Amelia had a flood of news in just one day—some good, some bad. For starters, the marketing team at Lopez Co. reached out to tell her that the response to her collection in stores had been underwhelming.
Because of that, they wouldn’t be putting any ad spend behind her designs moving forward. She raised an eyebrow, totally unbothered.
Then came a more pointed message—from Sadie, Aaron’s mother. But of course, Sadie didn’t bother to come in person. She sent her longtime assistant instead, who somehow knew exactly where Amelia was staying.
The woman bypassed security without a hitch and knocked on her door, calm and composed. “Ms. Lopez sent me to remind you—it’s better, and more dignified, if you go back to where you belong.”
Amelia was momentarily tense, half-expecting the assistant
