The hum of the sewing machines filled the design floor again after lunch, steady and rhythmic like the pulse of the building.
Threads of conversation floated between the desks — laughter, critiques, the occasional clatter of fabric rolls hitting the ground.
But in Chloe's shared office, the mood was anything but light.
She was sitting at her desk beside Damian, flipping through her sketches without seeing them. Her mind wasn't on chiffon layers or silhouette balance. It was on Bella — her expression, her voice, the weight in her words.
Damian was silent beside her, watching her. What was she thinking so seriously? He wondered as he remembered seeing her at the cafeteria and wanting to go join her and her friend, but then he'd seen her friend leave angrily while Chloe had spoken to Raymond before leaving too.
