Chapter 67. The Future Was Mine to Design

Layla’s POV

The rhythm of my pencil tapping against the drafting table was the only sound filling the quiet studio. Outside it all brimmed with life, but in here lay my designs, and the poundage of my thoughts.

Months ago, I could never have pictured myself working all night, lost in my craft. All my time, effort, and love had gone into one name: Orion.

Not anymore.

The realization settled in slowly, but it was undeniable.

I stretched my arms, leaning back on the chair, and gazed down at the sketches on the table. The new collection I was working on was unlike anything I had ever produced.

The bold yet delicate design carried a piece of me that I would cherish forever. It reflected a version of myself I was only just beginning to understand.

I reached out for a dark blue gem, tracing my fingers across its fluffy surface, it reminded me of water, the very sea that I had been into, and from which Ezra had pulled me. But now, instead of