zy, cluttered apartment, a world away from the sterile opulence Carla had just left. "You sho
spread through her chest. "Yeah," she sai
ney? That bastard owes you milli
es. "I don't want anything from him. No ties,
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to an exci
gaze. It was the sharp, confident glint of a master of her craf
Carla. "Oh my god, you're finally back! Do you have any i
t of the fashion world for three years, buried under the weight of be
at had been her sanctuary and her passion, and issued a press release announcing that the enigmatic designer "AURA" was going on an indefinite hia
e. She had pivoted the studio to an online, by-referral-only haute couture ser
g to the studio's secure client portal. The scr
bespoke AURA design. Hollywood A-listers, a Middle Eastern princess... we've
her lungs, feeling like the first real breath she'd taken in years. "
g to take over the world!" Then, a flicker of concern cros
In his world, I'm just a housewife who knows ho
r empire, not as Carla Dudley, the discarded wife, but as AU
ace when he realizes what a diamond he
the design software icon on the laptop screen. Her fingers started tapping a restles
e said, a sudden urgency in her v
d her car keys. "Let's go. W
rld. When Jenelle pushed the door open, Carla was greeted by the sight of a vibrant, creative space. Bolts of luxurio
ing late looked up. Their jaw
eryone," she announced, her voice ringing with pri
erupted i
f deep blue satin, the familiar texture a balm to her frayed nerv
holding a tablet. "AURA, there's an urgent appointment. The c
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