Chapter 76 What Are You Doing!

Chapter 76 What Are You Doing!
The next morning, the SoHo area was blanketed by a thicker layer of snow. The pale winter sunlight penetrated the large glass windows of Elena Vance Atelier, reflecting silver and gold glints from the corners of the minimalist yet magnificent room.

The aroma of fresh espresso coffee and sandalwood essence wafted through the air, creating a VVIP atmosphere that was highly intimidating for ordinary people, yet felt like absolute paradise for Elena.

Elena stood behind the black marble counter, adjusting the fit of her navy velvet blazer with fingers slightly cold from nervousness.

Today was the studio's first day of opening, and although it was a passive opening without media publicity, her heart still pounded fast.

In the corner of the room, Elijah sat casually on the charcoal-gray sofa. The man was once again wearing his signature plaid flannel shirt—this time in moss green—with black jeans hugging his long legs. On his lap, a thin laptop with a solid black logo continuously displayed lines of Apex Sovereign encryption code moving at lightning speed.

"Elijah, put that laptop away for a moment," Elena scolded, half-whispering while glancing at the classic wall clock showing ten in the morning. "If a client comes in and sees my assistant busy hacking something, they'll think this is a criminal hideout, not a jewelry studio."

Elijah lowered his laptop screen slightly, flashing a very charming lopsided smile that made the depths of his sapphire blue eyes glint with amusement. "My employer, I'm not hacking. I'm ensuring that a one-block radius around this studio is free from London flies. That's part of my job description."

Before Elena could retort with an annoyed snap, the silver bell above the large teak door rang with a soft chime. The door opened slowly, cutting through the cold air from outside.

A middle-aged woman stepped in with absolute aristocratic elegance. The woman wore a white fox fur coat worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, diamond-framed sunglasses, and a strand of South Sea pearl necklace around her neck, radiating the highest level of luxury.

Behind her, two tall, sturdy men in formal black coats stood guarding the door with military alertness.

She was Victoria Blackwood, Elijah's biological mother, the chief empress of the Blackwood empire, famous for her ruthless and unforgiving aesthetic taste among the world's socialites.

Elena instantly held her breath. The atmosphere inside the room dropped dramatically, filled with an intensely thick social intimidation pressure.

Elena did not recognize the woman's face as Elijah's mother, as the main Blackwood clan kept their facial documentation very tightly sealed from public consumption. However, Elena knew for certain from her bearing that this woman was an apex predator from the highest caste of Wall Street.

"Good morning, Madam," Elena greeted, forcing her best professional smile while bowing respectfully from behind the counter.

"Welcome to Elena Vance Atelier. It is a great honor to receive your visit on our very first day."

Victoria did not answer immediately. She lowered her sunglasses slightly with fingers adorned by a giant emerald ring, sweeping her gaze around the room with a very cold, assessing look.

The corner of her eye briefly glanced toward the gray sofa, where Elijah was now leaning back very calmly, staring at his own mother with an extremely sharp warning gaze.

Elijah did not move from his seat, but his right hand, hidden under the sofa table, discreetly pressed a button on his smartwatch, sending an instant text message to his mother's device.

\[ Don't ruin my toy, Mother. Or I'll freeze all your charity foundations in Paris this afternoon.\]

Victoria felt her device vibrate inside her Hermès bag. A faint twitch appeared at the corner of her blood-red lipstick. She turned back to look at Elena, ignoring her son's impolite cyber threat.

"So, you are Elena Vance?" Victoria's voice flowed crisply, yet possessed the sharpness of a surgical scalpel.

"I heard from some of my associates in Paris that there is a rebellious designer from Valora Gems who dared to open an independent studio in SoHo with mysterious financial backing. I came to see if your work is worth the rumors, or if this place is just a cosmetic front."

Elena clenched her hands behind the marble counter, feeling her pride as a designer being put on the line. She took a deep breath, steadying the tremor in her voice.

"My work does not speak through rumors, Madam. If you would allow me, I could show you the main draft of the 'Sapphire Embrace' collection that will be the cover feature of a fashion magazine next month."

"I am not interested in mass-produced designs for magazines, Miss Vance," Victoria cut in arrogantly, walking closer to the counter and placing her luxury bag down with a soft thud.

"I want something exclusive. A masterpiece the world has never seen. I want you to design a diamond tiara for the main Blackwood clan's wedding anniversary event to be held in Manhattan two years from now."

Hearing the name of the main Blackwood clan, Elena felt her entire body suddenly stiffen. An order from New York's highest ruler? This was both an opportunity and a deadly trap if she made the slightest mistake.

"One trillion rupiah as an initial fund," Victoria continued without blinking, mentioning a fantastic nominal figure as if it were just loose change to buy coffee.

"I will provide a rare ten-carat pink diamond from my private mine. Your only task is to shape it into something worthy of a queen. If you fail, or if your design looks cheap, I will ensure your studio's name is erased from the SoHo district before your building lease contract completes one year."

Elena was stunned, her throat suddenly dry. The pressure was too great.

However, before fear could paralyze Elena's nerves, a tall figure with the familiar scent of sandalwood suddenly stood right beside her.

Elijah had stepped forward from the sofa, placing one hand casually on the marble counter, while his other hand crept possessively to Elena's lower back, squeezing it gently to channel absolute strength.

"Honorable Madam," Elijah's baritone voice flowed very low and deep, breaking the tension between the two women. His sapphire blue eyes stared directly into his own mother's eyes with a very cold flash of confrontation.

"Our lead designer does not accept orders accompanied by eviction threats. If you came here only to flaunt your financial caste, the teak door behind you is still wide open."

Elena's eyes widened instantly, staring at Elijah with extreme panic.

'Elijah! What are you doing! She could destroy us in a second!' Elena's inner voice screamed, hurriedly nudging Elijah's arm with her elbow.