Chapter 255

• The evening fell gently outside the boutique, the sun painting the street in muted golds and soft shadows. Inside, the designers were packing their tools and sketchbooks, their faces glowing with satisfaction and exhaustion. I watched them, a quiet pride swelling in my chest, realizing the boutique had finally shifted from being mine alone to something living, breathing, and collective.
• Noelle stayed behind a moment longer, running her fingers over the fabrics still stacked on the worktable. “I didn’t realize how much weight this would carry,” she said softly, almost to herself. “But it feels… right. Like it was meant to be shared.”
• I smiled, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. “It was always meant to be shared,” I said. “The boutique isn’t a single person. It’s all the people who care enough to create something true.”