Page 46 of To Hell

He backs away and skews towards the stairs. Taking long strides, he disappears out of sight.

I can’t have you the way I truly want to.

That makes two of us, Master Ettore.

Chapter Twenty-Four

ZOE

“Ilove the texture of this fabric,” Valerie says as she runs her fingers through one of the suits. It will look fabulous on him; the dummy wears it well, but he will wear it best,” she chuckles, and I smile, nodding.

“Thank you; your words mean the world to me.” At this point, she knows I’m not just saying it, it is the truth. I strut over to the dummy, slipping the pin in my hand into my plain green dress. “I was thinking of using the stones from this point to this point, like on the sketch, but unlike the sketch, I want to take it to the back and add some on the pants.”

She steps back and studies the suit and pants, her index finger resting on her chin. “Hmm,” she closes her eyes. “You can scatter it across the pants.” Her eyes are still closed, and I’m grinning at her being in the same room as me.

Ettore set up the sewing room, and it’s something divine.

It still has black-tinted glass walls, yet somehow, sunlight pours in. I have a large table in the middle for cutting, dummies lined on one side of the room close to the wall so anyone outside can see whatever is placed on them, and more than four sewing machines lined up in front of a table by another side of the wall with a rack for well-organized sewing materials.

Then, there is my side of the room: a sewing machine on a table set a little away from the rest, racks for sewing and sketching materials, and stacks of fashion magazines. I was stunned when I came in here this morning, but what had me shocked was the headphones resting on my table.

The people assisting me went to take a lunch break when Valerie arrived.

“You have to see it all up here,” Valerie says, taking her index fingers to the sides of her head. “And I’m seeing perfection already,” she smiles and exhales a breath of satisfaction. “Well done,” she tilts her head in my direction.

“Thank you.” The feel of warmth spreading through me forms a smile on my face.

Ettore rescued me from the Bratva’s clutches and gave me a life I had long stopped dreaming about. He changed it, but in a way that set it back on the path I was on before everything.

He has given me something to wake up every morning for—a life worth waking up to, a purpose. I will forever be indebted to him.

And maybe this is my life. Created to only exist through servitude. This is not freedom, but it is heaven compared to what I have endured.

Valerie moves around in her tight blue jeans, silver pump heels, and stylish white crop top, which she covers with a tattered blush off-the-shoulder sweater. If my understanding is right, she has been dressingto convey her feelings.

“With your support, we can reach the sales goal,” she pulls out a stool and then picks up a container with some materials. “And with the money from the sales, I can sponsor your first collection,” she sits and then begins to play around with the things in the container.

“Yes,” I almost screech my excitement at the possibility.

I scuttle barefoot to her, a little hazy from working all night long. I take the packs of buttons she broughtand mentally match them to the suit they fit best.

I've managed to prepare just one, but it lacks the pants and buttons. As a team of five, I'm confident that by tomorrow, we will have resolved that issue as well as haveanother one ready.

“And then you can get back into the fashion world,” I clap my hands, some of the buttons flying off.

“I have no passion for being back in the fashion world,” she sighs heavily. “I had my time,” she snorts. I guess the world has moved past certain things and people,” she points at herself and her outfit.

Nonsense.

“What is wrong with your outfit?” I search for anything that could make her think it’s not good enough. “It’s chic, and so is the model.”

She laughs, “Oh, yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

“Don’t patronize me,” she tuts.

“I can see Rihanna rocking that; it looks like her style, but it would be perfect for an album cover for Taylor.” I can just imagine it.

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