Chapter 23

• The morning unfolded in muted silence as I sat at the edge of my desk, not yet ready to face the full weight of the day.
• The filtered light through the loft windows brushed across the polished surface of the table, catching on the edge of a fabric swatch I had left out the night before. Olive silk. Delicate, strong. It matched the tone I had been reaching for lately, one of quiet persistence, of presence that did not shout but remained undeniable.
• I opened my laptop without urgency, already expecting what I might find. The fashion media cycle had a rhythm of its own, one that pulsed harder in moments of uncertainty. As the screen loaded, the homepage of one of the industry’s most followed publications greeted me. And there she was.