Chapter 14 - Torn to Shreds
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Without taking my eyes off Charles, I brought both hands up, gripped the check at the center, and ripped it squarely in half.
The sharp sound of tearing paper echoed clearly in the quiet alleyway.
Charles’s jaw clenched in utter shock. Brad gasped, stepping forward. “Kate, are you crazy?!”
I aligned the two torn pieces, folded them together, and ripped them in half again, letting the small white scraps flutter down through my fingers onto Charles Miller’s polished leather shoes.
“My dignity isn't for sale, Charles,” I said, my voice steady and iron-hard. “And neither is my brand.”
“You arrogance will destroy you, girl,” Charles hissed, his face darkening with genuine rage. “You won't sell a single coat in this city. I will personally see to it that every buyer in California closes their doors to you.”
Before I could reply, a tall, distinguished woman wearing a sharp gray trouser suit and oversized dark glasses stepped out from the shadows near the runway entrance.
She was accompanied by two personal assistants carrying heavy leather portfolios.
“I wouldn't be so sure about that, Charles,” the woman said, her smooth voice carrying an unmistakable French accent.
May you like
Charles turned around, his eyes widening in immediate recognition. “Hélène?”
It was Hélène Laurent—the Senior Global Purchasing Director for Luxe Global, the largest luxury department store conglomerate in Europe and North America. She was arguably the most powerful buyer in the entire global fashion industry.
