Back at her office, she stared at her inbox, hoping for a reply—maybe about the anklet she'd lost. But there was nothing from him.
"Alright, calm down." She intertwined her fingers and smiled softly beneath the storm brewing inside her.
"Maybe he's just busy… like this morning." She nodded to herself, closing her eyes.
"That's got to be it."
She sighed, eyes drifting back to the rejected designs with the harsh red stamp: No longer needed. It felt like trauma etched on paper.
"I'll just have to speak to him in person. Besides, I wonder what's next now that he's gotten back to me after accepting the rest." She glanced out at the city skyline.
"By now, he's probably busy anyway."
"But I'll still write him an email. This is just unacceptable!"
She began typing furiously.
"Miss Best in the World... ahhh!"
Annabel's dry laughter cut through the silence as she watched her from across the room.
"Laugh while you can... after all, that's your only goal in life—to laugh at someone's mistakes on the way to greatness!"
She sneered, eyes cold.
"Miss Scavenger."
"What did you just say?"
Annabel's rage boiled over as she loomed over Tiana, eyes blazing.
"Annabel, calm down," Jennifer quickly intervened, grabbing Annabel's arm to steady her. "Doing anything now will only make you look bad. Besides, we're in her office."
Meanwhile, Tiana was practically floating on air, thrilled by her own sharp comeback.
"I didn't know I had that in me!" she grinned triumphantly.
"I'd take your lackey's advice if I were you," she shot back firmly.
"Get out of my office right now, you bunch!" her thoughts screamed as she watched them retreat.
"You'll see who's really just a bystander," Annabel hissed, casting a final, venomous glare at Tiana.
After work hours, the autumn breeze was crisp and slightly chilly. Tiana stood outside, determination shining in her eyes.
"I'm not giving up. I need this meeting with him."
Just then, she spotted Ethan walking out of the building.
"About time," she muttered, quickly striding toward him.
"Excuse me, sir," she said, forcing a bright smile.
He paused and glanced at her.
"Didn't I rejected your work?"
His blunt question felt like a heavy boulder hitting her chest. The secretary nearby shot a sidelong glance, clearly uncomfortable.
"Sure, sir. Just curious, that's all," she added, keeping her smile.
"Since you had enough time last night to be at the restaurant, I figured your work was going to be half-hearted… so I decided it was no longer needed."
With that, he turned and slipped into his car.
"Excuse?" Tiana thought as she tapped the tinted window in disbelief.
"Is still bench on my outing with Hannah?"
His cold gaze shifted back to her—there was something different, harsher this time.
"He's mad!"
She thought internally retreating.
"My apologies," she quickly added, trying to steer the conversation away. "Just wondering if my anklet was in your car?"
Her smile was genuine, but inside she froze—one wrong move and her job might be gone.
He responded without hesitation, "No.."
"And by the way," Ethan added coolly, and calmly as the engine, "my email was meant for professional purposes."
With that, the car zoomed off, leaving Tiana standing there, swallowed by a storm of disappointment, disbelief, and simmering rage.
"He's a complete jerk!" she thought bitterly.
While not far off the site was anabel, jennifer quitely watching the whole scene, as anabel bited her lip.
Meanwhile, inside the car, Ethan sighed, his mind still caught on her bright, stubborn smile, While talking on the phone.
Despite shaking it off his mind seems to have grown a bit with her bright, and stubborn smile.
" Sir, are you still there?"
A voice on his phone said.
"Go on, I'm present."
Then he glanced down at the delicate golden anklet resting on the floor.
"What a bothersome little one, isn't she?"
He held the shimmering gold thoughtfully, then commanded sharply, "Turn around!"
Meanwhile, Tiana walked slowly down the walkway, her eyes tracing the dark night sky.
"I guess he has always been out of my league..." she thought, feeling unusually downcast.
"But why do I feel so sad? Is it because of his harsh rejection, or is there something more?"
Then, to her surprise, she spotted a car parked just ahead—his car.
Was she imagining things? Had she really been affected that much?
"What are you waiting for?" His cold voice asked.
"Me?" Tiana pointed at herself, turning to look behind her. "or someone else?"
"Who else, besides you?" His gaze was colder now, yet there was something different in it—something sharper.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she said quickly, forcing a smile as she walked toward the other door.
But before she could reach it, just to be hit with, "I'm sure you're broke get a ride home."
"Okay, that wasn't just cold. That was intentional!" Tiana thought, masking her anger behind her usual sweet smile.
As she closed the door, she saw her anklet on the table between the hand rests of the chair in front of her.
"Is that mine?"
She asked, looking at her anklet and then at him.
"Who else?"
"This man!"
She thought, looking at his unreadable expression as he stared out the window.
"I'm sorry, I was just taken aback. After all, a man as good-looking as you looks like you have a girlfriend."
She said, grabbing her anklet.
"Now let's confirm if he's single."
She thought, only to be shocked by his response.
"It's yours, right? So why bother with such questions?"
He glanced at her briefly.
"Besides, I don't date women with such baby feet!"
That landed heavier than Tiana expected.
"This he just called me a baby?!"