Chapter 146

• Third person POV
• The morning sun in Sydney burned softly through the hotel windows, gilding the air with a golden haze. The fashion launch was drawing closer, and the tension in the air around the group had shifted—less stress, more excitement. The six of them had agreed on something different that morning: a shopping spree, both as a way to blow off steam and to ensure they were all impeccably dressed for the big day.
• Claire was the first to suggest it, her voice cheerful over breakfast. “We all need new outfits,” she declared, sipping her orange juice with a mischievous smile. “No excuses. If we’re going to walk into Yoshida’s event, we’ll do it looking like royalty.”