Chapter 889 Amy’s Sick?
“I feel the same way,” Princess Diana declared. The royal couple felt as if they had been cheated. The so-called top-notch designs that would astound the world were nothing more than a ploy to trick them.
Wendy was quick-witted enough to know that she had made a blunder. She quickly started apologizing, “I’m so sorry for disappointing you, Your Highnesses. I wanted to prepare a surprise just for you, but I never thought that these designers didn’t take it seriously at all. They even tricked me with these designs that aren’t even fit to be presented on the runway.”
“You don’t need to feel bad about it, Miss Jennings. We felt your sincerity. Even though the clothes weren’t amazing, they were still good enough to be considered high fashion. Perhaps, it’s just us who couldn’t enjoy it because of our exacting tastes.”
Prince Caleb didn’t want to end on a sour note on his first day here, so he decided not to hold it against Wendy.
“I respectfully disagree, Your Highness. It’s my fault for not being a good host. There’s nothing I can say to defend myself. If it’s alright with the two of you, could you tell me what kind of designs you favor? I’ll plan an even better fashion show for you later on, and I’m sure it will please you, Your Highnesses.” Wendy sounded unquestioningly sincere.
“If I must put it into words, then… The designs must be magical and romantic, full of liveliness and surprise. At the end of the day, the designs must mesmerize the audience,” Princess Diana described enthusiastically. She glanced at the models on the stage and frowned. “Either way, I didn’t get that feeling from any one of the designs on these models.”
It was always hard to describe something as conceptual as feeling, so Princess Diana’s response didn’t help much at all.
After mulling it over carefully, Wendy finally took a sketch from her assistant and held it out to Princess Diana. “Your Highness, may I know if this design is to your liking?”
The design came from Brendan’s atelier. It was a wedding gown that Elise had designed for Faye.
Princess Diana’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw the design. “Actually, this is exactly the kind of feeling I’m looking for! Goodness me! If I’d seen this design sooner, I would’ve worn it at my wedding! And look here. It even has Amy’s signature! I’ve found her at last!”
Wendy finally got the answer she’d been looking for. Elise was Amy, just as she’d suspected.
Well, what a pity that neither Amy nor Elise are still here.
“So, Amy is one of your design representatives, Miss Jennings? What a coincidental twist of fate! This must be the surprise you prepared for us, right?” Princess Diana grabbed Wendy’s hand in excitement like an overjoyed kid.
Wendy chuckled along awkwardly. “Yeah. What a coincidence indeed.”
“Where’s Amy, then? Let’s go and meet her.” Prince Caleb had heard his wife talking about Amy for ages now. He couldn’t wait to meet the designer in person.
For a moment, Wendy didn’t know what to say. She stared blankly at the royal couple for a few seconds before coming up with a flimsy excuse. “Unfortunately, Amy… She’s also sick.”
“How very odd.” Princess Diana looked troubled. “Mr. Griffith’s representative is sick, and now, Amy too?”
It was a somewhat unbelievable excuse. Wendy tried to think of a way to overcome this when her assistant answered on her behalf.
“It’s the flu, Your Highnesses. It’s been going around lately here in Cittadel, and a lot of people have caught it. Please do be careful and avoid getting it, too.”
“I see.” Prince Caleb was innocent enough to believe the lie. “What a pity. Do let us know right away when Amy has recovered. We’d like to see her as soon as possible!”
“I will,” Wendy promised. “I’m sure Amy will recover soon enough. I will tell her that the two of you send her your good wishes, Your Highnesses.”
“Tell Amy the brand’s hers if she’s willing to participate in the selection!” Princess Diana declared excitedly.
“Yes, I will definitely pass your message along!”
…
It was Sunday again.
Alexander brought Elise with him to an artisanal cafe that belonged to his company to meet Mack, Prince Caleb’s bodyguard.
Mack was already there when they arrived.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting.” Alexander went forward to greet Mack.
Mack stood up to greet back. “It’s alright. Please, take a seat.”
Seeing that Alexander brought a woman with him, Mack couldn’t resist asking, “Who’s this?”
“The future Mrs. Griffith.” Alexander wrapped his arm around Elise’s shoulder in a public display of affection.
“Oh. Well, the two of you look good together.” Mack chuckled.
He knew that rich men in Cittadel loved fooling around with women. The rumors had spread to Yveltalia as well, so he didn’t believe that this woman was truly going to be Alexander’s wife. He simply said a few words out of courtesy.
“Thank you,” Elise replied with a faint smile before pulling her makeup out of her purse to fulfill her role as an airheaded female companion.
Mack eyed her perceptively. Now, he was even more convinced that she was just an airhead whose only job was to look pretty and began to regard her derisively.
“Did you ask to meet me because you have something you wish to say, Mr. Thompson?” Alexander drew Mack’s attention back to him.
“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I wanted to talk business with you, but…” Mack paused and hinted that Elise shouldn’t be listening in on what he was about to say.
However, Alexander had no intention of chasing her away. “It’s fine. My woman listens to me. You can say anything you want, Mr. Thompson. I can guarantee that no one else apart from the three of us will know about it.”
Since Alexander gave his word, Mack leaned back into the couch and crossed his legs carelessly.
“I won’t beat around the bush, then. I can help you win the bid for the brand collaboration between the two countries, Mr. Griffith. It’ll save you a lot of effort if you choose to work with me.”
Alexander took a sip of coffee with a faint smile before commenting slowly, “Tell me what your terms are, Mr. Thompson.”
“So, you’re a straightforward man too, Mr. Griffith. I’ll be frank, then. I want half of the profits from the brand, but of course, it won’t be all for me. I’d need to grease the palm of quite a few people back in my country to ensure that the deal goes off without a hitch,” Mack explained in all seriousness.
Alexander swirled the coffee in his cup with an indifferent expression on his face. “Half the profits, huh? Are the people at Smith Co. supposed to go unpaid, then?”
“You shouldn’t be saying such a silly thing when you’re the top businessman here in Cittadel, Mr. Griffith. You can always fudge the numbers reported to finance on both sides and increase retail prices. Won’t you be making enough then?” Mack flexed his knuckles and tapped the table with a sly smile.
Alexander set his cup down and looked at Mack with a grim expression. “The brand was conceptualized as one that would benefit both nation’s citizens. How many of them would be able to afford the products if we do what you suggest, Mr. Thompson?”
Mack’s smile froze, and his eyes flashed dangerously. “Are you trying to talk about business ethics, Mr. Griffith? Can you swear on your life that you’ve accomplished everything you have without ever resorting to any trickery? Benefiting the citizens? You and I both know that’s just all talk. Don’t tell me that a fashion brand can change the citizens’ lives. What a joke!”
