Chapter 14
Chapter 14:
Sarah shook her head and watched Lila strut away with a smirk. “Don’t let her get to you. She won’t have the crown long p>
Once Lila was out of earshot, Sarah leaned in, her excitement practically fizzing. “You seriously haven’t heard the news? Pinnacle Group is about to buy us out p>
That stopped Sophie cold. Every jewelry designer dreamed about the Pinnacle Group. The Dranland-based powerhouse dominated luxury markets everywhere and had their hands in everything.
Luxury ran in the Pinnacle Group’s veins. Their jewelry collections set the standard for elegance, and royalty from all over the world wore their pieces. Whispers in the industry said every design had to get the green light straight from the top—the elusive founder who never set foot in the spotlight.
Scoring a place with Pinnacle Group and impressing their legendary founder was the ultimate win for any designer, and Sophie was no exception. Nobody really knew anything about the person in charge. The founder’s identity was locked up tighter than the company’s vault.
Sarah’s chatter continued as she filled Sophie in. “Who would’ve guessed they’d plant their flag in our city? Now everyone’s on edge. The slackers are on the chopping block, and the hiring doors are swinging wide open p>
Sales didn’t scare Sarah. Her track record was solid. But she shot Sophie a look of genuine concern. “It’s rougher for designers. There’s talk of a live design test. You’ve got to come up with something brand new, right then and there. But hey, if anyone can pull it off, it’s you p>
She put on a mischievous smile. “If anyone needs to panic, it’s Lila. The new boss will see every single entry. No way she can fake her way through this one p>
Lila owed her spot to family connections in HR, but everyone knew she left her real work for others to clean up—usually Sophie. That safety net wouldn’t be there this time.
The 𝘣𝗲𝗌𝘁 𝘳e𝘢𝘥𝗶𝘯𝗴 е𝘹𝗽е𝗿i𝘦𝘯c𝘦 о𝗇.с𝗼𝗆
Once Sarah headed back to her desk, Sophie dug through the details for the big test. The company kept the theme under wraps until the last second, and only a handful of designers would make the cut.
A single note at the bottom caught her attention. Outstanding submissions could mean a promotion.
Suddenly, holding on to her job didn’t feel like enough. She wanted to climb higher, bring home a bigger paycheck, and prove what she was capable of. After all, there was more than just herself to think about now.
As the office lights faded, Sophie made her way home, half-expecting Adrian to be there. The apartment was empty, and she wondered what kept him out.
Heavy knocks echoed through the hallway, pulling her from her thoughts.
“Did you forget your keys?” Sophie called out, ready to tease. She swung the door open, but the smile vanished from her face when she saw the person waiting outside.