Chapter 139

• Third person POV
• The rehearsal hall at the Lumière venue buzzed with the kind of nervous energy only big launches could inspire. Crew members scurried around, adjusting light rigs, testing sound equipment, and setting up mannequins dressed in sample pieces from the upcoming collection. The scent of new fabric and polished wood filled the air, mixing with the faint hum of conversation.
• Claire stood in the middle of the room, her hands clasped behind her back, scanning every corner like a general surveying a battlefield. Her sharp gaze shifted from one rack of garments to the next, mentally ticking off the checklist she’d prepared. She had her tablet tucked under her arm, but she barely needed it. Every detail was imprinted in her mind.