“Cosa?36”Francesca asked, settling into the sofa. “Sei serio?37”
I took a deep breath, barely able to contain my excitement. “Sono serio38. Eminence wants to partner with us.”
Her eyes widened, and Inaya let out a small whoop. “È incredibile!39” she exclaimed.
I nodded, smiling broadly.
Inaya clapped her hands together, a huge grin on her face. “What’s the plan?”
“We need to set up a boutique in New York City,” I explained. “Julia said it would help with managing fittings and preparations. We’ll also need to coordinate travel and accommodation for the team, start working on the new collection, and prepare for the show itself, even if it’s next year.”
Inaya’s excitement was palpable. “When do we start?”
“Right away,” I replied. “But for now, we need to find a suitable location for the boutique and handle all the legalities regarding this expansion.”
Francesca was already taking notes. “We should make a list of potential locations and reach out to a realtor in New York.”
“Perfect!” I explained. “Once I have our legal teams speak, we’ll start boutique searching.”
After, I called my mom to share the news. “Mamma, indovina un po?40” I began, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.
“Cosa c’è?”
“Eminence wants to partner with us,” I said, the words almost magical as they left my lips. “I have to open a boutique in New York City!”
There was a pause before her voice came through. “Oh, Nina, that’s wonderful!Sono così orgogliosa di te.41”
“Grazie, Mamma,” I whispered, a lump in my throat.
We spoke a while longer, her words of encouragement bolstering my resolve before she hung up to take a walk on the beach.
I let out a loud squeal, popping one of the chocolates into my mouth, overwhelmed with joy.
New York City called my name, and I answered.
Chapter Twenty-four
RONAN
Present Day
ITALY
“Push back the jet for five hours.” My voice came out quieter than I’d planned as I stared at Nina’s door, hesitating. I had been in Florence longer than I had planned, debating whether I should go.
Rachel took a beat before responding. “Of course. Is everything… alright?”
“Just something I need to take care of first,” I murmured, fingers brushing the wood grain as if I could reach her through it.
She paused, then asked, “Does this have to do with yourcrocheted snowflake?”
A bitter chuckle escaped me, sharp in the silence of the hallway. “Yeah, actually, it does.”
Rachel’s gentle sigh reached me, laced with the kind of encouragement only she can manage. “The jet will be here in ten hours, and good luck, sir.”
I ran a hand through my hair, forcing the tension from my shoulders. “I’ll need it.”
My heart raced as I held a bouquet of peonies and the crocheted snowflake. The night, bathed in moonlight, made each breath heavier as the weight of my vulnerability pressed down on me.
