There's a six-hour time difference between New York and Paris. Luca boarded the plane at noon, and by the time he landed, it was nearly dark.
After arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Luca skipped the crazy French taxis and hopped directly into a business car driven by Gina.
"Luca, welcome to Paris!" Gina said with a smile.
"Thanks!" Luca adjusted his collar. "Gina, has everything been going smoothly for you in Paris?"
"Not bad. Everything is handled by the event organizers, so no big issues," Gina replied as she started the car.
Luca nodded. The brand collaborating with Kate this time was Gucci.
Gucci was founded in Florence, Italy, and initially became a famous Italian brand. However, its parent company is the French Kering Group, which is why Gucci's headquarters are in Paris.
Gucci, along with the LV Group, is one of the two fashion giants in the French fashion scene.
Their strength is the main reason Kate chose to partner with Gucci.
"Has the Balmain family caused any trouble?"
The last issue hadn't been completely resolved. Raoul Balmain had been severely injured, with multiple broken bones and even brain damage, allowing him to escape legal punishment.
Since Kate and Lima were now in Paris for events, Luca figured that if Raoul wasn't completely brain-damaged, he'd likely come looking for trouble.
Whenever Luca asked about the situation over the phone, Kate would always downplay any concerns, and Lima would assure him everything was fine. But Luca wanted to get a better sense of how things really were.
Gina shrugged. "Oh, they've definitely caused some trouble. They've been slandering us in the newspapers, accusing the SUN series of plagiarism one moment, and then saying the designs are too basic the next. They've also recruited well-known designers to publicly criticize the collection. A couple of times, they even sent thugs to harass us, but I took care of them."
"Sounds pretty bad." Luca frowned.
Kate and Lima were still new to the design industry. In a country so steeped in fashion and art, being targeted by seasoned professionals was undoubtedly putting a lot of pressure on them.
"Too bad that guy didn't just die from the fall," Luca remarked with some regret.
"Yeah," Gina agreed. "There's an old saying in our country: 'Good people don't live long, but troublemakers linger for a thousand years.' It means bad people are tough to get rid of."
"Well said. Your ancestors really knew what they were talking about," Luca responded earnestly.
Gina chuckled softly. "Kate and Lima are preparing at the Petit Palais Museum. Want to drop by?"
"Sure, I didn't have time to sightsee last time I was in France. I might as well treat this as a little vacation."
"Alright!" Gina sped up the car, and in less than half an hour, they arrived in the heart of the Greater Paris area — the most artistic and fashionable part of the city.
On both banks of the Seine were countless iconic landmarks: Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Versailles, the Grand Palais, and more.
Classical architecture was everywhere, a source of pride for the French people, and part of their justification for surrendering quickly during World War II — they couldn't lose their sense of romance.
After some quick sightseeing from the car, they arrived at the Petit Palais.
The Petit Palais sits at the intersection of Avenue Churchill and the Champs-Élysées, across the street from the Grand Palais. It's one of the venues frequently used by major fashion brands for their shows.
The SUN series runway show was set up in a public gallery inside the museum.
As they walked down the corridor of the Petit Palais, they passed sculptures and paintings, as well as groups of men and women striking poses for photos.
The atmosphere was undeniably high-end.
In a place like this, even wearing a green military coat would feel fashionable.
Luca glanced at his own outfit: jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt, a lazy ensemble that didn't exactly scream "model."
He felt a bit embarrassed, like he didn't belong in such a high-fashion environment.
Tugging down his hat, he strutted confidently into the museum.
The corridor outside the public gallery was bustling with people: staff, models, and curious tourists.
The runway show had been in preparation for a month, with a dreamy theme of gold and white.
Underneath the gallery's glass ceiling was a massive two-story carousel platform, though instead of horses, the platform was decorated with Gucci's signature diamond-patterned bags, camellia flowers, and pearl necklaces.
On the platform and steps stood over a dozen models in SUN series outfits, striking poses as still as statues.
One of them was Lima.
She stood in the most prominent position, wearing a colorful long dress.
The base of the dress was light yellow, splattered with vibrant patches of color.
These patches didn't appear to be painted on but looked as though they had been dripped onto the fabric, creating a beautiful blend of water and color. The dress was adorned with splotches both large and small, some the size of a hand, others the size of grapes, giving the garment a rich texture.
It was stunning.
Lima's bare arms hung gracefully, with a silver bag draped over her shoulder, completing the look with a touch of elegance.
When Lima spotted Luca, she blinked at him before quickly returning to her statuesque pose.
Luca smiled and blew her a kiss.
As a model himself, Luca understood the grueling nature of the job. Once a model steps onto the runway, they lose all personal agency, becoming mere tools to display fashion.
Among the other models were familiar faces like Morgane Dubled, Laetitia Casta, and Mathilde Frachon.
They were all top French models, each with first-rate figures and elegance.
This group of models had been through professional training, making even their casual poses exude luxury.
Seeing such a high-end setup, Luca suddenly felt like all the shows he had walked in were rather low-end by comparison.
The artistic and cultural significance here was on another level entirely.
Paris was the fashion capital, the cutting edge of global style.
In the fashion world, it was a common understanding: if you hadn't walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week, you hadn't really made it as a model.
Making a name here would skyrocket both fame and fortune, which is why models from all over the world flocked to Paris.
Even after a year of being a top model, Luca hadn't had the chance to showcase his work in Paris, and it left him with a twinge of regret.
"No. 1 and No. 2 can switch places. Morgane is better suited to stand here."
"No, doing that will ruin the overall feel!"
In front of the rotating platform, a few men and women in formal attire were holding files and scrutinizing the models, deep in concentration like a group of sculptors perfecting their statues.
Among this group of 'sculptors' was one particularly striking figure.
She had tied up her golden-brown hair, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and was dressed in a white Gucci blouse paired with silver-gray trousers. Her tall frame and commanding presence were softened by an air of intellectual elegance.
Her stunning long legs, accentuated by the light-colored pants, made her look incredibly alluring.
She stood with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed, occasionally discussing adjustments with the designers and assistants around her, her expression serious and focused.
"Ms. Kelly, would you like some water?"
Luca quietly approached and offered her a drink.
"No, thank you," Kate replied without turning her head, her tone cold and distant, keeping him at arm's length.
Luca smiled softly, content just to stand there and watch her work from behind.
No need to get too close, no need to disturb her — just being there silently was enough.
After a while, Kate seemed to remember something.
Suddenly, she turned her head, her gaze landing on Luca's face.
She blinked, and her icy expression slowly thawed.
Like a blank canvas being filled with color, her features softened and brightened, like a frozen river melting in the spring and blossoming with vibrant life.
In an instant, her beauty shone through like a breathtaking bloom.
"You're here!" Kate smiled, the corners of her lips lifting.
"Kate, you scared me!" Luca said, holding up the water bottle, looking a bit hurt.
Kate smiled gently, but when she noticed the people around them, her face suddenly turned cold again, and she waved her hand dismissively.
"Gina, this is a work area. Get him out of here!"
"Yes! Sir, this way please," Gina said obediently.