11 Chapter 11 - New Light, New Rival 11 Chapter 11 - New Light, New Rival Bruce Chen moved like someone who had rehearsed every contingency twice. 1 When Lina arrived at the studio at 6:45 a.m., he was already there, holding a warm cup of ginseng tea and adjusting the lighting for a spontaneous lookbook shoot. "You didn't sleep again," he said, not accusing-just knowing. Lina offered a small smile. "I slept... eventually." He handed her the tea. "Let me guess-cutting until 3 a.m., then three podcasts on self-worth and one YouTube rabbit hole on bonsai pruning?" She blinked. "How do you-?" "Assistant's intuition." He winked. "Also, you left the 'Mindful Gardening' tab open on the main monitor." Lina shook her head, laughing quietly. "What would I do without you?" Bruce didn't answer. But something in his smile lingered longer than usual. - That afternoon, the showroom buzzed with press previews. Stylists, editors, and influencers flitted through racks of salvaged silk and deconstructed velvet while sipping eco-conscious champagne. Bruce trailed beside Lina, ready with swatch names, shipment timelines, and allergy-safe canapés. "You're doing it again," he whispered as she greeted a Vogue editor. "Doing what?" "That thing where you smile politely but keep looking at the door like something bad's about to walk in." She sighed. "Old habit," "Want me to change the locks on your trauma?" 10:13 < 11 Chapter 11 - New Light, New Rival She snorted. "Please." After the event, Bruce suggested dinner. "Nothing fancy. Rooftop. String lights. Dumplings." Lina hesitated. "Just us?" "I canceled the interns." He grinned. "Figured you could handle my charming company." That night, they climbed to the top of an old converted garment factory where Bruce had strung lanterns between potted lemon trees. Low jazz floated from a speaker. The table was simple-paper napkins, ceramic bowls, mismatched wine glasses. It felt... honest. Lina exhaled. "You do this for every boss?" she teased, peeling open a dumpling. "Only the ones who fake their deaths and come back fashionably vengeful." She laughed. For real. Halfway through dinner, Bruce leaned back in his chair, studying her. "You know, when I first met you," he said, "I thought, "This woman doesn't just survive. She reinvents." Lina set down her chopsticks. "What made you stay?" He shrugged, "You didn't flinch when I forgot your tea order. Most people do." She tilted her head. "That's your standard?" "It's rare," he said softly. "Compassion without conditions." A breeze swept through the rooftop. 10:12 W2/5 2/5 < 11 Chapter 11 - New Light, New Rival Lina looked down. "You're making it hard to pretend I don't notice you." "Then don't." Her eyes lifted to meet his. Something shifted between them-unspoken but palpable. A spark. Not fire. Warmth. Meanwhile, across town, Mason Rutherford sat alone in his office. He stared at his phone, scrolling through photos of the rooftop preview Bruce had posted-Lina in a flowing sand-colored blouse, smiling beside Bruce, head tilted just slightly. Too close. Too natural. His jaw clenched. He zoomed in. Bruce had his hand on her lower back. A gesture Mason had never made. Never thought to make, He shut the screen. Jealousy rose like bile. He'd lost her once. He wasn't going to lose her again. 10:13 9/6 < 11 Chapter 11 - New Light, New Rival Bruce walked Lina home that night. No limo. No umbrellas. Just their footsteps against slick sidewalks. Outside her building, she paused. "Tonight was... perfect." He nodded. "You deserved it." A moment of silence passed. Then Bruce reached into his coat pocket and handed her a leather-bound sketchbook, the cover embossed with foaming waves. "I saw it in a shop in Florence last year," he said. "Didn't know who it was for until now." She opened it. Inside the first page, he'd written in neat handwriting: *"For every design the sea tried to steal."* Lina blinked rapidly. "Thank you," she whispered. Bruce stepped closer, brushing a damp strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not asking for anything," he murmured. "Just... don't close the door." She didn't. Upstairs, she stared at the sketchbook for a long time. Then she began to draw. Not from pain. Not from vengeance. But from hope. 7012 4/5 < 11 Chapter 11 - New Light, New Rival For the first time in five years, her designs flowed not from wounds-but from wonder. Outside, a storm gathered. But inside, the light held. Unbeknownst to them, Mason's security team placed a tracker on Lina's next-day schedule. He called it "protection." But he knew the truth. It was possession in disguise. And the line between the two was beginning to blur. Comment 0 Leave the first comment for this chapter. Vote 5 Show support to the author by leaving comments when sending gift. Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts