It had been a few months since the world had witnessed the seismic shift at Runway. Miranda Priestly, the legendary editor-in-chief, was no longer at the helm of the fashion empire. And the reason why was no mystery: Elon Musk had taken over, sweeping through the office like a force of nature, leaving Miranda’s once-impenetrable throne in his wake.
Andy Sachs had always known that she had the potential to rise higher, but never, in her wildest dreams, did she imagine that she would be caught in the middle of a war for control over the fashion world. Yet here she was, at the center of it all.
The emotional toll of everything—of leaving behind the woman who had been her mentor, her boss, her emotional anchor, was gnawing at her. But the reality of the situation was unavoidable: Miranda was no longer the person Andy could follow. And as cold as it was, as ruthless as it seemed, Andy had made a choice.
It was a late evening in the Runway offices, and Andy had just returned from a meeting with Elon. Their ideas were bold, fresh, revolutionary—everything that Runway could become under his leadership. As she walked through the marble corridors, her phone buzzed with a text message from Miranda.
“We need to talk. My office. Now.”
Andy's heart sank.
"Miranda," Andy began, her voice betraying a tension she hadn’t realized was there. "You wanted to see me?"
Miranda sat behind her sleek desk, her face as unreadable as ever. The black-and-white world she’d so carefully constructed felt like a distant memory now, replaced by Elon’s colorful chaos.
"Sit down, Andy," Miranda said, her tone flat. "We need to discuss what’s happening at Runway."
Andy hesitated, then took the seat across from Miranda. The familiar tension in the air was palpable, but it was different this time. There was no warmth, no pretense of care. It was just business.
"I’m listening," Andy said, trying to keep her voice steady, but she could already feel the crack in her own resolve.
Miranda didn’t waste time with pleasantries. "You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with Elon Musk lately."
Andy bit her lip. She had expected this conversation, but hearing Miranda’s words spoken aloud felt like a punch to the gut.
"He’s the future of Runway, Miranda. You know that," Andy said, her voice faltering slightly but still strong. "I’m... I’m not the same person I was when I worked for you. You know that, too."
Miranda’s icy gaze never wavered. She leaned forward, her voice a whisper, but the venom was unmistakable. "You think I don’t know what’s been happening? You think I don’t see how you’ve... abandoned me? For him? After everything I did for you? Everything I gave you?"
The accusation hit Andy like a physical blow. Her throat tightened. She had never wanted to hurt Miranda, but the truth was undeniable. She couldn’t stay in that world any longer.
"I’m not abandoning you," Andy said, her voice trembling now. "But I can’t keep sacrificing myself for you. I’ve grown. I’ve learned. And what I’ve learned is that I can’t let you hold me back any longer."
Miranda’s eyes narrowed. "You’re choosing him over me, over this?" she gestured broadly at the glossy, pristine office around them, as if everything they had built was now fading into irrelevance.
"Yes," Andy said, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. "I am."
Miranda stood suddenly, her chair scraping across the floor. She walked to the window, her back to Andy as she stared out at the city skyline. Andy could hear the sharp intake of breath. It was the calm before the storm.
"You’ve made a grave mistake, Andy," Miranda said coldly, her voice tight with a restrained fury. "You think that by standing beside Musk, you’re some kind of revolution? You’re not. You’re just a pawn in a bigger game. A game that you will never win."
"I’m not a pawn, Miranda," Andy shot back, her voice more confident now. "I’m choosing a future that’s mine to shape. I don’t need to be your shadow anymore."
Miranda’s face twisted with something Andy couldn’t quite read—rage, betrayal, loss. But there was no turning back. Miranda had pushed her away long ago. This was the consequence.
"I made you," Miranda hissed. "And this is how you repay me?"
Andy stood, the weight of the past years heavy on her shoulders. "I made myself. I’m sorry it wasn’t what you wanted, but it’s the truth."
As she turned to leave, Miranda’s voice sliced through the air, cold and final. "Don’t bother coming back, Andy. You’re dead to me."
Elon had been watching from the sidelines, but it wasn’t just about business for him—it was personal, too. He knew Miranda’s power. He knew how dangerous she could be. And now that Andy had chosen him, Elon wasn’t about to let her go back into Miranda’s orbit.
After all, Musk didn’t just take over companies—he dismantled them.
The next day, it was clear that Miranda’s fall from grace wasn’t going to be slow or graceful. Elon wasted no time in making sure that Runway was stripped from her grasp. As Andy entered the office, she was greeted with the new reality.
"Miranda’s gone," Elon said matter-of-factly, as he looked over some reports. "She’s been removed from all decision-making. I’ve personally ensured she has no way of coming back."
Andy felt a cold pit in her stomach, but she said nothing. This was the price of ambition. Elon, with his unyielding drive, had made sure that Miranda was left with nothing.
"Her penthouse is under foreclosure. She has no access to Runway’s resources anymore. It’s all over for her," Elon added, his eyes never leaving the screen in front of him.
Andy recoiled, the harshness of it hitting her harder than she expected.
"Elon, you didn’t have to do that," she whispered.
"Of course I did," he replied, his voice unbothered. "She was standing in the way of progress. You can’t build an empire without clearing the rubble first. And sometimes, that rubble’s a person. I did what had to be done."
For a moment, Andy wasn’t sure if she was still in control of her life. She had chosen him—Elon—and now the consequences were real, tangible, brutal.
But as she looked at him, a deep, unsettling truth set in. She had made her choice. And it wasn’t just about the power or the success. It was about the freedom Elon promised her—a freedom she’d been denied for so long.
But the question remained: had she given up too much in the process?
Later that evening, Andy sat alone in her apartment, staring at her phone. She hadn’t spoken to Miranda since that fateful conversation. The world had shifted, but it hadn’t come without its scars.
She scrolled through her messages—nothing from Miranda. Nothing from anyone who mattered in her old life.
And in the silence, Andy realized that she had made a deal with the devil. She had chosen Elon Musk—the power, the future—and now there was no going back.
But what, she wondered, was left for her to build now that everything she knew was gone?