NQ Design Company.
When Florence Fuller arrived, Chloe Quinn was idly waiting for her in her office.
Seeing her come in, she lazily stood up: "You got here pretty fast."
"I came right after lunch." Florence brought her coffee and breakfast: "What are you doing in the office so early?"
"Mr. Dawson's wedding dress is getting picked up today as soon as it's finished, so I came early to supervise it for a bit."
"Was it smooth?" Florence handed her a sandwich.
"Of course it was smooth." Chloe took it: "Didn't you see how happy Mrs. Dawson was? Besides, our company's designers are on the rise, aren't they?"
Florence looked at the computer, smiling: "Of course I know, our designers have won quite a few awards this year."
Chloe smirked: "Everything is going smoothly now. When we go public next year and expand into jewelry, it should go relatively smoothly."
Florence nodded.
Chloe looked at her focused working expression and leaned in slightly: "I heard that last night, at Old Mr. Gardiner's birthday banquet, he introduced you to some big shots from SJ."
Florence responded with a gentle sound: "Just a toast."
Oh dear...
Chloe clicked her tongue; even she could figure out Old Mr. Gardiner's intentions. Although the grandson might not acknowledge this wife, the Gardiner Family does.
Whether Luke Gardiner acknowledges her or not isn't important, what's important is the Gardiner Family.
Chloe bit into her sandwich: "Having met a patron like you, I'm truly fortunate in this lifetime."
Back when she first started her business, she had borrowed and loaned all over the place only for her partner to run off with the money, nearly ready to go to jail, then Florence appeared.
At that moment, Chloe felt Florence was radiant with golden light.
After taking a few bites of the sandwich, Chloe wiped her hands and opened the laptop she brought: "These are the celebrity endorsers Director Quinton has shortlisted for next year, take a look."
Florence looked over them one by one: "Have you decided on anyone?"
Chloe: "Not yet, but..." she said as she picked out a photo: "You know Isabelle Sunworth, right? She's pretty top-tier now, and logically she wouldn't consider our affordable luxury brand, yet she came to us."
Florence raised an eyebrow: "What happened?"
"Director Quinton said her manager contacted us directly, and when we talked, the message was, I'm endorsing your brand despite being this high-caliber, so you better be over the moon." Chloe shrugged: "Oh, and they also said the endorsement fee needs to go up."
Florence laughed and directly deleted Isabelle Sunworth's profile: "Then we're not considering her."
"That's what I think too," Chloe grinned broadly: "I'm also curious why she's willing to lower herself to come to us. Can you guess why?"
"It can't just be for some money."
"She used to have a thing with your scummy husband," Chloe said: "Her rise to stardom was due to your husband's backing, clearly, she's coming for you."
"Then we definitely won't consider her."
Luke Gardiner could live it up outside all he wanted; she didn't care, as long as it didn't involve her. She hated cleaning up his messes the most.
Florence shortlisted a few and left some good options for Chloe to finalize.
The entire morning passed in busyness. In the afternoon, she was to visit a design studio to discuss the acquisition but hadn't left the company when her phone started ringing consecutively.
Luke Gardiner.
She hung up three times, and it seemed to stop, but as she got in the car, Lily Lancaster's phone rang.
She glanced at Florence before answering the call outside the car.
After finishing the call, Lily hesitated looking at Florence: "Boss..."
"Hmm?"
"It's regarding the endorsement matter."
Florence frowned, Chloe had just settled on someone agreeable, and not even two hours had passed since confirming with the other party.
"Was it Luke Gardiner who called?"
"Assistant Johnson called, conveying President Gardiner's intentions, saying Isabelle Sunworth wants the endorsement."
"Tell him to piss off." Florence closed her eyes to rest: "If he calls again, tell him that."
Lily silently nodded and took the driver's seat: "Also... President Gardiner said, from now on don't hang up on his calls, or you'll regret it."
Florence didn't respond, but Lily knew she heard and quietly drove.
In high society, the couple appeared harmonious but were estranged at heart.
Florence had dinner with the design studio's head, and the acquisition plan went exceptionally smoothly.
After the dinner, Lily dropped off the head, and Florence went to the restaurant's outdoor smoking area to silently light a cigarette.
The slender ladies' cigarette, with smoke drifting and meandering, she didn't really know how to smoke nor liked it; she just liked lighting one up and watching it burn whenever she felt emotionally stifled.
The rustling sounds pulled her thoughts back. Glancing up at the glass door entrance, a man was aggressively shoving a woman inside, his expression fierce: "Have some decency. They're giving you a role because they think highly of you. Stop acting all high and mighty, not letting anyone touch you."
The cigarette was still burning, its red glow tucked within.
"Brother Wangford, didn't I just land an endorsement?" The woman clung to his arm: "I don't need to take Director Pinkham's film. The role barely has any screen time."
"You think there's not enough screen time?" Brother Wangford abruptly pulled his arm back: "Who do you think you are? Director Pinkham values you. Have a few drinks with him, spend the night, and won't you have plenty of roles in the future? Be good... We're going back now..."
"I don't want to." The woman, frightened, turned to run, but Brother Wangford grabbed her hair, yanking her back and shoving her to the ground: "If not for me, you'd still be invisible as an extra in a crew. I'm telling you, if you don't go tonight, forget about NQ's endorsement too."
"You're not doing it for me." The woman looked at him in despair: "You're planning to offer me up so Isabelle Sunworth gets resources, you even want to give her the NQ endorsement. I heard all your discussions at the company today, you..."
"Shut up!" Brother Wangford glanced at the presence of another woman. With outsiders here, this woman dared to spill everything.
Wouldn't his reputation be ruined?
Grinding his teeth, Brother Wangford yanked the woman up from the ground: "Right now..."
"I won't go back! I won't!" The woman's face was streaked with tears as she screamed, struggled...
The unburnt cigarette fell to the ground, the pointed high heel slowly crushing it out, its crisp sound cutting into the shouting and arguing.
"Hey!"
Brother Wangford looked up, realizing the woman on the balcony had turned around, looking at him with an unpleasant expression.
From her fashionable and elegant attire, Brother Wangford knew she was someone of considerable standing, his expression stiffened: "Sorry, she's being difficult, I'll take her away now."
"I don't want to...", the woman resisted...
"She said she doesn't want to." Florence walked down the steps of the balcony. Brother Wangford clearly saw her refined appearance, elegant demeanor, feeling her identity was something extraordinary.
"This isn't a matter of her choosing..." Brother Wangford maintained a facade: "I'll take her away immediately."