Chapter 54

Agnes

Within a few days, everything I had ordered finally arrived: new cushions, a couple of armchairs, plants, lamps, ergonomic desk supplies, and more. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to shift the design department from a cluttered chaos to something cozier and more conducive to work.

Once everything had arrived, I enlisted a few willing employees to help me set things up. Together, we pushed tables into clusters, arranged seating areas with comfortable cushions, and placed the new coffee machine prominently in the corner where the old, broken one had once stood.

“Good riddance!” a female employee shouted, eliciting cheers from the others, as she chucked the old coffee machine into the garbage.

After that, the atmosphere shifted almost instantly. The employees were visibly happier, too; they smiled more, chatted more, and even started to linger during their breaks instead of rushing off to escape the harsh glow of the fluorescent lights.

By the end of my first week as the new manager of the design department, it was as if the entire space had shifted for the better.

To celebrate our little victory and start brainstorming for our next project, I decided to surprise everyone with a pizza party on Friday. It wasn’t anything fancy—just a couple of large pies from the pack’s favorite local spot, some sodas, and a couple of side dishes.

But when I announced the arrival of the food, it was like I had just told everyone that they would each be receiving a million dollars. Everyone was so excited that they were practically shoving each other out of the way to get to the conference room, and I had to jump back, laughing, to avoid getting my hands bitten off the moment I put the food down.

“Alright,” I said, raising my voice just enough to quiet the chatter. “Now that you’re all fed and caffeinated, let’s get down to business.”

A few chuckles rippled through the group, but they quieted quickly and turned their attention to me.

“I didn’t just call you here for pizza. I called you here because I want to hear your ideas,” I continued, looking around the table. “We have an amazing opportunity to make a real impact with this department, and I want us to use it for something meaningful. So, what do you think? What should we focus on next?”

At first, there were a few hesitant murmurs. We tossed around ideas for a while, everything ranging from a basic line of boots for the fall season to a wedding gown collection to complete before wedding season in the spring.

But then someone suggested creating a line of clothes for underprivileged mothers and children—pieces that would be functional, versatile, and beautiful.

“Underprivileged mothers still deserve to look and feel attractive in their clothes,” she suggested. “But practicality is also important—something that can save parents money in the long run.”

That idea caught fire.

Soon, the conference room was a din of voices, my arm aching from how fast I was scribbling notes across the whiteboard. Within an hour, we had the basic outline for an entire collection of all-weather clothing, featuring designs like funky pants that could zip into shorts and thermal tops that were both stylish and practical.

By the time we wrapped up our brainstorming session, we had the foundation of a plan for our new line. First order of business: sketch ideas and reconvene next week to go over them.

After that, we planned to start setting up a fashion show both to debut the pieces and serve as a fundraiser. Then, once we earned enough from the show to produce a wide selection of pieces, we would host a clothing drive to hand out free bundles to underprivileged families.

With that settled, I dismissed the meeting. The employees began to filter out of the conference room, chatting eagerly about their ideas.

But just as I was gathering the notes from the meeting, the door creaked open, and I turned to see Ava standing there with a box of office supplies in her arms.

“I’ve been moved to this department,” she said flatly.

I froze, my initial instinct to roll my eyes and tell her to get the hell out of my face. But then I saw the papers she was holding in her free hand. She held them up, her lips curving into that faint smirk I knew all too well.

“Don’t worry, Agnes,” she purred. “It’s official.”

I took a step closer, snatching the papers from her to read them. Sure enough, the transfer from her original department to this one was legitimate. Signed off by one of Ava’s superiors.

“I see,” I said evenly, handing the papers back to her.

Inside, though, I was fuming. Did Elijah know about this? If he did, why didn’t he tell me? And why her, of all people? Ava had no interest in fashion design, and she would only serve as a thorn in my side.

I’d have to talk to him about it later. If he already knew about this and didn’t warn me, then I’d have to make it clear how disappointed I was.

Still, I wasn’t about to give Ava the satisfaction of seeing me or my employees lose my cool. If there was one thing Ava wanted, it was to see me screw up. And I still had to play the role of a kind and gracious Luna, and so I straightened my spine and forced a polite smile.

“Welcome to the design department, Ava,” I said, shaking her hand. “We’re happy to have you.”

Ava’s eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised by my response. When she pulled her hand back, she looked almost disgusted, as if I’d just given her cooties.

“Really? I figured you’d be running to Alpha Elijah to have me reassigned by now.”

I resisted the urge to snap back. “I’m not interested in feuds in the workplace, Ava. If you’re here to work, then let’s just try to focus on that and put our differences behind us during work hours.”

She shrugged and carried her box to an empty desk, dropping it onto the surface with a loud thud. “Whatever you say, Luna.”

I clenched my jaw, choosing to ignore the sarcasm in her voice. This wasn’t about her—or me, for that matter. The department needed to succeed, and if that meant swallowing my pride and working with my hateful sister, then so be it.

But I’d still be giving Elijah a thorough talking-to that night.

Close to five o’clock, in my office, I sat at my desk with a blank sketchpad in front of me. My head was swirling with ideas, but every time I tried to translate them into a design, something felt off.

The first sketch was too plain. The second was too complicated. The third looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, and not in a good way.

No matter what I did, each failed attempt ended up crumpled in the trash bin by my desk.

Finally growing frustrated, I cursed under my breath, shoved away my sketchpad, and put my head in my hands. My mother was always so good at this type of thing. I recalled her sketching a beautiful design in mere minutes on more than one occasion when I would watch her as a child.

She had taught me everything she knew, and yet I still felt undeserving of the position that she once held.

At that moment, a soft knock on the door made me look up. I immediately recognized Ava’s slender form through the frosted glass and sighed, but called out for her to enter.

The door opened, and Ava stepped inside. She was holding something in her hands and had that usual smug look on her face.

“What is it?” I asked, leaning back in my chair. “If you’re here to argue about desk arrangements, I’m not in the mood.”

Rolling her eyes, she held out a folder. “I finished sketching my designs for the collection.”

“Already?” I frowned, taking the folder from her. Honestly, I didn’t expect anything other than a drawing of a middle finger on the inside.

But when I opened it, my eyes widened in surprise. I couldn’t believe what she, my sister who had never picked up a pencil in her entire life, had drawn.

The sketches were…

“Beautiful,” I whispered.