Chapter 42

• The morning began with quiet confidence. I arrived earlier than usual, the boutique still locked and shrouded in the hush of pre-opening light. The scent of new paper lingered from yesterday’s meeting, and the air still carried the memory of promises not yet tested.
• I unlocked the front door and stepped inside. My heels clicked softly against the marble, a familiar rhythm, one that used to echo power and elegance. Now it carried something heavier. Purpose. The kind that comes with knowledge, not illusion.
• I passed the conference corner where the packets still lay half-flipped on the table. Someone had left a note in the margins of the article. “If she can come back, maybe we all can.”