Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 60

Cora's POV

Franco and Eric give me a big hug and tell me how bold I just looked out there. I blushed and motioned to Mateo and said, "I just remembered how strong I am, thanks to Mateo and this dress. I felt fierce, confident, and strong, something that all women should feel. I remember that I was strong before, and I can be strong now. No one can take that from me", I tell them. Mateo steps up and gives me a big hug and said, "That, that right there is the reason I design my dresses. I want women of all sizes, all colors, and ages, to all feel like that when they get a dress like that on. Like they are a Goddess or a warrior".

I nod and step back to why they all continue to celebrate, and Mateo and Ella go out to field questions from the reporters out there. I know I will find love again. I have not been beaten or defeated. I start to tear up and Eric hands me some wipes to get my face clean as I cry a little. Franco comes over and takes my braid down and then sprays it so he can brush it straight out. I went to get my leggings and hoodie on, put my hood up, and then headed out with the gifts that I had gotten Nicolas and Dalton in Paris, that I still needed to give to them. I had put their macaroons in the refrigerator as I have had them a month now, but Marlowe had told me that they can last a while in the fridge like that. I googled it and she was right, so I put press-n-seal all around them to keep the air out of the box and put them in the fridge. I had slipped them in the fridge here backstage, as I was trying to keep them cold for them. They saw me coming and they both came quickly to me. Dalton picked me up and spun me around, giving me a hard hug. "I missed you too, Dalton," I told him, and gave him his presents.

"I missed you as well, Cora", I heard Nicolas say, but he was gentler with me, picking me up and giving me a hug.

"I missed you too, Nicolas, I wish I could see you two more often, but I", I had to stop for a moment, "I cannot, correction, I will not be coming back to Collin's office." I finished and when I looked up, I knew that they could see the tears sparkling in my eyes. They both come in and hug each side of me and we stand there like that for a minute.

"Go ahead and open them. I don't know how long I am going to be standing here, as I will not stay in her presence", I tell them, and they open their gifts and Dalton opens his box of macaroons and gives the universal yummy sound as he puts one in his mouth. "Thank you, Cora, it was really thoughtful of you to get us gifts while you were there," Nicolas tells me and places his new cufflinks into his pants pocket to secure them, and not lose them.

"I love mine as well, you are so sweet to have thought of us while you were there," Dalton tells me.

"Well, I love you guys and I wanted to get you something to think of me every time you wore them. I like to think my gifts through and try to give you something that you will use", I told them. Marlowe comes up and gives me a hug and I see Maddie and Collin heading our way, so I tell her bye in her ear and turn to leave.

"You don't have to leave on my account, mouse. I am not here for you. I am looking for Mateo. Since you work behind the scenes, you can go get him for me". Maddie tells me like I am her servant. Collin won't look at me, and he seems upset, but I have no idea why. It hurt me to look at his gorgeous face and I missed him a lot, so I turned away from them and headed to the back to get Mateo. I found him and Ella kissing in the back corner. The interviews have been long completed, and I know how it feels to be away from the one you love, which causes me to tear up again.

They break apart a little guiltily and Ella gives me a smile as she starts to hug Mateo close to her.

"I am sorry to interrupt you guys, but Maddie is out there, and she wants to speak with you Mateo, she is out there with Collin. I am just going to go on out to the bus stop, I don't want to be around her, and it hurts to look at Collin and see him with her. I don't want to burst out crying, so I am going to head out, OK?" I told them. They nod and break apart and Ella steps up and hugs me.

I am going to go out with them to see what that witch is up to," Livi tells me and heads out with Mateo and Ella. I couldn't care less what was going on out there, but before I could exit out the back door, I heard a lot of yelling in the seating area, and I was worried about my friends, so I headed to the door to look out and see. I will only step in if one of them needs me. I see Ava being held back by Nicolas and Marlowe being held back by Dalton and they both continue to scream out loud at Maddie.

I stand at the door, the guys are not hurting them, they are just preventing a fistfight and I hear movement behind me as Eric and Franco come over to see what the commotion was.

"Over my dead body, Collin, over my COLD, DEAD, body!" Marlowe yells at Collin.

"Why! Why would you do this?" Ava cried out, "There is no reason for it, why would you? How could you do that?"

"I appreciate the nod of appreciation for my craft that you are giving me, but I must confess I am too busy with getting my resort line completed for December and then getting ready for the Milano fashion week in February to be able to help you. I am very sorry, Maddie, I just can't help you with this. I am just too busy and there is just too much going on right now, so I must refuse your offer". Mateo tells her and then goes to walk away with Ella back to me. Ella looks highly upset and I wonder if Maddie did something to her?

"Are you freaking kidding me? It will be really important, and the event of the year, in fact. It would give you a big boost as so many people would know that you had designed it. Can you really pass up this opportunity to do it? There will be a lot of pictures taken and we will be in all the magazines, and it will really get your name out there" Maddie called out after him.

I see Mateo look right at me, and then turn right back around to Maddie, who suddenly starts smiling because she believed that he was going to agree to whatever she had asked. Her smile is short-lived.

"I am sorry, I don't really need your business and I don't need you to wear my clothes. I will have your name taken off my list as I do not want you, no matter what your name is, here again. I will not design you a dress, you will have to go to someone else because I refuse to do something that could potentially hurt my friend", Mateo tells her, and Maddie really loses it and starts screaming and cussing at Mateo.

"You are a nobody, Mateo, and you should count yourself as lucky that I even want you to design it. You can't throw a rock here in New York City and not hit a designer, so you need to think long and hard about this as I will take you down. I will get you blacklisted, and NO ONE will want to wear your clothing ever again. So, make your choice Mateo, I will wait for your call" Maddie said and turned to leave.

"You don't have to wait for my call, Maddie, I will not be making you a dress. You were correct. New York had a lot of designers, so pick one of them and leave me alone. Do not come back to another show, you are no longer welcome here" Mateo tells her and then walks back to me holding Ella's hand.

Maddie's face gets even more furious when she sees me standing at the door that Mateo and Ella are coming towards and she starts screaming at me, "You f*****g slut. You tried to take my man, and now you have taken my designer, you are just a piece of s**t on my shoe. I scraped you off, and there you are again. I guess I will just be scraping you off again. I hope you know that nothing will stop this wedding. Collin is mine, and I will not let you have him. He loves me and not you, you stupid b***h. But don't worry, I will be sending you an invitation to the wedding. I want you to be there when I win, and you LOSE. It will be coming soon in April, so mark your calendar, Cora. Because I want to see your face there when you realize that I have everything, and you have nothing. Come on baby let's get out of here, I can't believe the level of people that they allow in here" Maddie said as she turned to go. I look directly at Collin and see so many emotions in his eyes, he wants to say something, but he can't. Maddie turns back and, with her shiny engagement ring flashing in the lights, she curves her hand over his shoulder possessively and then walks around him to kiss him on his mouth, as he is still staring at me. I heard a strangled gasp and that is all I remember, as I fell to the side and let the darkness take over.