Chapter 188

• The call came on a Thursday morning, the kind of day where the boutique felt half-asleep in the early hours. The light outside was soft, and the air inside was still carrying the faint scent of cedar from the shelves Julian had oiled the night before. I was in the back, checking a delivery from the tailor, when Claudia called out that a representative from Auréa was on the line.
• Auréa was a luxury cosmetics company known for their gold-leaf packaging and equally polished marketing campaigns. I had seen their name in my inbox before, always in the context of an event or an invitation, but this time Claudia’s tone made me pause.
• “They say it is a formal proposal,” she added, holding out the phone.