She Showed His Diamond, I Broke Up

Chapter 2

Julian's assistant, Robin Powell, pulled up in front of Lumina Group and handed me a gray folder. "Mr. Stone has asked that you review the statement first. He'd appreciate it if you kept the tone amicable."

I didn't take it. "Did Lexi delete her post?"

Robin pulled the folder back a little. "Ms. Chase has already set her post to private. Mr. Stone believes if you clear it up, it'll kill the rumors."

The glass door to the conference room was ajar. Lexi sat right next to the head seat, the center stone on her collarbone gleaming even brighter than in her photo.

Seeing me, she shot up instantly, her eyes perfectly rimmed with red. "Mrs. Stone, I'm so sorry. I was being immature last night. That caption was honestly just a joke. Julian had been busy dealing with it all night. Please don't be mad at him because of me."

Julian flipped through a physical portfolio, not even bothering to look up. "Call me Mr. Stone."

Lexi bit her lower lip. "Mr. Stone."

I pulled out a chair. "Where's my seat?"

The PR Director, Hannah Blake, pointed to a row of chairs against the wall. "Mrs. Stone, today is an internal review. You're just sitting in as a family member."

The portfolio was passed down to me. The Aurora Collection was showcased on the cover. Inside, the opening page listed Lexi as Lead Designer on the first line, followed by Julian as Brand Consultant on the second.

My name was at the very bottom, buried under three cold words: Special Thanks To.

I pushed the book back. "That star-track facet design was a piece left by my mother. It took me 7 whole months to refine it."

Julian finally raised his eyes. "You haven't held a position in the company since we got married. If we put your name on it, it will trigger an audit. Lexi is in charge of executing the project, so the title naturally belongs to her."

"So I just got a note of thanks?" I asked.

"Chloe, don't fuss over titles in a meeting," Julian said, capping his pen. "The company has scaled up. We can't run it like a mom-and-pop shop anymore."

Lexi chimed in softly. "Mrs. Stone, I can give up the credit. Just please don't make things difficult for Mr. Stone. The investors are coming this afternoon, and they're buying into the narrative of a young, up-and-coming designer."

Hannah slid the PR statement in front of me. "All you need to say is that both the center and accent stones are company samples, and last night's post was a misunderstanding. Later, we'll arrange an internal photo shoot with you and Ms. Chase. Once the two stones are seen together, the rumors will die down."

"You want me to stand next to her and prove that I'm just the accent stone?" I questioned.

Julian tapped his fingers on the desk twice. "That's product grading, not a personal attack. If you insist on victimizing yourself, no one can save your dignity."

The room fell dead silent. A few design assistants kept their heads down, rustling their papers as quietly as possible.

I stood up. "I want my mother's original manuscript back."

"It's already been archived," Julian replied and slipped a new key into his pocket. "The archive room has a new access system. All documents are Lumina Group's assets. If you want to see them, submit a formal request."

"That's not what you said 3 years ago," I said.

"3 years ago, I was just trying to make you happy," he uttered and leaned back in his chair, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing a cheap side diamond. "Now, I have to be responsible for the company."

After the review, Lexi brushed past me, hugging the portfolio. The clasp of the center stone caught the light.

She lowered her voice, dropping it to a whisper meant only for me. "Mrs. Stone, Mr. Stone is soft-hearted. That's why he saved the accent stone for you. If you keep holding that old manuscript over his head, he's going to get totally sick of you."

I didn't look back.

Underneath the conference table lay a crumpled old photograph. It must have fallen out of her portfolio.

In the photo, Julian was standing in front of the Scodina Design Expo. The girl next to him wore a student badge, smiling radiantly.

The back was filled with handwriting in dark blue ink: Keep the center stone for me until I graduate.

The date was exactly one week before Julian and I got our marriage license at City Hall.