Chapter 206
Chapter 206:
With her thoughts spiraling in quiet confusion, Kailey hurried through the rest of her breakfast. Pushing her chair back, she rose to her feet almost immediately.
“Karol, I’m finished. Catch you later p>
Like someone fleeing a sudden blaze, she darted out.
Settling into the driver’s seat, she released a slow, pent-up breath — yet her mind kept circling the same dilemma. She still had no idea what birthday gift would truly delight Kyson.
By ten-thirty that morning, the design department gathered for a brief meeting.
Recently, none of the new drafts had pleased Zaria in the slightest, and her patience had worn thin. She demanded bold, inventive concepts as soon as possible.
“We can’t keep dragging out the same worn-out ideas every single year, and we absolutely cannot mimic what every other brand is already doing. Following broad trends is acceptable to a point, but if we chase every passing craze, we’ll erase the soul of our own label. What we need is originality — something unmistakably ours, something no one else can replicate. Stop trailing behind trends. We should be the ones creating them. I hope that message is finally sinking in p>
A strained silence settled over the conference room, heavy as humidity before a storm, and no one dared voice an opinion.
Noticing the tension tightening Zaria’s shoulders, Kailey quietly stepped closer and pressed a bottle of water into her hand. “Try not to panic. We still have some time p>
“What do you mean by that? The holiday season is barely a month away p>
Realizing her words had come out sharper than intended, Zaria inhaled slowly, steadying herself before speaking again. “We’ve hired so many designers, yet only a handful can reliably produce strong work. If everyone performed like you, the executives wouldn’t be stressed out every single day p>
𝖱𝖾𝘢𝗱 𝘧𝘳𝘦e nov𝖾𝘭𝘀 о𝘯
Before Kailey found a chance to respond, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed across Zaria’s face. “Why don’t we just assign the entire main series to you p>
“What p>
“That settles it!” Zaria declared with decisive confidence. “The boss and the director will absolutely sign off on it p>
Before Kailey had time to grasp what was unfolding, Zaria strode over and dropped a towering pile of documents onto her desk. “If anything goes wrong, just instruct the team on what to do. You’re the lead designer now — everyone reports to you p>
A slow breath slipped from Kailey’s lips as the weight of it settled over her, baffled that an ordinary meeting had somehow transformed into a crushing responsibility she hadn’t expected to carry.
Warm smiles and encouraging nods followed her through the office, yet beneath the congratulations she caught a subtle current of relief, as if everyone else was quietly grateful the burden hadn’t landed on them instead.
Endless tasks piled onto her desk, and the swelling workload swallowed her entire afternoon, leaving her no chance to even glance at her phone.
By the time the clock crept past seven that evening, Lionel’s name flashed across her screen.
“Kailey, I’m completely lost here. Can you help me figure something out p>
“Take a breath first,” she answered without hesitation. “Tell me what happened p>