California Love

Chapter 19. A New Dress

Arcane Atelier, Desgin Room

"Sev, please!" Emma's voice broke through Severa's concentration, causing her to shift out of the way just in time to avoid Emma's attempt at a big hug. Severa shook her head with a small smile, returning her focus to pinning the fabric to the mannequin.

She was in the midst of crafting a new dress when Emma burst through the door, her eyes wide with excitement. Ignoring Severa's determined focus, Emma began pleading with her to let her try on the dress.

"As soon as I'm done," she warned, trying to maintain some semblance of control over the situation. "Just be careful."

Emma's excitement bubbled over as she started jumping up and down, her energy palpable as she dashed over to the speaker. With a mischievous grin, she cranked up the volume, filling the room with loud pop music. Ignoring Severa's exasperated expression, Emma began dancing and singing along with abandon.

Severa paused in her work, momentarily taken aback by Emma's antics. With a resigned sigh, she reached for two cotton balls, quickly inserting them into her ears to block out the intrusive noise. Determined to salvage what little concentration she had left, Severa returned her attention to the dress.

As Severa sat down at the sewing machine, her focus honed in on her task despite the cotton balls muffling her hearing. Lost in the rhythm of the needle and thread, she didn't notice the door creak open, nor did she register the presence of the two people who entered the room.

The newcomers exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable as they observed Severa's intense concentration. One of them cleared their throat, attempting to capture Severa's attention, but she remained oblivious, her hands moving deftly across the fabric as she worked.

Growing impatient, the other person tapped Severa gently on the shoulder, finally breaking her concentration. Startled, Severa looked up from her work, her eyes widening in surprise as she realized it was no longer just her and Emma in the room.

Quickly removing the cotton balls from her ears, Severa gave the newcomers a once-over before addressing them. "Can I help you?" she inquired politely, her tone tinged with curiosity.

The girl in front of her scoffed dismissively. "Shut up, we're gonna be asking the questions," she retorted brusquely, her demeanor hostile. Severa raised an eyebrow at the girl's tone, exchanging a quick glance with Emma, who seemed to be inching closer to the door.

Before Severa could respond, the girl continued with a pointed accusation. "What did you do to Ezra?" she demanded, her voice laced with suspicion. Severa blinked, taken aback by the sudden accusation. "What the hell are you on about?" she replied incredulously, crossing her arms defensively as she awaited an explanation.

"Don't play dumb." The other girl behind he started messing with stuff around the room. "There's no way the Ezra Wood would like some rat like you." The other girl pushed a jar of button on the table and the glass shatterd. "So what did you do?"

Severa couldn't suppress a scoff at the accusations thrown her way. "You've got it all twisted," she retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Ezra Wood is nothing but a cocky little fuck, and I have zero interest in him beyond barely tolerating his antics."

The two girls exchanged a skeptical glance, clearly unimpressed by Severa's dismissal. "Sure, keep telling yourself that," the first girl scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. "We're onto you."

Rolling her eyes, Severa scoffed at their baseless accusations. "Believe what you want," she retorted, her patience waning thin. "But I suggest you leave before you stir up any more unnecessary drama."