Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 250

“What?” Cecilia exploded. “Emma? How could she possibly afford your clothes? Do you know who’s backing her? If it weren’t for Mr. Whitman, she’d be a nobody!”

The assistant smiled politely. “Of course. We know Mrs. Bennett is Mr. Whitman’s wife.”

Cecilia’s smugness only grew. “So you know, but you still won’t take Mr. Whitman’s order? Do you have any idea who he is? He’s Cresthaven’s rising star—the youngest, most successful CEO in town. If he wanted to, he could buy this whole boutique without blinking.”

The assistant nodded, still smiling. “We know.”

“Then why are you acting like this? Don’t you want the business?” Cecilia’s voice sharpened, bossy and loud.

The assistant gave Theodore a quick glance, then turned to Cecilia. “We know very well who Mr. Whitman is, and we know Mrs. Bennett is his wife. But may I ask—who are you?”

“I…” Cecilia’s triumphant grin faltered. The question caught her off guard, and her voice shrank. “I’m… I’m his friend…”

The assistant just gave her a courteous smile and didn’t respond.

The message was clear enough: you’re not getting special treatment.

Cecilia wouldn’t give up. “Wait a minute. You said you only take orders from regular clients. Well, I’m Mr. Whitman’s friend. Doesn’t that make me a regular by extension?” Her voice rose with frustration.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the assistant replied calmly. “We reserve the right to define what counts as a ‘regular client.’”

“You— You’re just a fancy tailor, what’s the big deal?” Cecilia snapped. “Let me tell you, the combined value of everything in this boutique doesn’t even come close to what Mr. Whitman—”

She didn’t get to finish. Theodore stepped in, cutting her off.

“Cici, let me handle this.” He moved in front of her, shielding her from the assistant. “A regular client always starts out as a new client. If a regular brings along a friend, that friend should be a regular, too, right?”

The assistant’s professional smile didn’t waver. “Yes, we do accept referrals from our regular clients.”

Theodore extended his hand. “Mr. Ellis, pleasure to meet you.”

Ellis glanced at the outstretched hand, ignored it completely, and headed straight for the espresso machine.

Cecilia bristled. “What kind of attitude is that—”

Theodore didn’t get a chance to stop her, but it hardly mattered.

“Mr. Ellis,” Theodore tried again, “I—”

“Mr. Whitman,” Ellis interrupted, “My attitude is just fine. If you think there’s a problem, that’s your problem. Maybe you shouldn’t have set foot in here.”

Theodore wasn’t used to being stonewalled. For years, everything had gone his way—rarely did anyone dare put him in his place. Though anger flickered in his eyes, he glanced over at Cecilia, who so desperately wanted one of Ellis’s designs. He swallowed his pride and forced a smile. “She’s just a young girl—sometimes she speaks without thinking. Please don’t take it to heart. We’re here today because I’ve long admired your work, Mr. Ellis. I’d be honored if you’d design a dress for us.”