
As she was speaking, she was painfully conscious of Ethan sitting there watching her. His face expressed nothing, but he kept his eyes on her. She tried to block him out, concentrating instead on the slides and the other executives’ responses.
But as she reviewed her notes, she felt an uneasiness deepen. Ethan stayed in the background of her soliloquies. Something in her was aware he was critiquing and assaying her, and that left her reconsidering every sentence she ever said.
When she finally finished, the room erupted into polite applause. Meredith smiled, impressed, but Sophia's eyes found Ethan.
He crossed his fingers in front of him and sat back in his chair. “Oh, interesting,” he replied with a cool, measured voice. "But I have some concerns."
Sophia's heart sank. She expected feedback, just not that type from him. Not like this.
“Of course,” she said, lip trembling. “I would be happy to respond to your concerns.”
Her heart dropped into her stomach, the way he looked at her so intently, she feared he could look right through the false wall she erected around herself and into her heart.
“The team is going to talk about it,” he said, his tone allowing for no argument. “But for now, thanks for listening.”
As Sophia got up at the conclusion of the meeting, her brain swirling while she gathered her things. Well, this was going to be more difficult than she realized.
- Writer
