The intern recruited by Alrigo

**Ivery Clark POV**

My throat tightened, but I forced the words out, my voice barely above a whisper.

"It was me." My hands trembled against the cold floor. "The contract… it was ruined because of me. If you want to punish someone—" I swallowed hard, "—punish me, not him.”

"Ivery.." Alrigo’s voice was low, edged with something dangerous. “What do you think you are doing?”

"It’s my fault," I said again, my voice barely steady. "You shouldn’t be blamed for what I did."

He exhaled slowly, his patience razor-thin. "Ivery. Get up. *Now*.”

The silence was crushing. Madam Morelli studied me, her lips curling into something unreadable.

"You?" she mused, tilting her head. "A little intern ruined a multi-million-dollar deal?”

My fingers curled into the fabric of my skirt as I nodded, throat dry.

"Yes. It was me. He had prepared everything for the deal and was about to bring it to the company but because of my foolishness, the papers were ruined. Please spare him.”

For a moment, she said nothing. Then, she laughed—a slow, sharp sound that sent chills down my spine.

"How noble," she mocked. "Throwing yourself into the fire for your boss? How touching."

I flinched at the mocking lilt in her voice.

"Tell me, girl," she continued, stepping forward, "why should I believe you?”

"Because it's the truth," I said, forcing myself to meet her gaze. "It was my mistake. Not his. I didn't know how important the documents were.”

Madam Morelli hummed, tilting her head as she studied me like I was some fascinating little creature struggling in a trap.

"How amusing," she mused, before turning her sharp gaze to Alrigo. "To let a girl handle a deal worth millions contract….what exactly is your relationship with her?”

A chill slithered down my spine.

I didn't dare turn to Alrigo, but I could feel the weight of his presence, the thick tension rolling off him like an impending storm.

Madam Morelli’s lips curled. "You were never careless before. Yet now, a slip of a girl stands here claiming responsibility for your failures. What am I to think?”

I opened my mouth— say something, explain yourself— but Alrigo finally spoke.

"You think too much, Madam." His voice was calm. Deceptively so.

"She is an intern." He said it like the word itself was beneath him. "Nothing more.”

Madam Morelli arched a brow, clearly unimpressed. "Nothing more? Yet, she speaks as if she would bleed for you. And you say nothing more..?"

I flinched at the way she said it.

Alrigo exhaled, slow and measured. "She’s young. Naïve. If she thinks taking the blame will change anything, that’s her mistake.”

The words cut deeper than I expected.

A dull ache settled in my chest, unexpected and unwelcome. I swallowed hard. "That’s not—”

"Enough," Alrigo cut in, his tone flat. “You’ve caused enough trouble. Leave.”

I stared at him, my breath caught in my throat. Something inside me crumbled.

"She’s not going anywhere." Madam Morelli’s voice cut through the room, smooth yet unyielding.

Her smile didn't waver, but something in her gaze sharpened. "If it is really her who destroyed it…then I suppose she should be the one to fix it."

My stomach dropped.

"M-Madam?”

"If you were bold enough to destroy a contract, you should be bold enough to salvage it." She turned, her voice carrying effortless authority. “Tell me little girl, how are you going to fix it…? If you impress me, I might reconsider the deal.”

*What..? Really..?*

“Madam I—”

“Wait. Let's do one thing.” Madam Morelli signaled Alrigo’s secretary to hand over the file. She flipped through the designs and threw it my side.

"You."

I stiffened.

Her gaze flicked to me, eyes cold, "What do you think of this?”

My throat felt tight, but I forced myself to focus. The design was exquisite—intricate filigree, brilliant stone placements, the kind of craftsmanship that whispered wealth and power.

"It’s… very beautiful," I said carefully.

There was a dead beat of silence. Then a laugh ripped from her throat. "Come on, girl," she said, shaking her head, the condescension in her voice cutting like glass.
"You call yourself a student in designing? When asked to critique, all you can manage is ‘very beautiful’?”

She rolled her eyes, “Tsk. What did I expect from someone recruited by Alrigo? Off you go. There's no hope here.”

A sharp pang twisted in my chest.

Alrigo’s gaze darkened beside me, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing. I bit my lip, heat burning behind my ribs.

"I haven’t finished my words, Madam Morelli." My voice came out firmer than I expected.

Madam Morelli’s brow arched, the amusement in her eyes sharpening into curiosity.

I stepped closer, ignoring the way my pulse hammered in my throat. "The filigree work here is luxurious, but the weight distribution is flawed," I said, pointing at the delicate structure.

"If this is crafted exactly as drawn, the stones will strain against the setting over time. The balance is off—eventually, the structure will weaken, maybe even break.”

Madam Morelli studied me, her expression unreadable, “Is that all..?”

I swallowed, choosing my next words carefully. “No, madam. The blue diamond doesn’t suit the gold in this design at all.” My eyes lifted to hers, gauging her reaction.

“Individually, they are beautiful, but together, they clash. The deep blue against this heavy gold setting—it's too ostentatious. It makes the piece look like it's trying too hard to declare its wealth rather than letting the craftsmanship speak for itself.”

A sharp scoff echoed through the room.

“What nonsense.” The original designer standing near Alrigo's secretary, scoffed “The design is perfect. You clearly lack an eye for true luxury. Do you think you know better than me?”

I inhaled deeply, willing my voice to stay calm. “I didn’t mean to offend you. But as designers, our greatest challenge isn’t creating something extravagant—it’s understanding our clients. We don’t design for ourselves. We design for the people who will wear these pieces, for the message they want to send. If we fail to consider that, we fail as designers.”

The woman’s lips curled into a sneer. “Oh? Since you’re so insightful, why don’t you modify the design yourself and show us?” She smirked, her arrogance palpable. “Hmph. I doubt you’ll be able to.”

The words were meant to put me in my place, to humiliate me.

Madam Morelli leaned back in her chair, an amused glint in her sharp eyes. “Well? What do you say to that? Do you think you can do it?”

I hesitated only for a second before meeting her gaze head-on. “Fine, I'll do it.” I said, my voice steady. “Please give me some time, Madam Morelli. I won't disappoint you.”

She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. “But I don’t have any,” she mused. “I’ll be leaving the country today.”

What..? My whole body tensed.

“So tell me, little designer, what will you do now? To what extent will you go to grab the deal..?” A challenge gleamed in her sharp eyes.