Chapter 5

Chloe POV

As soon as the press conference ended, Amber went up to the rooftop to shoot her promotional posters.

Ethan demanded that I accompany them. His reason was non-negotiable. "You're the designer of the dress. If anything goes wrong with the gown during the shoot, you need to fix it immediately."

It was freezing on the rooftop.

My thin clothes offered no protection against the biting wind, and every step I took felt like walking on knives.

After only two setups, Amber suddenly stopped and glared at her hemline with frustration.

"What's wrong?" Ethan rushed over, his voice dripping with worry.

"The seam is ripped," Amber complained, her cold face twisting with annoyance. "I can't shoot like this. I'm leaving."

She turned toward the elevator.

Ethan grabbed her wrist, soothing her gently. "Don't be mad. I'll have it fixed right away."

He turned his gaze toward me, standing in the corner. "Chloe, come sew this up."

I looked at the dress. It was obvious that the seam had been intentionally snipped with scissors.

I didn't call her out. I just walked over and said calmly, "She needs to take it off first. Otherwise, the tailoring will be ruined."

"No way. Taking it off and putting it back on takes too long. It'll ruin my flow," Amber rejected instantly.

Ethan looked at me and said, "Just sew it while she's wearing it. Work around it."

I looked at Ethan, finding the situation utterly ridiculous.

Sewing it while she wore it meant I had to kneel on the ground to reach the hem.

"My hand was injured and got infected last night. I can't hold the needle steady," I said, showing him my swollen, red thumb as a final plea.

Ethan frowned, a flash of impatience crossing his eyes.

He didn't seem to think my injury was a valid excuse.

His tone remained smooth, but his words were merciless. "It's just a couple of stitches, Chloe. Don't make everyone stand in the cold waiting for you."

I looked at him, and suddenly, I smiled.

Without saying another word, I pulled out my needle and thread, slowly bent my knees, and knelt at Amber's feet.

The moment my knees hit the concrete roof, a sharp pain shot through me. Cold sweat instantly soaked my back.

My fingers were so stiff they barely worked. I struggled to hold the tiny needle, forcing it through the heavy fabric.

The wind grew stronger.

Amber shivered. "Are you done yet? I'm freezing."

Without a thought, Ethan took off his heavy designer coat and wrapped it tightly around Amber.

He used his own body to block the freezing wind, shielding Amber completely in his arms.

Meanwhile, I knelt at their feet, bearing the brunt of the icy wind alone.

Ethan didn't spare me a single glance.

All his attention was on Amber, asking her softly if she was still cold.

My fingers grew completely numb. My hand slipped, and the sharp needle plunged deep into my thumb again.

Blood welled up instantly, staining the inside of the skirt.

"What are you doing?!" Amber gasped. "Don't get blood on my dress!"

Ethan finally looked down.

Seeing the blood on my hand, there was no worry in his eyes, only annoyance.

He felt like I was ruining his moment with Amber.

"Wipe the blood off and finish it quickly," Ethan said coldly.

I said nothing.

I quietly put my thumb in my mouth, sucked the blood away, and went back to sewing.

For ten agonizing minutes.

When I finally bit the thread off and used the wall to pull myself up, my legs were completely numb.

"Done." I didn't look at either of them. Dragging my stiff body, I turned and walked toward the elevator.