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