Then Wallace said seriously, “I think you’d better believe in it. Heavy rain will cause waterlogging in the old town. We’ll be fine because our company is here, but it will be difficult for you to go to the other side of the city if that’s the case. Hudson Group is located on higher ground in the new town. So, when you drive from the lower old town to your company, the car’s engine might break down with water getting into it if there is too much water on the streets. Besides, you might encounter traffic jams.”
Somehow, Estelle thought of her promise to Luke. Then she stood up and said to Wallace, “Then we’ll go now. You can call me if you have other ideas about the jewelry, Wallace. I’m sorry, but we really need to get going now.” At the same time, Estelle sighed to herself, ‘It’s such a shame. I planned to have a meal with you guys together after work, but now it seems impossible.’
Not minding this trivial episode, Wallace waved her hands and said, “It doesn’t matter. No one can control the weather. Safety first, as the saying goes. Besides, I think the best time to have a meal together is after we successfully finish the show. So, Estelle, please come to our after-party.”
Cheered up by Wallace’s confidence, Estelle smiled, “Your models are professional and competent. I’m sure the show will be successful.”
After talking to Wallace for a few minutes, Estelle and her co-workers went into the car to drive back to the company. About ten minutes later, the sky clouded over and looked like midnight, though it was still afternoon.
Sitting in the backseat with Estelle, Eva said in shock, “Why didn’t I receive anything about the weather forecasting on my app? What kind of app do you use, Estelle?”
“Actually, it’s a message someone sent me. I guess he copied the weather report, pasted it, and then re-sent it to me.” Estelle tried to underplay it, but she knew Cristofer never did meaningless things.
“Is the man Mr. Hans?” Eva saw Estelle’s hesitant expression and said resolutely, “It must be him!”
Estelle didn’t deny it.
“Mr. Hans must be missing you!” Eva said hurriedly. “Think about it. He gave you those special star-shaped candies and sent you the weather report. What does that mean? It means he cares about you, even though he doesn’t admit it. He found those candies that aren’t made in factories, but he couldn’t express his feelings. I don’t get him.”
Estelle listened and thought Eva was talking about her, so she interrupted, saying, “Okay, let’s talk about work. Why do you always bring him up when we talk? Did he send you here to convince me?”
“I promise I came to work for you!” Eva knew Estelle could see why she worked for her, so she could lie to Estelle without feeling guilty.
Estelle was getting upset and wanted to change the topic. “The order of the runway show is crucial for our future cooperation with other potential customers. When we get back to the company, we need to make sure every department doesn’t make any mistakes.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve sent the message to the company group. I think they’ll be more careful. By the way, should we order more raw materials?”
“Well, I’ll decide after I see the stones myself.” Estelle cared a lot about the stone quality and wouldn’t deceive customers in this regard. She said firmly, “I’ll try to finish the draft of the hairpin so the factory can start preparations early.”
The hairpins all looked pretty similar. There wasn’t much to add, just some small decorations on the pins. People wouldn’t notice the difference in their daily lives, especially not under the bright stage lights. So, Estelle decided to make the hairpin designs simpler to ensure they could produce the jewelry on time.
Eva took notes and asked, “Should we get help from the design department for the rest of the work?”
“Yes, I’ll decide on the style, and then I’ll need others to help with the design,” Estelle replied. “We need a broader perspective. No company can succeed with just one designer. I want Hudson Group to grow and become the best in the industry. To achieve that, I need a team of skilled and experienced designers to reach our goals. I also need to find someone who can continue my work.”
****
After they had worked out a basic plan, their driver brought them back to Hudson Group in heavy rain. Once he stepped out of the car, he said, “Thank goodness we left early. Otherwise, we’d be stuck in traffic right now.”
Within less than an hour, the light rain turned into a heavy downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightning. People were afraid of being struck by lightning if they stood outside.
Eva checked the news on her phone and suddenly took a deep breath, saying, “Ms. Wallace was correct. The traffic in the old town is so bad that the police are advising people not to go there. If we hadn’t left when we did, we’d be stuck there now.”
Estelle nodded in agreement, thinking of someone else. She went to her office, took out her phone, and sent a message to Cristofer that simply said, ‘Thank you.’
“I might have kept talking to Wallace without realizing the weather change if Cristofer hadn’t reminded me to leave. Maybe Cristofer put his phone down and got busy, so he didn’t respond,” Estelle thought.
With that in mind, Estelle set her phone aside and began working on her office computer. The heavy rain intensified when she completed the first draft of the hairpin design.
Estelle closed her office window but left the drapes open, gazing outside as the world seemed to drown in the rain. Initially, she wanted to watch the rain to improve her mood. However, as she turned around, lightning streaked across the sky. She quickly covered her ears, but it was too late-the thunder’s roar nearly deafened her.
After regaining her composure, Estelle went to Eva’s desk and said, “Please call Luke for me and let him know I can’t go to the Hans’ Residence for dinner due to the heavy rain. Also, convey my gratitude for taking care of the children.”
“What?” Eva exclaimed in surprise. “You didn’t go there by yourself earlier, did you? Did you take the kids with you? Why not wait a bit longer? We won’t be leaving the office anytime soon. Maybe the rain will stop by the time we finish work.”