The offices of Grant & Associates did not look like a traditional law firm. There were no mahogany bookcases stuffed with dusty legal volumes, no oil paintings of stern-faced founders, and no plush leather armchairs designed to put nervous clients at ease. Instead, the top floor of the Manhattan sky

The following morning, the war room at Grant & Associates smelled of dark roast coffee and ozone.

Vivian sat at the head of the conference table, her posture perfectly aligned, sipping from a porcelain cup. She wore a tailored, slate-gray blazer that acted as armor, her face betraying absolutely n

The air inside Maison de Soie smelled of lavender, dust, and raw wealth. Tucked away on the fourth floor of an unassuming pre-war building in the Garment District, the fabric supplier was a closely guarded secret among the global fashion elite. There were no neon signs, no window displays. Just rows