“You think this is just about the necklace?” Sophie wails. “It’s my show, my design, my reputation—it’s all on the line.”
Leilani nods calmly as she desperately tries to think of a way to save the situation.
“Actually, I think it’s good,” she says. She takes the broken necklace and holds it up to the light. “This is more interesting. It’s different, and it makes a statement. Everyone has been talking about how avant-garde and provocative this show is supposed to be, so why not give them something truly surprising?”
Sophie looks intently at the necklace. “You think?” she asks.
“Yes,” Leilani says. “Let the necklace tell a story. Perhaps it belonged to a human woman. The vampire fell in love with her, but he desperately wanted her blood. He fought his instincts for so long, but one night she kissed him, and he lost control. He bit her neck and broke the necklace. She died, and now he keeps the necklace to remember his lost love.”
“That’s quite a story,” Sophie says. “But what will I do with all these loose jewels?”
“Why not glue the scattered gems to his face and at the corners of his mouth?” Leilani says. “He can carry the necklace in his hand as he walks the runway.”
“Oh, very good,” Sophie says. “Are you sure I don’t know you from somewhere? Have we worked together before?”
A makeup assistant rushes over and glues the jewels to Bryan’s face. As Bryan moves his head, the jewels catch the light. The red rubies at the corners of his mouth look like drops of blood. Sophie hands Bryan the broken necklace and steps back to study the look.
Slowly, she breaks into a smile. “Oh, this is lovely,” she says. “This show is going to be such a success!”
Leilani exhales with relief and gives Bryan a fierce glance. He smiles calmly without any trace of guilt.
“Behave yourself,” Leilani whispers, “Or I swear to God, I’ll tell your mother about all you’ve been up to.”
Leilani glances down and sees that Bryan’s cape is crooked. She tries to straighten it, but Bryan flinches away in pain. She tugs his collar again and undoes the top button on his shirt. She sucks in her breath: his collarbone is purple with bruises.
“Did you get into a fight?” she asks.
He looks down at the floor. “It was an accident,” he says.
“I don’t believe you,” Leilani says. “What kind of an accident only hurts your collarbone?”
She looks at his chest and notices a small wooden pendant tied with a red thread. She wants to ask him about the necklace, but the assistant grabs his arm and leads him toward the stage.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Sophie says to Leilani. “You’ve completely saved my show. What’s your name?”
“I’m Leilani”
“Have you studied jewelry design, Leilani?” Sophie asks. “Because I think you’d be a great addition to my team.”
“Oh no, it’s just an interest of mine,” Leilani says.
“Well, that’s too bad,” Sophie says, “But why don’t you come to watch the show with me?”
Waylen tugs his tie off and throws it onto his desk. It lands on a pile of photos showing Leilani and Bryan backstage. In one photo, she has her hand on his arm; in others, she tugs his cape, and in a third, she seems to unbutton his shirt. Waylen knows jealousy is irrational—Bryan is practically her brother—but he hates seeing her touch other men.
It’s especially unfair when I can’t even touch her myself, he thinks. I can’t believe I ever agreed to Robert’s stupid idea. He closes his eyes and rubbed his temples. “This is a nightmare,” he says.
“I know it’s difficult, Mr. Bamford,” Robert said, “But the plan is working. Your grandfather has calmed a bit, and that’s a good sign.”
Waylen’s scowl deepens and swipes the photos of his desk.
“Think about Leilani,” Robert advises, “This is all for her sake. You know your grandfather thinks she’s a threat to the family, and you know what he’s capable of. If he wanted to, he could make her disappear as easily as Diana. The child in her belly is the only thing protecting her, and even that might not be enough.”
Waylen sighs. He hates to admit it, but Robert has a point. Francis Bamford is a ruthless man, and Waylen knows he’d have no problem getting rid of Leilani. He angrily tugs his hair and grits his teeth. It’s humiliating to be so powerless, he thinks. All I want to do is protect the woman I love, but I can’t even protect her from my own grandfather. “I want to talk to him,” Waylen says aloud.
