Against all odds: crowned by fate

n hues over the conference room. Harper sat at the long glass table, her design sketches spread o

s commanding as ever rolled-up sleeves, a crisp navy shirt, and the

up from her sketc

and dropped into the chai

a neatly organized document toward him. "Everything's arranged, but I

ng lightly against the table. "Looks go

cour

the paper, settling o

y masked by professionalism. "Didn't think you

"I like to keep

her arms. "Or maybe you just

t him. "You know

tween them, heavy wi

the papers. "If everything's set,

t move. "We

ple of tension throu

know

ting his eyes. "That's not a

lbows resting on the tab

to say, Holden? That the past still lingers? Th

tened. "I wa

sed to let it show. "The truth is, thi

the walls she had carefully rebuilt. After a mom

sent an ache through her

e gathered her files. "I'l

the next evening, the space alive with models, stylists, and set coordinators. Rows

rd in hand, double-checking everything. The music

ugh began. He took a seat near the runway

n the models striding down the catwalk. Everything had

ed out, stopping

y. Harper stepped onto the runway, adjusting the gown's hem. "It's

d forward, noddin

action with quiet intere

him a pointed look. "T

ched. "Among

she shut it down. There wasn't

bright lights. By the time the final walk-through ended, exhaustion pressed against Har

in his pockets. "It's goi

smile touched her li

last-minute adjustments. Only the two of them remained nea

ence first. "I meant

htened around her cl

voice lower now. "Not

ed slowly

sn't mean I'v

she kept her expression neutra

n nodded once. "I'll se

change anything. But it didn't mean she wasn't feeling every