Chapter 226

• The morning light poured through the tall windows of the boutique, catching the soft folds of fabric laid across the tables. The air smelled faintly of fresh linen and blooming flowers, a scent that carried both calm and anticipation. Today was not about sales or profit; it was about celebrating creation itself.
• I had called Simone earlier to help set up, and she arrived carrying boxes of folded garments, her expression a mix of amusement and excitement. “Are we really doing this?” she asked, placing the first box carefully on a low table. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, as if she knew the joy that was about to fill the room.
• “Yes,” I said, smoothing the silk of a pale green dress. “This collection is not about money. It is about delight, about giving people a small gift of happiness, even if only for a moment.”