74 70 : Balade Ambition

Hana was running as fast as she could, afraid to be late for her first important meeting.

After six longs years working with her father as an apprentice designer, she was now granted a place in her aunt's main firm.

Today was an important meeting with Alicia OGATA, and Hana wanted to impress her.

The Ogata were the biggest family and probably the most powerful in Androuse. And though they were more focused on finance and investment, they tended to help small business or even big firms if the profits were to their liking.

Compared to her husband and father-in-law, Alicia Ogata was implicated into beauty business and financial support' system for the weakest.

Since a long time ago, she was working with Hana's family, more precisely with her aunt's brand.

BALADE CXC was a famous comestic and fashion brand in Androuse. Hana's Aunt, Cecile CLAIN is a precious designer for rich families. Cecile was once an assistant for the French designer Olivier Clain. They both fell in love and now they're working together, creating wonderful makeup, perfume and even dresses, costumes and more fashionable products for people.

Hana had to fight to be able to be recognized by her stern aunt. Cecile was known to be a really difficult and cold woman. It was true even with her blood niece.

Cecile and Hana's mother are sisters though they don't talk to each other unless the situation ask for it. Cecile was once against her little sister being married to Kirin. She hated Kirin since the first time she met the man. But Carole, Cecile's little sister, was already infatuated. They married each other and had three children. Hana was their only daughter and their oldest.

Hana did everything she could to work with her aunt. She even threw her own family name and now she's called by everyone Hana Clain just like her mother and her aunt. She wanted to please her aunt and she knew she had to be a real Clain.

Hana's family was also in cosmetics industry though they're not as famous and big as BALADE CXC. But thanks to Cecile's husband, Hana's father was running a filial of BALADE on his own. " BALADE CXC & CIE" was Cecile and Olivier third branch and Kirin was in his head since he married Carole. The second Branch "BALADE C.CX_ " will be own by one of Cecile's children or nephews. But since Cecile did not have a child, Hana and two others of her cousins have to fight to show their worth to Cecile.

Hana checked her watch to see if she was not too late and thanked the Heaven when she noticed she still had one minute to spare.

But everyone, except Cecile and Alicia, was already there. Her eyes met Mike and Lorrel, her cousins. Cecile was actually the oldest of six sisters and two brothers. But most of them were living abroad and they did not talk to each other for years. Only Cecile, Carole, Lindsay and Ludmilla were still living in Androuse.

Hana took her place next to her father. He let out a small sigh, relieved to see her.

" - You're late." Kirin said nonetheless.

Hana was an alpha compared to Lorrel who was a dominant alpha. Both girl were extremely smart but Lorrel had her second gender's strength on her side.

In comparison, Mike was a beta though he was big and sturdy like an alpha. His eyes were fierces with competition and he was not afraid of alphas. So between the three children, Mike was actually the most difficult rival.

" - Pay attention. Alicia may be the less powerful in her family but she's still an Ogata. So be careful to not upset her and don't be late next time. Now you're working with your aunt, I will not be there to shield you." Kirin said.

" - Don't worry dad," Hana sighed. " I'm here to be the top."

" - That's my daughter !" Kirin smiled.

As soon as Cecile entered with Alicia right behind her, everyone stood up.

Hana's eyes locked right away on the tall man standing next to Alicia.

His hair darker than the night and his dark and cold gaze was travelling leisurely in the room. It look like he was scanning every people here.

" - Who is he ?" Hana whispered to her father's ear.

His father couldn't help but smile widely.

" - This is Akihito. Alicia's only son. " Kirin said.

" - What ?!?" Hana almost choked.

Hana met Akihito when she was seven or so. And she did not remember him to be this… impressive and handsome. Well… they were both too small at that time. She remembered thinking he was cute but nothing more than that because she was too busy living her life. Plus she was only seven. Boys were not boys in her eyes. They were just playmates.

" - Soon he will inherit his father's empire, so I guess he has to go everywhere his parents goes to learn more about his family's fortune. " Kirin explained.

