Boardroom Showdown

Chapter Twenty Eight

Steffy's POV

I was looking everywhere for Thomas and Elizabeth and I finally found them by the door and Hope and Rick going out of it. A few minutes later they got backstage and I went over to where they were.

"What was that about?" I asked them.

"Oh nothing you need to worry about, me and Thomas were just throwing out the trash. You need to get into your gown though." She said smiling and I laughed at her snarky comment.
"Yeah come with me Steffy. I'll show you where it is." Thomas said and I shrugged my shoulders as my way of saying okay but before we could leave Elizabeth grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Why don't I do that Thomas you are needed with the others and Steffy is the last one to go on anyway. I'll help her you help the others and start the fashion show with Wyatt." She said and he nodded.

"Okay." He said smiling and he left us and we went into a dressing room backstage. She picked up the gown from the rack and handed it over to me.

"Here you go." She said smiling as she handed it to me.

"Thank you." I said smiling as I wrapped it in my arms wondering if I should tell her what's on my mind.

"Say what you wana say Steff." She said shocking me at her ability to read me.

"I'm a psychology and buissness graduate from Oxford. Not to mention Grandfather's first lesson to me was to teach me how to know when people want to say something." She explained. I hesitated again but decided that I should just blurt it out.

"Okay. You do know my brother is into you right?" I asked slightly nervous and she nodded anxiously.

"And you aren't?" I asked again confused.

"It's not that I'm not interested in your brother Steffy. It's quite the opposite actually." She said smiling shyly saying the last part.

"Then why aren't you two going out already?!" I asked her in a kind of yelling tone.

"Let's just say your brother is better off without me." She said and I got extra confused.

"Why would you say that?!" I asked still confused.

"Because it's true Steffy. I am litteraly the defenition of damaged goods! I've been through alot of stuff in my life and I lost my ability to trust people." She said sadly as she sat on the couch, I looked at the strong girl I have gotten to know and realised how much hurt she held underneath that smile.

"Well can you tell me about it?" I asked as I put my hand on my shoulder to try and comfort her. She turned towards me and I actually saw tears in her eyes.

"Okay but this stays between us Steff, promise?" She asked and I nodded.

"When I was seventeen I lost my virginity to a guy I dated for over a year, I thought I was in love with him. Anyway, the day after we hooked up, I found out he wasn't really intrested in me at all and that he was the son of father's greatest rival in Europe. He just used me as a way for his family to get back at mine. To make things worse a month later I found out I was pregnant, I just graduated high school and even though I hated the father I wanted that child. I convinced father and Grandfather to let me move to Paris for a year or two as a way for me to explore the world." She said and she chocked up as she remembered and I teared up at her story.

"The night before my flight, I stayed at a hotel and because Grandfather never let me go anywhere without a team of bodyguards I had one outside my room. He came in and started beating me and throwing me against the walls and before I knew it I was bruised up, bleeding and he was unbuckling his pants. I felt every part of the pain as he violated me, I felt my child die inside of me and I was completely helpless." She said crying and I couldn't help but cry along, I pulled her into a hug and for a while she accepted my offer of giving her peace until she pulled away and wiped the tears away.

"Now do you know why I keep telling you I'm no good for Thomas. He deserves better." She said what I knew she would say and I already had my comeback ready.

"No Elizabeth what you just told me makes me even more sure that my brother needs you in his life. You want to know why? Because you went through all of that and you survived. Don't let the past define you and don't let it keep you from living your life. I lost my child too and everyday I wonder what my baby girl would look like if she was born. But I keep going because I know that she wouldn't want me living in the past and keep missing out on the present. Be strong enough to move on." I told her and after I was done with my pep talk, we shared a smile and a hug.

"Thanks Steffy, and you are right . Tonight after the fashion show I'm going to go home early and plan something incredibly romantic as a way for me to tell Thomas that I want to be with him." She said optimistically.

"That's my girl!" I yelled out and she laughed.

"And now you need to get dressed the show is ten minutes away." She said and I looked at my watch to see how late we were. I quickly got up and she got out so I can change. It was a beautiful mini black 20's inspired dress that I just loved the minute I saw it's sketch. I quickly unzipped the red dress I had on and got in it. Ally designed really sexy white sparkly shoes to go with it as well that I just loved, I put them on too and ran to Quinn, she gave me this black chain braclet that went really well with the outfit and I was off to hair and make up. The chair I was sitting in had a screen in front of it and I saw Wyatt coming on stage while I heard the clapping.

"Thank you, thank you everyone. I would like to welcome all of you here today to celebrate an event that will change fashion from here on now and to help me explain it even further ladies and gentlemen please help me in welcoming our head designer and the brilliant mind behind the amazing designs you are about to witness. Thomas Forrestor everybody!" He yelled out and turned around joining everyone in on the clapping when Thomas came on stage.

"Thank you, thank you everybody. For as long as our history books tell us, fashion has always been an intregal part of human life. But for the past one hundred years in particular, fashion became an evaluation. It constantly changed and evolved along with humanity in itself. Today we present to you and to the world a line that will be all about one thing, celebrating fashion history and honering the memerable outfits in each century while adding a new twist on them. We have the 20's and their classy, sofisticated outfits. The 60's and their ability to embrace all kinds of colours. We will show the world that a certain way of dressing never needs to be outdated. That we can still honour our ancestors and their way of life. Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you The One Hundred!" He yelled out and I smiled proudly at my big brother as he and Wyatt left the stage.

Hope's POV

I sat in the café sipping my coffee as the live feed of the fashion show played.

"We'll see how happy you boys are by the end of the night." I said as I smiled wikidly.