Celestial Script's headquarters towered above the city, all steel and glass. Nora stepped inside with Aiden in one arm and a tote bag full of embroidery samples on her shoulder.
She was assigned to the Cultural Preservation Team—safe, quiet, creative.
Or so she thought.
At the grand exhibition launch a week later, she stood behind a table displaying her embroidered panels when a group of senior executives passed by.
One of them paused.
He was tall, impeccably dressed, with an unreadable expression. His gaze locked onto Nora with brief recognition—then cooled instantly.
Julian Zhao.
CEO. George Zhao's son.
In the original novel, he'd been the male lead—cold, brilliant, untouchable.
Now, he was standing three feet from her.
"So you're the embroidery genius my father hired," he said coolly, not offering a handshake.
Nora met his gaze without flinching. "And you must be the boss who doesn't believe in second chances."
A flicker of amusement crossed his features, but he said nothing more.
As he walked away, another man stepped forward—smiling, friendly, relaxed.
"I'm Daniel Zhao," the cousin, Nora realized. "Welcome aboard. We're lucky to have you."
He lingered longer than necessary.
But Nora's eyes stayed on the man walking away.
Because Julian Zhao hadn't looked surprised to see her.
He looked like he already knew.