Page 127 of Pretend To Be Mine

“I’ll fix it. Right now. I’ll go out there and make an announcement. I’ll issue a press release tonight. I’ll get you on every morning show and every fashion podcast. I’ll make sure everyone knows those designs were yours. I’ll shout it from every platform we have until there’s no question about who made those designs.”

“No.” She shook her head violently. “No, Adrian, you can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because Fashion of Love Week isn’t my show. It’s yours. Your family’s. This whole thing was meant to honor your father and prove Blackwell Couture is still strong.” She was still crying, but her voice was steadier now, taking on that practical, analytical tone that meant she was thinking three steps ahead.

“If you make some big announcement, it’ll overshadow everything. It’ll become about this mistake instead of about the success you’ve built. Instead of talking about the beautiful designs and the triumph of the Blackwell brothers carrying on their father’s legacy, everyone will be talking about the drama.”

“I don’t care.”

“But I do.” She looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.

That’s when I saw it in her eyes. Resignation. Like she’d already decided this was just how things were going to be.

She wiped her face again. The tears stopped.

“This week was supposed to restore confidence in your company. You are supposed to show the world the Blackwell brothers can carry on your father’s legacy. I’m not going to be the reason that narrative gets hijacked. I’m not going to be the scandal that overshadows everything you’ve worked for.”

“Elizabeth, your credit matters more than any of that. We’re going to be fine.”

“It’s fine.” But her voice said it wasn’t fine at all. “It was a mistake. These things happen. Life goes on.”

I watched her try to compose herself. And that’s when I realized just how amazing she was.

Everything she’d worked for was on the table. And she was willing to let it all go to protect my family’s legacy and our company’s reputation.

No one had ever done that for me before. People in this industry were ruthless, cutthroat, and very willing to throw anyone under the bus for their own advancement. And here was Elizabeth, who had every right to be furious, choosing to protect me instead.

“Elizabeth, I can’t just let this go.”

“You have to.” She straightened her shoulders, trying to pull herself together even as her voice wavered. “You need to be thinking about New York. The finale. That’s what matters. That’s what everyone will remember, not some technical glitch in Milan.”

“This was your debut.”

“And now it’s over.” She took a shaky breath. “I’m fine, Adrian. I shouldn’t have expected anything. It was enough to have my dresses on that stage. I’m not going to pout about not getting my name out there. I have to pay my dues. Just because I fell into a very fortunate situation doesn’t mean I get to take advantage. I’m willing to wait my turn. This wasn’t it.”

I wanted to argue. But the look on her face stopped me. She was barely holding it together. Pushing her now would only make it worse.

“Okay,” I said quietly.

She took a deep, shaky breath. “You really should get out there,” she said. “You’re Adrian Blackwell. People need to hear from you. They need to see you.”

The resignation in her tone made my chest ache. She was giving up, accepting this injustice because she didn’t want to cause problems. Because even now, even after everything, she was putting everyone else first.

“I’m going to fix this,” I said firmly. “I’m going to get you the credit you deserve. Whether you want me to or not.”

“Adrian—”

“But you’re right about not hijacking tonight.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. “If it was just me and it was my show, I wouldn’t care about the optics. I’d march out there right now and damn the consequences. But this is all four of us. This is Dad’s legacy. We can’t make it about a technical error.”

She nodded. “I should go. Let you get back to the show. I’ll get a taxi. I’m really not interested in celebrating tonight.”

“Elizabeth, wait.”

But she was already walking away, disappearing into the backstage chaos before I could stop her. I stood there for a moment, fury and helplessness warring inside me. Then I went to find Dash.

He was exactly where I’d left him.