Isabella's eyes darted across the studio.

Julian was gone.

A cold dread seized her.

Her stomach dropped.

"Where is Julian?" She fought to keep her tone even. "Why isn't he here?"

A junior designer hesitantly raised a hand. "Miss Scott, he called in. Said it was a family emergency."

"A family emergency?" Suspicion flared instantly.

The timing was too perfect.

"Did he say when he'd be back?" she pressed.

The designer flinched under her gaze. "N-no. He didn't."

"Get me his number," Isabella ordered.

The number was quickly scribbled on a notepad and handed over.

Isabella dialed.

It rang.

And rang.

Then, a robotic voice. "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable..."

Unavailable.

Her heart plummeted.

She tried again.

Same result.

"Does anyone have another way to reach him? Any other contacts?" she demanded.

Nothing.

Her efforts yielded zero information.

Isabella bit down on her lip, hard. Panic was a luxury she couldn't afford.

"Call the police," she commanded, her voice sharp. "Now!" Simultaneously, she threw herself into recreating the stolen designs. The clock was ticking. Every minute was critical.

She worked without stopping. Sleep was forgotten. The clients needed reassurance. The smaller ones were manageable. The big one, William Sterling, CEO of Sterling Industries, was the real problem.

"Mr. Sterling refuses a meeting?" Isabella rubbed her temples, exhaustion weighing on her.

Her assistant nodded nervously. "His secretary said his schedule is completely packed. No openings."

This was the third rejection.

"Find out what he's been doing. Who he's been with. Everything," Isabella instructed.

The assistant returned swiftly with the intel. William's wife, Charlotte Sterling, was desperate for a specific, nearly impossible-to-find Hermes bag. Money wasn't the issue; availability was.

A plan clicked into place. Charlotte was the key.

"Contact Hermes," Isabella directed. "I want that bag. Whatever it takes. Whatever it costs."

The assistant paused for only a second before understanding. "Right away, Miss Scott."

The assistant moved fast. By the next day, she had news.

"Miss Scott! We got it!"

Relief washed over Isabella. Securing William Sterling's account would save the studio.