Chapter 1086
“I just came to pay a courtesy visit to a friend of mine who’s interning here,” Annabel said smoothly. “Nothing serious.”
“I see…” Talia nodded as if she were thinking it over. Then she perked up again, smiling brightly. “Look, we’ve run into each other several times now. How about we have lunch together later? My treat.”
It was normal for someone naturally outgoing to offer to treat another person to a meal. What wasn’t normal was insisting—especially when it was someone you barely knew.
And the fact that it was Talia doing the inviting made it even stranger.
Annabel turned it over in her mind, but no matter how she tried to piece it together, she still couldn’t figure out what Talia was after.
In the end, Annabel shook her head and politely declined Talia’s offer. “No, thanks. I only dropped by to see my friend. Besides, I have something else to take care of, and it’s kind of urgent. How about we make an appointment next time?”
“Well… okay, then,” Talia replied, her expression making it seem as though she was genuinely disappointed that Annabel didn’t have time to eat with her.
When Annabel turned and walked away, Talia smiled faintly and headed into Leo Studio.
Annabel hadn’t actually gone far. After making sure no one was following her, she turned back and watched Talia enter the studio. Then she took out her phone, walked a little farther away, and sent Chana a message.
“If a woman comes to the studio demanding a customized dress, keep an eye on her. I know that woman very well. Make sure you don’t let her know about my connection with the studio, okay?”
Chana was busy working when her phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw Annabel’s message. At that very moment, Talia stepped into the studio and called out loudly, “Hello? Is anyone available? I’d like to place an order for a dress.”
Chana quickly replied to Annabel with a short message. “Got it!”
When she looked up, Talia was already smiling at her. Chana immediately thought of a way to handle it. She stood from her seat and greeted her politely. “Hello, Miss. I’m the head of this studio. How can I help you?”
“Hello. You can call me Annot,” Talia said, extending her hand. The two women shook. Smiling, Talia added, “I want a personalized dress. I don’t want it to be too sexy, because it’s for a formal banquet. Red would be perfect. As for the design, I want something ingenious. Do you understand?”
“Well… those requirements are fine,” Chana replied. “The dress will be handmade by our designer, so it may take a while to complete. To confirm your order, you’ll need to make an initial payment of fifty percent of the total cost. If you agree to the terms, I can take your order.”
Even as she spoke, Chana remained slightly wary.
“Okay, no problem. I’ve heard your studio has designed lots of beautiful dresses. That’s why I came here—to have one made for myself,” Talia said cheerfully.
“Alright. It’s a deal, then,” Chana said with a nod and a smile.
“Deal,” Talia echoed.
When Talia finally left Leo Studio, she looked around carefully before exiting the building. She seemed very satisfied. She called Susan, and twenty minutes later, the two met at a café downstairs from Susan’s studio.
.