Chapter 358

• Gillian squeezed her way through the crowded boutique with all the determination of a seasoned negotiator navigating a tough merger. Finally, she reached a young sales associate near the entrance and asked, “Do you have any filigree gold bangles with embedded gems?”
• The assistant looked up with a polite smile but delivered the news like a market report. “Those are only available on the second floor, ma’am. Unfortunately, we’re completely sold out of this year’s inventory. You’d need to place a pre-order new stock won’t arrive until February.”
• Pre-order? February? That was a long wait.