Chapter 61

I didn’t bother with a sob story. Just apologised for the delay and launched straight into my pitch. I tugged my shirt into place and let the projector warm up, using those precious seconds to steady my breathing and slow my heart down from hummingbird-on-espresso mode. They weren’t looking at sketches yet, just raw concept. I called mine BloomState. Every piece was based on the fleeting moments flowers go through. I started with the bud: tiny stud earrings, twisted into a barely-there spiral. Then came the open heart necklace. A stylised bloom, fully open. The Seed Pod Ring was the show-off. All structure and sharp angles, but with a kind of quiet rhythm to it. And finally, the Dewdrop Collar. Fine chain, light-catching stones that looked like drops of morning dew. I’d studied Eliza Black’s whole catalogue, stalked every fan theory thread, and read every fashion blogger’s take. She was known for being playful, but this was going to rebrand her as a bloody icon. Halfway through, I foun