Without hesitation, Bella took the medication.
Seeing Bella’s nonchalance, Elizabeth sighed, feeling relieved and happy.
Little did Bella know, there was more to those meds than met the eye and they would mess with her nerves long-term. If she continued to take them regularly, Bella would forget the past for good.
Elizabeth, concealing her excitement, asked, “Mom, why are you up so late?”
“I’m checking out some designs,” Bella said, keeping it short. “The contest deadline’s closing in so I have to scope out the competition.”
“Mind if I tag along? I hope you find a successor pronto so that then you can spend more time with Dad and me.”
Bella welcomed the company. She craved more moments with Elizabeth too. “Pull up a chair, honey.”
Elizabeth plopped down beside Bella, eyeing the emails. “Have you found anyone good yet?”
Bella clicked away, shaking her head. “No, nothing. Just the run-of-the-mill stuff so far.”
A sigh slipped from Bella’s lips, her disappointment weighing heavy.
The hunt for a successor gnawed at her.
(EagleNovels) ‘s (EagleNovels)
Scrolling through a string of submissions, Bella felt the weariness creeping in. Still, she soldiered on, clicking to the next.
This time, she lingered a little longer on the email. As she analyzed every detail, her satisfaction grew with each passing moment.
“Wow! This one’s top-notch! Overflowing with the designer’s vision,”
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Bella praised genuinely.
Spotting the designer’s signature, she murmured, “Stella. No wonder. She’s got talent, alright.”
Elizabeth’s envy peeked through but she masked it with a smile, nudging Bella gently. “There will be plenty more fish in the sea. Keep reeling, Mom.”
Bella caught Elizabeth’s subtle distaste for Stella but chose to stay mum, diving back into the pile of submissions.
When she saw Devyn’s design, Bella’s brows knitted, shock rippling through her.
Devyn’s piece mirrored Stella’s work, from concept right to the core design.
Elizabeth seized the opportunity to step into her role.
Pointing at Devyn’s work, she feigned surprise. “Why’s this so similar to Stella’s? It looks even better, though.”
Bella’s expression soured.
Then, Elizabeth acted as if she had found something fishy. Comparing the two, she exclaimed, “Check it out! Devyn’s was submitted a day before Stella’s!”