Substitute Marriage With the Illegitimate Son novel Chapter 854

"You came all the way here. What more can I say?" Zuri sighed as she took Janet in. She looked young. She must be a new designer.

Draco was in an accident. It would be difficult for a fledgling designer like Janet to fill his shoes. Zuri felt herself softening for the younger woman. The situation was a lot to handle, and she didn't want to make things even more difficult for Janet. "I haven't made any announcement about W Marks not taking part in the show yet. You already missed the opening, and the second show is on right now, but if you want, you can still do the finale as we agreed on last night."

"Really? Thank you so much, Miss Salazar!"

It was going to be rough, but now Janet had a chance to make amends. She covered her mouth with her hands as both relief and excitement flooded her. Giving Zuri a polite bow, she said, "I'll start working right away!"

Posh music floated across the runway.

Tall, slender models strutted in high heels as famous stars and fashion icons sat and watched, eyes gleaming with admiration for the display of haute couture.

The seeming perfection of the show in front of the audience was a stark contrast to the chaos backstage. Janet rushed back and forth, sometimes bumping into other staff as she held the clothes that had been sent from Barnes.

A thin sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead. "Excuse me! Coming through! W Marks Studio! Please come over at once if your name is called."

Janet announced, holding a thick pile of documents in her hands. While the other design houses had a staff of at least 10 people, Janet was single-handedly doing everything by herself. She didn't care if she looked pitiful or crazy. She wanted to prove that W Marks was just as good as any fashion company in the industry. She couldn't falter now.

After all the models had put on their clothes, Janet began checking them one by one.

She adjusted and secured the fabric with pins, trying to make them fit better.

Absorbed in her task, she didn't feel Derek's gaze on her. He was watching with a smile.

He had not expected that this beautiful woman was really a designer from W Marks. He had initially thought it was just her excuse to sneak into the show.

"Zuri, do you know her?" Leaning against the coat hanger beside Zuri, Derek kept following Janet with his eyes.

Zuri was busy instructing the models who had just come down from the runway, and she had no time for his questions. "Don't wander around. Haven't you heard her introduce herself? She is the designer of W Marks," she said, her voice edged with impatience.

The smile on Derek's face widened into a grin.

"She's pretty good. She's all alone but she managed to have everything under control."

Spotting Derek backstage, his agent came to him and said, "Don't just stay here. There are many fashion editors from Paris and London out there. It's the perfect time to socialize and network. You might even land a gig next month."

Derek found a seat and leaned lazily against it. "I don't want to. I've already booked two commercials in my schedule. Ever heard of the saying, 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?' I've got more money than I can spend, so cut me some slack and let me relax, okay?"

The agent clicked his tongue as he looked at the disinterested talent. Money would never be an issue for Derek. If he got tired of being a model, he had billions worth of family properties waiting for him.

The agent knew he had no way of winning the argument, so he stepped back. "Fine. If you want to ease up a little, I won't force you."