Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 365

Her words cast a dead silence over the conference room.

Yolande's smile froze on her face.

She had specifically commissioned a master designer for this work.

And now this woman was giving her such a verdict!

If this weren't her first visit, Yolande would have suspected she had a personal vendetta against her.

Eleanor gathered her things, preparing to leave.

She had seen plenty of designs like this in the Silvermere fashion scene.

But she didn't like a single one of them.

Eleanor had hoped that by returning to her home country, she would find the wedding dress she dreamed of.

She hadn't expected the materials and silhouettes offered by this company to be even worse than the drafts she'd commissioned in Silvermere.

"Miss Eleanor, I'm very sorry we didn't meet your expectations. Our company has many other experienced designers. Please, reconsider," Bagehot pleaded, trying to salvage the situation.

Yolande had been feeling terribly guilty about losing the five-million-dollar deal yesterday.

She had come to him this morning, insisting on meeting the client in Celestine's place. He had initially refused.

But Yolande had kept telling him how her conscience was tormented by costing the company such a huge opportunity.

Plus, she had come well-prepared with sketches of a wedding dress.

What truly swayed him was that the drafts showed significant effort and a high level of design skill.

That was why he had agreed to let her join the meeting.

He never imagined the client would reject them so swiftly, without leaving any room for negotiation.

With just a few words, she had essentially torn Yolande's work to shreds.

"There's no need."

"Celestine."

As the name fell, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Eleanor's gaze shifted to Yolande, a smirk playing on her lips. "What's going on? Care to explain? I don't have time to play word games with you. I thought Kismet Collective would surprise me, but all I've found is a bunch of clever-for-nothing fools."

Eleanor's rebuke was merciless.

Yolande burst into tears.

Bagehot cursed inwardly while apologizing profusely.

At the same time, he silently blamed Celestine. How could she show up at this moment?!

If she hadn't come, at least Eleanor wouldn't have discovered their little bait and switch.

"What's all this?" Celestine asked, feigning confusion. "I wasn't feeling well and had to use the restroom, which is why I was delayed. I apologize, Miss Eleanor. I think my colleague may have misunderstood my intentions."

Celestine's voice was calm as she spoke, but her tone carried an undeniable air of authority.