Chapter 9 A Name of Her Own
By the time I returned home, the sun had already dipped past the horizon.
The lights were warm in the foyer, a soft contrast to the coldness in my chest that had settled since I stepped foot in Kian’s company earlier.b
Kian was in the living room, dressed casually in a black button–up and gray slacks, sipping from a glass of whiskey. The moment he saw me, he put his drink down.”
How was work, Mrs. Foster?” he teased.
I dropped my purse and walked toward him, a smirk tugging at my lips. “Productive. I did something wicked.“%
His eyes lit with curiosity. “Oh? Do tell.””
I leaned against the armrest of the couch and crossed my arms.
“I planted a fake design under Mira’s name. She’s been trying to steal my portfolio and claim it as hers. I figured it was time to have a little fun.”
Kian whistled, impressed. “I love that you’re enjoying this.“}
“It’s payback. Slow and satisfying,” I said.”
He walked toward me, brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.”
“Good. Because we’ll be heading to the Harrington estate soon. Family dinner. Austin’s going to be there.”
“Perfect,” I replied. “I want him to see the ring on my finger. I want to watch his face when he realizes I didn’t just leave–I leveled up.” Kian chuckled. “That’s my girl.”
“Also, I added, “I’ve been thinking of rebranding. A new identity. A fresh label. I want to start releasing my designs–but not as Aria Harrington.”
Kian nodded slowly. “Smart. Keep the mystery alive.”
“Do you have a small, unused company? Something off the radar I could take over quietly?“}
“Actually, yes. Kian pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and within thirty minutes, two suited men were at the door.
He introduced them as Marco and Jules–his trusted team.
“Marco, Jules, this is Aria. She’s taking over the shell company, Lioré Designs. It’s been inactive for three years. You’re going to help her rebrand it from scratch. Keep it discreet. No leaks.“}
They both nodded.
I sat down with them and opened my sketch folder, laying out my expectations.
“I want a clean brand. Minimalistic but elegant. Think monochrome themes–black, white, blush tones. The website should be seamless. No splash pages. Just straight to the catalog.“2
“Do you want it linked to any social media presence?” Marco asked.
“Yes, I replied. “Create an anonymous Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. No names. Just videos of the designs on mannequins and flat lays. Post frequently but don’t reveal the designer. Let people speculate.“>
“We can build a mailing list too, Jules added. “For when you’re ready to launch officially.”
“Good. And make sure the servers are protected. I don’t want any trace of it connecting back to me. Use offshore hosting, privacy shields, everything.“%
“Understood,” they both said.”
“Also, I added, “collaborate with a few lowkey influencers. Ones who specialize in fashion critiques. Get them talking. Make it seem organic. I want whispers before the wave hits.”
They were taking notes diligently. Kian stood behind me, arms folded, a look of pride on his face.}
“We’ll have the website up in twenty–four hours, Marco promised.
After they left, I sat in the studio with Kian beside me as I created an anonymous email and Instagram handle-@MaisonLaRuelle.
I uploaded two teaser images: one of a hand sketching on a tablet and another of a white chiffon gown half–finished on a mannequin. Within minutes, the posts were shared, liked, and commented on
“Never seen such clean lines – “A genius is born.”
“Who is Maison LaRuelle? These are divine!“Z
Fashion blogs picked it up. People were curious.
An hour later, I got my first DM.
@HauteModePR: “Are you open to collaboration? We’d love to work with you.“#
I smiled but didn’t reply.
Not yet.
Kian leaned over and kissed the side of my head. “You’ve always had it in you. You were just surrounded by the wrong people’s Just then, his phone buzzed. He turned toward me.!
12:00 AM
“Want to see something satisfying?“}
I looked up. “What?”
He turned the screen to me.§
A news alert.
Mira Harrington’s newly launched designs under Kian Group had been flagged as stolen. Her name was trending.}
– “Plagiarist? Socialite Mira Foster accused of stealing unreleased design sketches.“}
–
– “Did Mira really design this or is she a fraud?“}
– “Insiders say the designs don’t match her previous work.”
My lips twitched. “So she did claim it.”
Kian grinned. “She walked right into it.”
Every single one of the designs she submitted had been flagged by a leading design software as plagiarized.
“They traced the original upload time,” Kian said. “They’re saying she stole it.“@
I leaned back in the chair, heart thumping in satisfaction.}
Round one, Mira. Wait for the next round.
