the marble floor, tucked discreetly behind a column near the gala's champagne

the sleeve of Riley's dress, whispered somethi

ic

n't run. No need. Th

woman sa

camera hadn't captured them mid-laughter, mid-

vent together. Publi

d never felt

me that cost more than Riley's monthly basil budget. Ariana was elegance incarnate-poised, intentional, magnetic. She greeted industry t

s buzzed. The room shimmered with politics, wealth, and subtle judgment. Whispers rippl

squeezed Riley's h

eneath a canopy of fairy light

f it do

breathe t

de for one final toast

ed. Not

t r

s a chair, apron back around her waist. She prepped dough for

wrapped in a robe, sipping chilled tea,

photo by N

licke

th the chandelier.

r the screen. She did

e world's commenta

new it wa

dropped at

ent blog that had cover

t's Ice Queen Melted

nded her a coffee and said, "You're ra

ced at h

eath s

ed, Ariana's hand gripped hers with delicate

urnalists had ema

texted: "Saw the phot

shop door and pulled t

rning began

e image-some by breakfast, others through pinged alerts

ed to

coiffed, ready-and sat down to a

clicking to a heat map of engagement. "Public

We can spin it as a phil

laborating,"

this?" ask

looked soft and solid, even benea

ine," s

oise inside too loud to focus. Her inbox ticked up by the hour-offer

sage st

e'd love to profile the pizza wom

hree times, t

she wro

am. I think I'm stil

lied almos

et to answer

pped away from meetings an

Montrose Avenue, just outside Bri

gh the window. Open

" she said

," Ariana

glow of the shop, air wa

might be angry,

would

neakers t

ed. "You wo

unter. Riley rolled out

red," Riley

Ariana

am

t moment," Ariana said.

tarted," Ri

up. "No. Where

circulate further-now accompanied by

of red basil with a note: "Love

reply to an

three pi

s words until they m

he wa

11:0

osted th

e pause. And in the p

at it for a

icked

exha