Eliza jumped up and sat next to me. She went to take my hand, but I shook my head.
“Please don’t be nice to me or I’ll fall apart. I really don’t want to do that when I’m here with you for work.”
She stared at me, her eyes shiny.
Dammit, she was beautiful. I’d always thought so. But now her styled brows and her perfect mouth held weight in my heart. She wasn’t just a pretty face anymore. My feelings went way deeper, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“You’re not doing this alone, Poppy.”
That was all it took for the tears I’d been holding back to start properly falling. I reached for a tissue. Thankfully, Eliza didn’t try to comfort me too much, and I was grateful. Too much sympathy would end me.
“I was here with my mum the year before she died.” My voice was quiet, thick. I daren’t look anywhere but straight ahead. “Gran was already gone, and Mum wanted to come back to the places we’d visited as a family.”
Mum’s favourite thing to do in the evening was wander through the village, get a drink and a bite to eat. Soak up the local atmosphere. She always far preferred that to a posh restaurant. She liked to support small, local businesses. Which was how Voss Watches had started out.
I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand, but more tears followed. I stared out at the lake, the one Mum loved the most: even more than Goldloch. I saw now that Switzerland had a lot in common with Scotland: the scenery, the beauty, the welcome. It was why they’d loved it here.
“Mum kept talking about how Gran would have loved to see how the villages had changed, pointing out things she remembered from our trips when I was younger. We sat by this same lake and she told me about all her dreams for the business. How she would love me to be involved. I wasn’t interested.”
My breath hitched. “Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought I would take over when it was time. I thought we had years to figure it all out. And now she’s gone too, and I’d giveanythingto have them here now, to see what we’re doing.”
The tears flowed a little more, but I didn’t feel judged. Yes, we were here for business, but this business was always going to be personal. Margot and Amina had both known it. I’d tried to deny it, but it hadn’t got me very far.
“They would have loved this. Mum would have been taking photos of every detail, and Gran would have quizzed Gabriel for far too long.”
Eliza was quiet for a moment, then she moved closer and wrapped her arms around me. I melted into her warmth, breathing in her familiar scent while my shoulders shook.
“I remember how excited your mum got about new technology,” she said softly against my hair. “She would have been fascinated by the 3D packaging. And your gran would have charmed Gabriel into giving us all his suppliers and trade secrets.”
I choked out a laugh. “You’re not wrong there.” I sniffed. “When we’re on the cusp of something amazing, I want to call them and tell them everything.”
“They’d be so proud.” Eliza stroked my back. “You’re doing exactly what your mum dreamed of. You’re honouring everything they both taught you while pushing the business forward.”
I pulled back slightly, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. “That last trip here, Mum kept saying she wished Gran could see howbeautiful it still was. She missed her so much. And now I miss them both.” I exhaled. “Why didn’t I get that time was precious? Why didn’t I agree to do this sooner?”
Eliza cupped my face gently, her thumbs brushing away fresh tears. “But you’re here. You’re doing it now. That’s not nothing, Poppy.”
Something in her voice, the tenderness and certainty, made my whole body tingle with… I wasn’t quite sure what. She’d known them both, and somehow that made her comfort feel even more precious.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For remembering them with me. For being here. For helping me. For not thinking I’m completely unhinged for crying about this during a business trip.”
Katy’s words came back to me: “She doesn’t seem like a villain.” I’d never thought that more than now. Maybe Mum meant someone else entirely.
“This was never going to be just a business trip.” Eliza gave me a sad smile. “Plus, we can’t be too successful. We’re only taking pre-orders at first, not shipping the watch until it’s ready. We’re offering exclusive updates, inviting them into a golden-circle moment. Remember the email Fiona sent last week, and you gave the green light?” Her tone was gentle but confident. “Scarcity marketing, like Gabriel said. Make it special. People are buying a ticket, and then we ship when it’s ready.”
I smiled, still shaky from crying. I did remember, of course. “I appreciate all the help you’ve given me.”
Eliza shook her head. “It’s a team effort. You’re the key contact, dealing with the star, legal and marketing. I’m helping the Scotland team with logistics, while working on my mental health, too.” She sighed. “Plus, Andrew is working up the pre-order system. Turns out, Andrew has his uses after all.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”
“Just trying to do my bit. But you have the final say.”
“Who would have thought you’d ride to my rescue these past couple of months, when you tried to undermine me for years?”
