Page 66 of The Exposed Heiress

The next morning, Emma got dressed in her trademark grey sleeveless fitted dress and left her long dark hair down instead of putting it up in a tight bun. Adding makeup and stilettos, she drove back to the studio in Rotherhithe, thinking over each moment of the day. The next few hours would not only affect the couture house. She planned to put her heart out there for all to see and declare her love for Leo.

Chapter 13

The backstage area erupted in chaos as a ten-minute warning came through the headsets. Models were coming out of makeup and getting dressed.

Emma peeked out to the audience lining the catwalk and saw her parents sitting in the front row, but didn’t see Leo. Coming to the backstage area, she took a moment to calm her racing mind. Taking in a deep breath, she watched as Claire called out the order.

Seeing the first model stepping onto the walkway caused her heart to constrict. She hoped the fashion elite would be impressed. This collection had taken so much out of her, it was if her heart was ripped from her chest and trampled over.

She couldn’t have done any of this without Leo, and now he had decided to stay away.

“Wait,” Claire had the next model change her pumps to a neutral color. Without missing her timing, the model slipped on the new pair and kept walking.

The frantic pace kept up for nearly thirty minutes, and then Claire signaled to her that the last gown was about to go out.

Emma held up her hand. “I’m going to say a few words, and then I’ll announce the final piece.”

Claire nodded and said, “I’ll have tech turn on the mic.”

Emma stepped out onto the runway and after a surprised gasp, the audience began clapping loudly.

She held up her hand. “There is one final piece. But I’d like to say a few words first.”

A hush went over the audience, but she could hear murmurings. Glancing down at her note cards, she read the first words silently.Be brave.

“We presented a special collection this afternoon. It sprang out of change and restructuring, and yet it is fully formed and complete. I have Leo Bloom to thank for that.”

She looked briefly at the audience and continued on, “You see, he didn’t just help our brand survive. He captured all of me. My heart, my deepest longings, my desire to feel love.”

Leo stepped out of the shadows of the audience and she held his gaze briefly.

“The next gown is a symbol of my love for him and will not be for sale.”

Emma stepped to the side and the music started. The model stepped out wearing the red gown that had contoured straps that came high over the shoulder and attached at the waist, resembling a large heart.

The music changed and all eight models appeared on the stage wearing their final outfits.

After the applause quieted, the models went behind the curtain and she waited for the media to descend.

Claire joined her, and Emma said, “I’m going to leave you for a moment.”

Walking through the crowded audience, her eyes stayed glued to Leo. She could hear her mother’s voice calling her name and she kept walking.

His face stayed an expressionless mask. He wore a dark grey Italian suit with a pressed white shirt.

She stopped within two feet of him.

“That wasn’t particularly subtle.”

She lifted her chin. “I wasn’t going for subtle.”

“Are you going to wear that dress tonight?”

She smiled. “Maybe.”

He reached out and touched her cheek. “You should talk with the press.”

“Leo.” Her heart was breaking all over again.

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