The new corner office was bathed in natural sunlight, a stark contrast to the windowless basement closet Clara had worked in for the past four years. The expansive room was lined with dress forms, drafting tables, and walls of premium fabric swatches. It was a designer's paradise.

But Clara barely

The design studio was a graveyard of shredded silk and slashed chiffon, but as Alexander Sterling stood amidst the wreckage, he looked entirely unfazed. He didn't see a disaster. He only saw a battlefield, and the Kingmaker never lost a war.

He shrugged off his bespoke suit jacket, draping it over

The Croft Luxury boardroom was a cavern of polished mahogany, floor-to-ceiling glass, and suffocating tension. The long table was lined with the company’s most prominent investors, board members, and fashion critics.

At the head of the table sat Damian Croft. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, but