“To your grandfather?” Robert asks. “I don’t think he’s in the country right now.”
Waylen grabs Robert’s phone and dials his grandfather’s number, but the phone goes straight to voicemail.
Leilani shifts uneasily in her seat. She wants to focus on the show, but she can’t help wondering about Veronica. She scans the faces in the crowd, but she doesn’t see Veronica anywhere.
Cannons fire thick smoke into the audience, creating an eerie atmosphere and hiding the crowd. Lights flicker and the models strut across the catwalk. As they walk, their jewelry catches the light. The audience gasps, and cameras flash. By the end of the show, the crowd is buzzing with excitement.
Sophie Johnson steps onto the stage, and thanks to everyone for their support. She explains the concept behind her show and talks at great length about the importance of storytelling. When she tells Leilani’s story about the vampire, the crowd goes wild. She waves her hand to silence them and smiles at Leilani.
“Before I leave you all this evening, I want to thank some very special people,” Sophie says. “First of all, I’d like to thank Leilani for inspiring me. I’d also like to take a moment to pay tribute to Olivia Peters. She was my greatest friend and a constant inspiration for me. Though she’s no longer with us, her vision lives on in my work.”
Leilani feels her entire body stiffen. Did she just say my mother’s name? Leilani thinks. Wait, earlier Sophie said I remind her of someone—could she have been thinking of my mother?
“I’d like to honor my dear friend by including her work in my show,” Sophie says. “I have a few images of her designs I’d like to share with you tonight.” She waves her hands, and a projector lowers from the ceiling. The lights dim, and images appear on the walls behind the runway.
The audience immediately begins to whisper, and Leilani can feel the blood rising in her face. The pictures aren’t jewelry, but photos of Leilani and Andrew together. One photo shows them shopping for lingerie together, and another zooms in one the handcuffs around their wrists. Yet another photo shows her kissing him on the cheek. The images flicker, and change and Leilani hide her face in her hands.
“I had no idea Leilani and Andrew were an item,” someone whispers behind her.
“No wonder Waylen is divorcing her,” another person says, “She’s absolutely shameless.”
“Look at that picture!” another voice says. “Is it just me, or does that couple buying lingerie together look like Waylen and Leonie?”
Sophie runs off the stage to talk to the technicians, and the projector shuts off. But it’s too late: the crowd has already seen the photos, and many people have taken pictures with their phones. Leilani sinks lower in her chair, but the paparazzi have spotted her.
“Leilani, Leilani, are you and Mr. Clifford together?” one reporter asks. “Will we hear wedding bells soon?”
“Can you tell us about your divorce?” another asks.
Leilani keeps her hands over her face and shakes her head miserably. The paparazzi crowd around her, and she can see the bright flash of their cameras from between her fingers. She finally looked up when she feels a warm hand on her arm.
“I’ve got this,” Bryan says quietly to her. Then he raises his voice, “That’s enough. Stop crowding her. Back off!”
The photographers and reporters ignore Bryan and the crowd closer.
“What’s your relationship with Bryan?” one of them asks.
“How many boyfriends do you really have?” taunts another.
“No comment,” Leilani says, hating how weak her voice sounds.
“Make way, make way,” Leonie shouts, pushing her way through the crowd.
Bryan’s face flashes with immediate recognition. “That bitch,” he whispers. “Did she do this to you?”
Before Leilani can respond, he stretches out his leg tot rip Leonie. She stumbles and drops her purse, and her wallet, makeup, and papers spilled across the floor. The paparazzi grab her things like vultures.
“Oh my god, is this a pregnancy test?” one shouts, “Leonie, are you pregnant?”
“Is it Mr. Bamford’s child?” asks another.
Leonie smiles sweetly and looks down at her shoes. The crowd explodes, and the cameras flash.
“Leonie, Leonie, how long have you and Waylen been together?” a reporter asks.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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