Hana nodded slowly still staring at the man.

" - If you do well, I will help you meet him." Kirin said then.

" - Really ?" Hana asked, half excited and half anxious.

" - Of course ! I'm sure he will be happy to meet you again. Moreover, you're the one who helped Cecile designed the men autumn collection he bought last year. He was really pleased ! People say he had bought everything !" Kirin said.

Hana was now flushed, happy to know that her hard work was paying off.

" - Plus, you and him were pretty close together when you were small. " Kirin added.

" - We met only two times and we were seven Dad, " Hana sighed still flattered.

" - Why ?! I think both of you are cute together. You're a real beauty and he's handsome. If Carole was here she will be the first one to help you !"

" - It's a little bit burdensome," Hana smiled awkwardly when she noticed Lorrel's eyes on her. " For now, let's just focus on the meeting."

" -Now now !" Cecile said gathering everyone attention. " Enough chatting ! Today is a great day and I would like to give you all a mission."

Kirin frowned.

" - If I asked for a meeting today it's because Mrs Ogata and I had talk about having a special collection and a new addition in a brand. " Cecile said.

She turned to show the board behind her and the slide presentation started, making some people stunned and some bitter.

" - PARADISE in BALADE, a collection exclusively created for Omegas." Cecile said proudly.

The executives applauded. A few of them seemed to be skeptical about this idea, but they tried to conceal it as much as possible in front of the Ogata.

" - This collection will mostly target Omegas but betas and Alphas are also welcomes to buy it. We adjusted the price for the products to be affordable by anyone and of course, it's not because it will be the most cheapest mark that's mean cheap quality. I want everyone here to do their best. Alicia will conduct the project herself. And to be fair enough, newbies can participate. You can present your ideas for the Paradise Collection." Cecile explained.

" - Is there any restriction ?" Mike asked.

" - None." Alicia replied. " Clothes will be the main product of this collection. But perfumes, makeup, glasses and of courses jewelry will be observe as well. Keep in mind that we want top quality for a modest price. Don't think I will stay behind if your try to rush into the products preparation. "

" - Of course, the chose a products will be present at the fashion at the end of the year and under your own name, in collaboration with BALADE. Balade will not take credit on your work. So prove yourself and became a real member of BALADE CXC."

Everyone applauded again. Once the meeting ended, Cecile asked Hana, Lorrel and Mike to join her in her office.

The three of them did as said and followed Cecile's assistant silently.

In the office, Cecile, Alicia and Akihito were drinking coffee while laughing and talking pleasantly.

" - Ah ! There you are !" Cecile said.

The three cousins stood in line, and bowed timidly to Cecile and the Ogata.

" - They are my nephew and nieces," Cecile presented the three cousins to Alicia and Akihito.

" - Lorrel is the older one. I think she's the same age as Akihito. She's really good at designing clothes. She was behind the winter clothes for my collection Angel. Her husband is working at one of the Williams' hostel. He helped us a lot last year to produce a great fashion show. " Cecile said.

Akihito remembered it. He went to this show with Haru. His wife wanted some clothes for the twins and he fell in love with every baby clothes he saw. And of course, Akihito bought all the Angel winter collection.

" - Mike and Hana are both two years younger than Akihito. Mike is a really talented jeweler and just like Lorrel, Hana has great disposition at designing clothes. They both helped me with this year autumn collection." Cecile continued.

Hana smiled timidly when Akihito looked at her.

" - So the matching watches I bought and the matching rings were both Mike's idea ?" Akihito asked.

" - Yes sir !" Mike replied. " I was honored when I heard you ordered a couple set this autumn."

Akihito chuckled, pleased.

He remembered how Haru got shy when Akihito offered him the ring and the watch for his birthday. That night, Haru became so bold that Akihito was drained from all his forces. Just thinking about it made him gulped from a hot thirst. When he will be home later, he'll ask the nanny to take care of the twin and he will take a shower with Haru.

