Chapter 299

Kathy was chatting with us, going over the plans for the venue and the models.

Savannah hesitated but mentioned she wasn't thrilled with her figure and thought wearing Kathy's designs might be tough.

Kathy waved it off with a smile. "No worries, as long as we have a model..."

"And my designs always flatter the figure, so don't stress."

I trusted Kathy and gave Savannah's hand a reassuring pat. "Don't worry, Kathy's a top-notch designer. Everyone raves about her clothes. You'll look amazing."

Savannah, thinking about Kathy's past work, finally relaxed. "I never thought I'd get to be a model at my age."

"Don't say that! If you're old, what does that make me?" I joked, pretending to be offended.

If Savannah thought she was old, then what about me?

"Why are we even talking about age? None of you are old! Come on, everyone, be my models!" Kathy laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

I noticed Kathy was dressed especially elegantly today. She wore a silver mermaid dress that shimmered beautifully, highlighting her beauty.

I couldn't help but gasp. "Kathy, you look stunning."

"This is a dress I made for myself. I know my body and measurements best, so of course, it fits perfectly." Kathy said confidently, twirling around and winking at us.

Seeing her confidence, I felt a sense of admiration.

"But don't just stand there, help me organize things..." As we busily helped Kathy prepare for the private custom event, my phone suddenly rang.

I picked it up and saw it was Joanna calling.

"Hey, Caroline, where are you guys?" Joanna's voice was calm, not showing any urgency.

"We're still at Kathy's studio, planning to head to the venue soon. What about you?"

Hearing Joanna's voice made me a bit anxious, as I couldn't help but think about her and Ronnie.

"I'm already at the hotel. I noticed you weren't here, so I called to check."

Joanna mentioned she had tried calling Kathy but couldn't reach her.

I was surprised but quickly explained, "She's been really busy, running around the venue..."

"But we'll be there soon. Just hang tight."

Joanna agreed and hung up.

I didn't hear anything unusual from her end, so I felt relieved. Just then, Kathy said, "I think we're ready. Let's get going."

There was still an hour before the event officially started.

During this time, we arrived and began organizing the models' outfits.

It was my first time helping Kathy with such an event, and I was understandably nervous.

Kathy noticed my anxiety and encouraged me, "You're a great speaker. Remember how amazing you were when you ran your own company?"

"There's no need to be so nervous."

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm not scared... just feeling a bit out of place."

"Maybe it's because I haven't been in a setting like this with so many people for a long time."

The last time I had such an experience was at a bidding event. But back then, I was too busy dealing with competitors to feel nervous.

Thinking about it made me a bit emotional. Those days felt like a distant memory now.

Kathy patted my shoulder. "By the way, didn't Joanna call and say she was already at the venue? Why haven't I seen her?"

"She said she was..."

I stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was off.

Joanna had said she was waiting for us at the venue, but now that we were here, where was she?

Kathy and I exchanged glances.

"I'll go look for her. Maybe she's still outside."

With that, I hurried outside.

We had entered through a side door to keep the models' outfits hidden. Maybe Joanna was waiting at the main entrance.

I called Joanna while searching for her.

I had thrown on a coat to cover my dress temporarily.

The phone rang a few times before she picked up.

"Joanna, where are you? We were supposed to meet here."

I looked around but still didn't see her.

Joanna sounded surprised. "You guys are here already? I just went to get ice cream with Ronnie. We're at the hotel entrance."

Ice cream...

I repeated the word, feeling a bit absurd.

But what really made my skin crawl was that she mentioned Ronnie.

I quickly made my way to the hotel entrance and saw Joanna.

Ronnie stood beside her, dressed in a suit, his hair meticulously styled, exuding a mature and composed aura.

Seeing him, I didn't know how to react.

Thinking about his past with Maeve made me feel disgusted and scared.

"Are you here for the private custom event too?"

After what happened with Maeve, I couldn't help but see Ronnie as tainted.

Unfortunately, I couldn't just have him checked out to confirm my suspicions.

Joanna smiled when she saw me. "I didn't see you at the main entrance and thought you hadn't arrived."

"We used the side door to protect the models' outfits, so it's normal you didn't see us."

I hurriedly explained, pulling Joanna towards the venue.

She said something to Ronnie before stumbling as I tugged her along. "Caroline, what's wrong?"

"Why are you acting so strange today?"

I whispered, "It's nothing... just that the event is about to start, and it's not good to be outside."

Joanna frowned.

She was always perceptive, and I knew she sensed something was off.

Sure enough, after a few steps, Joanna stopped and held my hand. "Caroline, don't rush."

"The event won't start for a while."

She stopped, her gaze steady and thoughtful.