Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 297 Kayla knew Valeria probably didn't want to see Sebastian. Since Calvin was the one welcoming them, that meant Sebastian was definitely waiting in the conference room. They were almost at the door, and as the lead designer, there was no way Valeria could avoid it. As they reached the doorway, she heard a suppressed, muffled cough from inside. She pushed the door open and walked in with Kayla. Beside Sebastian was Maurice Gray, the representative from Bellcour. Maurice hadn't expected that Sebastian would actually be present for such a small-time collaboration.

The two women took their seats and began a brief exchange. Valeria stood up to explain the designs and her creative concepts. Her voice was clear and soft as she explained each piece in detail. From time to time, a few muffled coughs came from the main seat. Catching the sound, Valeria turned to look in that direction , but she quickly averted her eyes. When she finished her presentation and stepped down, she sat next to Kayla. Maurice shot Valeria a look, signaling her to hand over her ---- sketches.

Valeria had made it a habit to keep every sketch she'd drawn since the beginning of her career. Over time, her sketchbook had grown into a thick pile. She took the book out of her bag, walked over to Sebastian, and passed it to him. Sebastian accepted it and began flipping through it, page by page. At the sight of that, she pressed her lips together and couldn't help but say, "Those are from earlier days." He hummed in acknowledgement as his fingers skimmed over the paper. The crisp sound of turning pages filled the room as his eyes stayed fixed on the sketches in his hands.

After flipping through a few pages, his fingers paused and pressed down on the sheet. Valeria felt a sudden flush creep up her cheeks. When she was bored, she would sometimes doodle at random. Once, she drewa little crying-face emoji, which looked somewhat childish. Valeria watched as he smiled faintly and his gaze fixed on that page for what felt like an eternity. She couldn't help but remind him again with a firmer tone. "Mr. Grant, the sketches for our current collaboration are a few pages later.

Let me find them for you." Before Sebastian could respond, she reached over and flipped ---- to the specific pages. The move came across as surprisingly forward to the others present , especially those who knew Sebastian's formidable reputation. Maurice was breaking out in sweat, while the others exchanged uneasy glances in silence. Closing the sketchbook, Sebastian said, "Very well, I trust our cooperation will be fruitful going forward. Maurice, continue the follow-up with Etoile's Ms. Mendes.

That'll be all for today." His gaze lingered on the book in his hands before he lifted it and added in a gentle tone, "I'm not finished with this yet. I'll bring it over to you tonight." With that, he grabbed the suit jacket draped over his chair, coughed a few times, and walked out of the conference room. The others inside exchanged glances with Valeria. Their eyes carried a mix of surprise and curiosity . They could not help wondering whether they had misheard him.

Sebastian had said he would bring the sketchbook over to Valeria at night with complete ease, and there had been a faint hint of intimacy in his words.