" - The autumn clothes were fabulous," Alicia said to Hana. " My children and I gifted them to our closest friends and family members. They were all happy. "

Hana's eyes shined brightly when she heard Alicia.

" - Thank you very much !" Hana said with a big smile.

" - Good," Alicia said with a soft smile. " Keep the hard work. "

" - Paradise Collection will help me decide who will take the head of my second firm." Cecile said then.

The three cousins froze by the new.

" - For the three of you it will be a great chance. Don't disappoint me." She continued before she dismissed them.

" - Well I guess it's going to be hard for both of you," Mike sneered towards the girls once they were in the hallway. " My speciality is jewelry. No one is better than me at this amongst the newbies. But you… there will be some… competition especially between the both of you."

" - Tsk !" Lorrel said. " Do you really need to be a douchbag ?"

Mike laughed it off.

" - Of course ! First you both hate me just because I'm a beta. I know that you think you're better than me and maybe you're right. That's why I did not major in clothes designing. And you Hana, I did not forget how you criticize me when I was in your class at university. Because you were the only alpha in our class you said what ? Ah… « Good luck. There's only betas here so the competition will be rude, plus you're not really smart. » "

Hana clenched her fists. She did say that but she will not admit it.

" - And you Lorrel you asked me if I was crazy to try to win my place within Balade comestics," Mike continued. " There's ni betas or alphas here. We are all the same. And we will see who will win. " Mike said before he took his leave.

Mike was not wrong. Cecile didn't care if they were dominant alpha or plain alpha. She did not even care if you were a beta or an omega. She just wanted the best. That was all.

Most of the omegas employed by Cecile, were working at the fourth floor of the main building. Most of them were models, but there were designers, jewelers and cosmetician too. They were really talented.

In six years, Hana's clothes got chosen just once. And the omegas designers' clothes got chosen multiples times already.

There clothes were really refined for alphas women. Every woman alphas in high society had at least one of these dresses. Even Hana had two fine dresses from Balade's omegas designers and four tailor suits.

Since Cecile was late to the meeting, she probably went first to the fourth floor to explain everything to those omegas. The competition will be really fierce if the omegas designers can participate.

Hana went back to her desk. She found a word from her father, asking her to join her for lunch since he will still be in the main building for all day.

At lunch, Hana called her father and met him in a restaurant not to far from the office.

Hana smiled widely when she saw her mom sitting next to her father.

" - My Babyyyy !" Hana's mother, Carole, exclaimed when she saw her daughter.

She immediately stood up and hugged Hana.

" - Your father told me everything ! Cecile asked to see you and your cousins ?"

Hana smiled tiredly but processed to explain everything to her parents. They had always supported her so she couldn't really hide anything from them.

" - You're smarter and more beautiful than Lorrel ! I'm sure you could easily win !" Carole said.

" - Your mother is right. You already proved yourself. The Ogata even praised your collection. Don't be too hasty and show them how capable you are. " Kirin confirmed.

" - I don't have any ideas," Hana sighed. " Plus Lorrel seemed to have great designs already and I'm sure the omegas' department are already working on their creations !"

" - These filthy things ?! Even Cecile will not be so dumb to chose an omega designer for the Ogata, unless she wants to be shamed in front of the high society !" Carole sneered.

" - Mike's position is already stated. Even if he's unique in his line of work, he can't even design a decent dress. So the choices are between Lorrel and you. Those omegas can work their ass off, Cecile will not choose them. " Kirin explained.

" - She can still chose a senior," Hana said.

" - If she presented you an your cousins personally to the Ogata, that means she wants one of you to be selected during the project. Alicia probably understood that !" Carole grumbled.

" - Well for now, I need to find ideas. I have never designed clothes for omegas. I don't even know what they're wearing and where they go to buy their stuffs," Hana whine desperately.

" - Mommy will help you darling," Carole said to Hana.

