Chapter 74

• The dinner had been planned long before the courtroom ever saw our names on paper. It was meant to be quiet, a warm gathering of people who still believed in the work, a way to remind the world—and maybe ourselves—that we were still standing. Investors, friends of the brand, a few familiar faces from our earliest collections. No speeches, no press, just conversation and presence. Still, as Julian and I pulled up outside the venue, I felt the weight pressing against my chest before I had even stepped out of the car.
• I didn’t want to be there. Not because I didn’t care, but because I cared too much. And I already knew how fragile everything had become.
• I had put on the black dress slowly, pausing between each motion. Zipping the side. Smoothing the shoulders. Pulling my hair back with fingers that felt less steady than I wanted to admit. There was no time left to overthink it. The night was already in motion, and people were waiting. Still, I stood in front of the mirror for a full minute before leaving. I wasn’t looking for beauty or symmetry. I was looking for strength. Not to display it, but just to remind myself it was still there.