Free Web NovelChapter 249: Chapter 249 Where You Go, I Follow
Christina’s POV
I smiled and typed back: [No rush on the money. If you pay me now, you’ll be broke again, won’t you?]
Priya replied instantly: [Come on, Christina. You’re paying me a proper salary now, plus that fat year-end bonus. I’ve got plenty left, even after this.]
I hit ’accept’. The money landed in my account a second later.
I typed: [Your parents haven’t been bothering you, have they?]
Priya: [Nope. Not a word. I think they’ve wiped me off the family tree. Suits me fine. I’m staying here, where they can’t marry me off to some rich old Alpha just to cash out.]
She continued messaging, telling me about her new life. I read every word, genuinely happy for how she’d escaped her controlling family. Now she had her own apartment, job, and freedom. Everything she’d fought for.
She sent pictures of a stray cat she’d adopted, and I found myself grinning as I scrolled through them.
Next, I opened Ysolde’s chat and started typing, pausing to check Hudson beside me. He hadn’t moved. His mouth hung slightly open, one arm curled under the pillow, the other stretched across my side of the bed.
His breathing was deep and steady. Probably the first real sleep he’d had in days after all that drama with his family. Alphas rarely let their guard down so completely. I muted my phone and tucked it under my leg.
Ysolde had just replied when a call screen flashed across the top of the chat. The number wasn’t saved, but I recognized it immediately.
I carefully slid out of bed, avoiding the creaky floorboard near Hudson’s side. Akira stirred inside me, curious about why I was sneaking away.
"Just a call I need to take privately," I told her.
I padded into the bathroom before answering.
"Miss Vance. Hope I’m not interrupting," said a smooth male voice.
I paused, placing the familiar tone. "Mr. Marchetti?"
Fabrizio Marchetti, CEO of Valmont & Cie. We’d met at an exhibition in Sunset City, where he’d asked for my contact information. I hadn’t taken his interest seriously at the time. I wasn’t planning on moving to France.
He chuckled. "I know it’s a holiday in Highrise City. Thought today might give me a better chance of catching you."
"I’ve got time," I assured him, leaning against the countertop.
"I’ve been waiting for your call since we met. Since you never reached out, I assumed you’d forgotten me. Still, I want to ask again. Would you be open to working together?"
"Um, about that, thank you for..."
"Don’t say no just yet," he interrupted. "I’m offering thirty percent. Full creative partnership. You wouldn’t be working under me, but with me. It’s not just a job, and relocation isn’t necessary. I’d love for you to visit our Paris office to get a feel for it. If frequent travel isn’t possible, we’ll work remotely. You stay in Highrise City, we collaborate via email, calls. Whatever suits you best."
"This could be huge for us," Akira whispered in my mind.
She was right. This opportunity was seriously tempting.
Valmont & Cie wasn’t just another luxury brand. They were THE name in high-end jewelry. A joint release would put my designs in showrooms, on magazine covers, in airports worldwide. I’d stop being "that designer with a few good commissions" and become someone people actually recognized.
Fabrizio sighed into the phone before I could answer. "I didn’t mean to discuss business on your holiday, but we have an autumn launch scheduled and none of the concepts my teams submitted are usable. We’re running short on time without a clear direction. Miss Vance, may I send over the preliminary designs? Just take a look?" fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"Alright," I said. "Send them over."
The fact that he was willing to show me their internal designs spoke volumes about his trust.
As soon as we hung up, files started flooding my inbox. I opened the first one, barely scanning the header when a deep, hoarse voice interrupted me.
"Hiding in the bathroom to flirt with someone?"
I turned around, startled. Hudson was still half-buried in sheets, looking exactly as I’d left him. He sat up, running a hand through his messy hair.
"Sounded like a man. Who was it?" His voice carried that Alpha rumble that came with possessiveness.
I walked back toward the bed. "I didn’t want to wake you. It was Fabrizio Marchetti, CEO of Valmont & Cie. Work call."
"Fabrizio Marchetti? That fossil? Why’s he calling you this early? Block him." Hudson’s eyes narrowed.
"He’s not that old, and it’s not early anymore." I said. "You think every male in existence wants me?"
"You’re my wife and my Luna. Seems like a logical assumption." His expression was serious.
I reached the edge of the bed when his arm shot out from under the duvet, yanking me forward. I lost my balance and landed on top of him, the quilt bunched between us.
"I’m mated to the most beautiful she-wolf alive. You expect me not to be territorial?" His hands slid around my waist.
I smacked his chest. "You’re completely unhinged, Alpha."
"What did he want?"
"Wants to launch his autumn collection with me. Sounds serious. The profit split’s actually decent."
"He’s trying to lure you to France." Hudson’s jaw tightened.
"He’s not. Even if I visit, I’m not relocating." I studied his face. "You think it’s a bad idea?"
"Did you already say yes?"
"Not yet. But I want to." I lifted my head and looked down at him. "Problem?"
Hudson fell silent, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he said, "If you want to go, go. It’s your work. I don’t have a say. You’re ridiculously talented. You deserve a bigger platform."
He said all the right things, but they landed stiff and flat, like he was reciting lines from a script. His arms tightened around me, his breath warming the back of my neck.
"One thing, though. If you go to France, I’m coming with you."
