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Bianca’s POV
There was a pause before he stammered,
“What are you talking about? I’m coming home right now!”
In the background, I even heard Sabrina, her voice tearful, saying, “Tristan, don‘ t go. I’m pregnant with your child!”
Despite all that, I hung up, left the phone. behind, and walked out of the villa without looking back.
Letting go of a love that had rooted itself so deeply wasn’t easy; it felt like tearing out a part of me. But my heart had been worn down by Tristan’s endless lies and betrayals.
On the plane, I watched the clouds pass by, clutching my new identity and heading toward a country I’d never seen before. Somewhere along the way, I suddenly remembered a girl from years ago who‘ d
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loved Tristan fiercely. She’d even
threatened to end her life if she couldn‘ t
have just one night with him.
Back then, he‘ d shut her down so fast, loudly declaring, “Sorry, but Bianca. Skinner is the only one for me.”
But now, there wasn‘ t a “Bianca. Skinner” for Tristan anymore. I was
someone new. I was Maisie Gardner, a renowned jewelry designer.
Once I got to Germany, I threw myself into work at a top–notch jewelry design company. I needed to fill my days and drown out the pain that love had left behind. So I poured every ounce of myself into designing, producing over a hundred pieces in just a month. My boss, Russell Blake, couldn’t even believe it.
That man, three years younger than me, had a maturity beyond his age, yet with a hint of youthful vigor.
He often brought me pork fried rice when I
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worked late.
“Maisie, take it easy. Watching you work like this makes even your boss a little nervous,” he’d tease.
“Know what they’re calling you around here? The ‘Desperate Jewelry Queen.” You‘ re making it tough for the rest of the industry to keep up,” he’d say, flashing me a smile that showed off two small, sharp teeth.
But I couldn’t tell him the truth–that I needed this pace, this numbness that work gave me, just to keep the hurt at bay.
As my designs grew popular, my reputation skyrocketed. I started to make a real name for myself, even passing some of the industry’s biggest names. Russell would often joke, saying he’d struck gold by hiring me.
In time, the pride I took in my work began to ease the ache Tristan had left behind.
Eventually, thinking about him didn’t stir
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anything up in me anymore; he was just a part of my past.
Still, I didn’t expect to hear news about Sabrina all the way over here in Germany from the mouths of my colleagues.
“Hey, did you see the news? That designer, Sabrina Sowle, just announced she’s quitting the jewelry industry for good.”
“Sabrina who?” someone asked, sounding confused. “Never heard of her.”
“You know, the one who made her way up by stirring up drama. They say her boyfriend funded her whole career. Maybe they split up, and that’s why she’s leaving.”
Someone then turned to me with a question.
Then someone turned to me. “Hey, Maisie, since you just moved here from back home, have you heard of her?”
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anything up in me anymore; he was just a part of my past.
Still, I didn’t expect to hear news about Sabrina all the way over here in Germany from the mouths of my colleagues.
“Hey, did you see the news? That designer, Sabrina Sowle, just announced she’s quitting the jewelry industry for good.”
“Sabrina who?” someone asked, sounding confused. “Never heard of her.”
“You know, the one who made her way up by stirring up drama. They say her boyfriend funded her whole career. Maybe they split up, and that’s why she’s leaving.”
Someone then turned to me with a
question.
Then someone turned to me. “Hey, Maisie, since you just moved here from back home, have you heard of her?”
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For a moment, I froze, my hand still on the mouse. Then I shrugged and answered,
“Never heard of her.” But, if I was being honest, a sick feeling rose up inside me. I needed to shake it off, so I got up and
headed to the break room for some coffee.
While I was waiting for the machine, I suddenly heard a voice behind me. “Upset again?”
I turned to see Russell leaning against the wall in one of his usual sharp suits. He lifted his coffee cup in a little toast when he caught my eye.
“Sorry if I‘ m prying,” he said, watching me closely. “But you looked pretty troubled back there while you were making
coffee.”
Russell was quick to pick up on things. He raised an eyebrow, reading between the lines. “You have a history with Sabrina, don’t you?” he asked. “If you want, I could call in a favor back home and teach her a little lesson.” He gave a playful grin.
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I couldn’t help but laugh at that, shaking my head. “Mr. Blake, you sure like to joke.”
Seeing me smile, he relaxed a little and reached over to ruffle my hair. “Good, don’t let it get to you. You‘ re the company’s secret weapon! If you‘ re too distracted, I might actually feel guilty.”
I pretended to focus on my coffee, ignoring the little spark of flirtation in his words. But as I took a sip, savoring the warmth, the receptionist suddenly burst in, looking frazzled.
“Mr. Blake, there’s a problem. Mr. Thompson from Thompson Group in America is downstairs.” She glanced at me before continuing in an almost whisper, “He said Miss Gardner‘ s designs plagiarized his wife’s work and he wants to hold us accountable!”
It was Tristan.
I could hardly believe it. After three years,
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he’d tracked me down, all the way here.
Russell’s face went from surprised to outright annoyed. “That‘ s ridiculous. I heard that Tristan’s wife passed away in an accident years ago. He must be mistaken.”
He looked at me reassuringly. “Don‘ t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
I hid in the break room, watching from behind the door as that tall, all–too–familiar figure strode into Russell’s office. His face was as cold and determined as I
remembered. My mind was spinning with questions. Tristan had Sabrina; why was he here, stirring up trouble with me?
Just then, I heard two colleagues talking nearby.
“That was Tristan Thompson, wasn’t it? He’s ridiculously handsome–almost as good–looking as Mr. Blake.”
“Yeah, and they say he’s a hopeless romantic, totally devoted to his wife. But I
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thought she died in an accident three years ago?”
“No, no,” the other replied, lowering their voice. “I heard Mrs. Thompson left him for some reason, and he went out of his mind looking for her. Turned the whole country upside down and still didn’t find her.”
The first one let out a disbelieving sigh.
“Imagine that she just walked out on a man that handsome, rich, and loyal. Some women don’t know when they‘ ve got it good.”
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