Chapter 1101
“Oh, come on. It’s nothing,” Talia said with a chuckle. “Besides, I don’t really have anything to do these days. And since my family is planning to set up a design company, I might as well learn as much as I can from you.”
Chana returned a polite smile, but she stayed on guard. Whenever Talia acted sweet, Chana became even more cautious.
Because she trusted what Annabel had told her.
“I’m afraid you won’t learn much from us. Aside from Leo, who’s the best designer here, the rest of us are all more or less on the same level,” Chana replied in the same polite tone.
“Jackpot!” Talia screamed inside her head, her eyes lighting up. She had been wondering how to steer the conversation in that direction, and Chana had just handed her the opening—at exactly the right moment.
“That’s right,” Talia said, feigning innocence. “I heard Leo is the most famous designer here, and that he founded the studio. I thought I’d meet him in person, but I haven’t seen him even once since I started coming here.”
“Leo is very busy,” Chana explained gently. “He doesn’t come back here very often.”
“Really?” Talia frowned, putting on a puzzled expression. “But I heard there’s a fashion design competition coming up, and a friend told me Leo is like a god in this field. They say Leo always wins prizes in competitions. What about this year? Won’t he take part?”
Chana hadn’t been paying much attention until that moment. The way Talia pushed the topic made it obvious she was fishing for something.
Chana paused briefly, then continued writing as if nothing was unusual. “I don’t know. Leo rarely visits the studio, and when he does, he doesn’t talk about that kind of thing with us.”
“I see,” Talia said, nodding.
After that, she began stealing casual glances at Chana, as if trying to read her.
Chana picked up an orange, peeled it, and ate a few slices calmly. After a moment, she said, “Excuse me for a moment. I need to use the bathroom.”
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She stood and walked away. Talia shifted slightly and watched her go.
Safe inside the bathroom, Chana hurried into a stall and pulled out her phone. She texted Annabel. “Annabel, you were right. That woman you warned me about suddenly asked about you and whether you’ll be in the competition. She also said she can’t wait to see your work. What should I do?”
After sending the message, Chana nervously bit at her nails.
Annabel had just returned home with Rupert when she received it. She smiled and shook her head. As expected, Talia couldn’t wait any longer. Annabel typed back. “Just tell her what she wants to know. Make something up about the dress.”
“She obviously just wants to know what kind of dress I’ll design for the competition. I trust you to handle her, Chana.”
Chana read the message inside the stall and smiled with confidence. After hearing from Annabel, she felt calmer and reassured.
When she returned to the office, Talia was still seated there. She looked up and smiled at Chana.
“I’m sorry I was gone for so long,” Chana said, her smile now more relaxed. “Leo just called me and asked me to take his draft to the competition on his behalf.”