The main hall of the Palais des Expositions was a sensory overload of flashing lights, thumping bass, and the suffocating tension of the global fashion elite. The runway, a massive stretch of polished black obsidian, reflected the blinding glare of the overhead spotlights.

Serena and Kaelen sat in

The standing ovation felt like a physical wave of heat crashing over the runway.

Serena Vance stood at the edge of the polished obsidian stage, the blinding spotlights washing over her ivory suit. For five years, she had watched this exact moment from the claustrophobic shadows of the wings. She h

The sky over the city broke open just after midnight, unleashing a torrential downpour that turned the towering glass skyscrapers of the financial district into shimmering, distorted monoliths.

Serena stood in the private lobby of Cross Industries, wrapping a cashmere trench coat around her should