" - I still can't understand why a collections for omegas. It's not like they have enough money to buy it." Kirin complained.

" - We don't have our say right. Cecile had always been like that," Carole said.

Her words brought silence on the family table. Hana was clenching her fork. Even in death, her dead brother will haunt her.

When he was alive, her aunt was really fond of Hana's young brother. Hana hated him so much. When she learned he was an omega she did everything she could to throw him out of their house.

At first, her mother was against it but eventually she started to saw her son like a filthy thing. The boy was attracted attention everywhere he went. And Carole found it uncomfortable. She once was called by the high school principale because some alphas boys fought for his attention.

She hated the fact he was seducing everyone even his own family. Carole remembered how Lindsay's late husband was lusting after this fifteen years old boy. Thankfully he died in an accident the year after, as if god heard Carole's prayer.

But she started to be afraid of her own son, afraid that Kirin would became as disgusting as Lindsay's late husband. But to Kirin's eyes, his son was a stench on his perfect family. Because Cecile was fond of him, he thought he could use him but the boy had his first heat sooner than most children and the scent make him sick to the point he wanted to punch the boy. So he threw him out and told him to come back after his heat had past.

The boy never came back and no one cried him except Cecile and Olivier. The boy was probably dead. He had been out and in heat, he was surely devoured by many alphas and died from him or he became a plaything somewhere.

Kirin did file for a search for his son. Though they actually prayed for him to never come back. Of course, he did not say to the police that he was the one who push him out of the family home. Instead, he claimed that the boy went out, saying he had someone to spent his heat with.

Polices thought that the boy ran away from home and they stopped searching after a while.

Well Kirin did regret it at some point. Because of this, Cecile hated him and his family, his daughter was capable enough to be a great designer but Cecile refused to let her work with her. Compared to Mike and Lorrel, Hana was training for six years, Lorrel for one and Mike for one and half. Cecile was harsher with Hana than with the others two and she seemed to hate to see Hana.

Hana understood it well but she was not going to give up so easily. She will make it big and crush Cecile.

" - Did you talk to Alicia's son ?" Carole asked to appease the mood.

" - Not really… I don't think he remember me," Hana said feeling a bit upset.

She was beautiful enough to be remember. How could he not remember her ?

" - Darling ! You should try harder. Be good in front of Alicia and let her naturally proposed you to meet her son. "

" - Carole…" Kirin sighed.

" - Think about it dear ! If Hana and Akihito become close, Cecile will not have a choice but to choose Hana's collection for the show. And if Akihito and her start dating, I'm sure Cecile will let Hana inherit the second branch !"

" - That's kind of a good idea… " Kirin said.

He did think about it a bit earlier but he thought Hana was against it. But now, her daughter was pondering over her mother' scheme.

" - However, rumors says Akihito already has someone," Kirin said.

Hana's heart skipped a beat.

" - It's only a rumor," Carole stated.

" - It's been a year now since there was this scandal about the Ogata sheltering an omega. Back then, people said the omega was Akihito's lover. " Kirin said. " Akihito never said anything but he never met any women either. "

" - Even if it's true, I don't think Akihito's wants to marry an omega. He probably just using him…" Carole grumbled.

" - The Ogata are not like that," Kirin sighed.

" - Then maybe it was one of these dirty omegas orphans Alicia help from time to time with the elder Williams." Carole said as she rolled her eyes.

Because she wanted to be respected, Carole sometime participate to these charity works and she hated it. The smell, the children clinging to her and these dirty omegas. She wanted to puke every time.

" - Don't worry Darling. You can still be his girlfriend, I can assure you that !" Carole said to Hana.

" - And if dad is right and he already had someone ? Maybe it's not an omega but a beautiful alpha. What am I going to do ? "

" - Let's think about that later," Carole sighed. " Eat well and go to work. For now mommy will help you with the design and ask around if people heard something about Akihito's so called lover. "

" - Humm ! Okay," Hana said, relieved to have her parents by her sides.