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Chapter Two

Eva

I survey my apartment, which is in complete disarray. Boxes sit half packed on every piece of furniture and scattered across the carpet like forgotten intentions.

I’ve poured everything into getting prepared to hit the ground running in New York City. After handling all the legal paperwork and filing it with the state, I dived straight into building a brand, starting with a logo and website.

To say I’m nervous is an understatement. Hand me a sketchbook and an empty space, and I’ll create something unforgettable. But this? This is different. This is me selling myself. And that’s unfamiliar territory.

The company I just left always led with their brand. It gave me the freedom to focus purely on design. I didn’t choose the clients or the direction; I simply executed what had been asked of me.

But now I want more. I want the freedom to pursue the kind of work that lights me up.

I’ve wavered so many times, unsure if I was truly ready to take this leap. It was my brother, Walker, who finally pushed me to go for it.

I honestly don’t know what I would do without him. He’s my protector. My biggest cheerleader. Our parents are deeply traditional, conservative people. They’ve never supported my decision to focus on my career. Not when there are so many eligible bachelors, they think I should be marrying.

But Walker gets it. He understands I never want to be financially dependent on a man. If I ever do get married, it’ll be because I choose to, not because I need to.

My phone rings from somewhere across the room.

“Shoot,” I whisper to myself as I tiptoe to the opposite side of the room, dodging boxes and piles of bubble wrap.

I find it underneath a blanket in the corner of my couch. Walker’s name flashes across the screen.

I smile as I hold the phone to my ear. “I was just thinking about you.”

His light laughter rings in my ear. “All good things, I hope.”

“Of course. You know I save all my anger for Mom and Dad.”

“Don’t I know it? How’s it going?”

I look around at the mess. “Just trying to pack up my life of nine years.”

I’ve been in Chicago since my freshman year of college. I’m twenty-seven now. There’s an emotional element to packing up the life that I built here. I feel it deep down in my soul that I’m making the right move, but this place helped make me the woman I am today.

It’s never easy, closing a chapter in your life that means so much to you.

“And you were wishing you had my organizational skills there with you,” he jokes.

“Ha! Yeah, right. Like I’m going to rely on someone who hires someone to manage his life for him.”

“Watch it. I don’t hire people to do everything .”

“The fact that you have to clarify that it’s not everything means you’re a spoiled brat.”

I love my brother, but he has come into a lot of money as the top corporate lawyer in the city. He hasn’t had to live like a normal working-class citizen in a long time. He has his meals prepped for him, his laundry washed, his penthouse cleaned.

“Whatever. I didn’t call to argue,” he huffs.

“Really? What did you call me for?” I ask, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder as I grab a few more items to place in the box in front of me.

“I got you an interview,” he says, sounding pleased with himself.

I swear, men want a standing ovation for every minor accomplishment. It’s a miracle he gets out of bed without a cheering section to celebrate the sheer effort it must take.

“You know why I’m making this move,” I remind him. “It’s so I can finally work on projects that excite me—that are mine .”

“This one’s big. It’s a full-scale renovation of a luxury hotel chain—with properties across the globe.”

My heart stutters in my chest. Okay, I’ll admit it—that sounds incredible. Like an actual dream come true. I can already envision the designs, tailoring each hotel to fit its unique location. International work has always been on my bucket list.

“Wait, seriously?”

“Oh, now you’re interested,” he teases.

I grunt. “Okay, fine. Yes! I’m more than interested. That’s amazing! How on earth did you land me an interview?”

“It’s one of my old college buddies, Roman. He owns the hotels and is overseeing a full rebrand of the entire chain.”

Roman. The name’s familiar—I’ve heard Walker mention him plenty of times. I was always too young to tag along on his trips into the city, but Walker used to come home from college, full of stories.

We grew up just outside of the city, but my parents never brought me with them when they visited my brother in the city. I’ve barely spent any time in New York City. I’ve been there during some rare visits with Walker after I moved to Chicago.

“When is the interview?” I ask as excitement starts bubbling up and my thoughts race.

I need to pull my portfolio together—fast. This is earlier than I planned for an interview. I have to design mock-ups for the hotel rebrand and dive into research. There’s so much to do.

“Next week,” Walker says.

“Next week?” I scream into my phone. “Walker! That’s no time at all. How am I supposed to be ready by then?”

“I know it’s short notice,” he says gently, “but he wants to move quickly.”

I take a deep breath. I know I need to jump on this chance. I just have no clue how I’m going to make it happen in time.

“Come on,” he says. “You’re amazing at what you do. You’ll put something amazing together.”

“I don’t know,” I murmur. “That’s really soon. Can you send me his full name and hotel info so I can start researching?”

“Sure. I’ll text it to you as soon as we hang up. Not to freak you out, but he’s serious about his business. You being my sister means nothing to him. He’ll hire whoever he thinks is best for the job.”

“No pressure or anything,” I mutter. Not that I was expecting any special treatment, but the way he is describing Roman is a little intimidating.

He laughs. “I just wanted to be honest with you. You’ve got this. And even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll still walk away with a solid interview under your belt.”

“You’re right. It’s just … sooner than I thought. But I’ll make it work.” I pause. “Thanks for thinking of me. It means a lot that you put my name out there.”

“I did it because you’re talented, not because you’re my sister.”

I laugh under my breath.

“Okay, fine. Maybe a little bit of both,” he concedes.

“Either way, I’m grateful. I’ll get started on everything today.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will,” I promise. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

His text comes through just after we hang up.

Bertini Hotels

I forget how to breathe for a second. Bertini Hotels—one of the biggest luxury hotel chains in the world. This is more than just a job; it’s a career-defining opportunity. If I land this, there’s no doubt it could fund my business for years.

It would launch my name into the spotlight as a serious designer.

Even thinking about it gives me butterflies. Suddenly, the unpacked boxes taking up space in my apartment don’t feel like a burden anymore. Packing can wait.

This comes first.