The limousine pulled up to the red carpet. The flashes were blinding, a strobe-light assault that turned the night into a disjointed series of white explosions.

Barron stepped out first. He adjusted his jacket, ensuring the bulk of the ankle monitor was hidden by the cut of his trousers. He turned and extended a hand into the dark interior of the car.

It was a performance. Everything was a performance.

Elza's hand placed into his. Her skin was cool. She stepped out, and for a second, the screaming paparazzi went quiet.

"Who is that?" someone shouted.

Elza didn't shrink. She took Barron's arm, her grip firm. She lifted her chin, presenting a profile of icy indifference to the cameras.

Barron felt a tremor in her hand. She was terrified. But she was holding it together.

"Don't pass out on me," he muttered through a fixed smile, leaning close to her ear. "I don't carry dead weight."

Elza turned her head slightly. Her eyes met his. She took her index finger and drew a small, sharp line across his palm. Stop.

Barron's eyebrows shot up. The audacity.

They walked up the stairs. Richard Schmidt, Elza's father, was waiting at the entrance. He looked through Barron and focused entirely on Elza.

"You look... useful," Richard said. It was the highest compliment he could give an asset.

Elza's expression didn't flicker.

"Richard," Barron interjected, stepping slightly in front of Elza. "I saw your stock took a dive today. Maybe focus on your liquidity instead of my wife's dress."

Richard's face tightened. "Watch yourself, Drake. You're swimming with sharks tonight."

"I am the shark," Barron replied smoothly.

They moved into the ballroom. It was a sea of silk and jewels. Clotilde was holding court near the champagne fountain, Preston Hayes by her side.

"Sister!" Clotilde called out, her voice carrying over the music. "You finally made it."

Preston looked Elza up and down. His gaze was oily. "Marriage suits you, Elza. Though I hear the conversation is a bit one-sided."

Elza felt bile rise in her throat. She stepped closer to Barron, instinctively seeking cover.

Barron felt her move. He looked at Preston with cold, dead eyes. "Keep your eyes on your own balance sheet, Hayes. Before you lose that too."

The tension was palpable. A circle had formed around them.

Then, a gasp rippled through the crowd.

Bianca, Clotilde's best friend, appeared at the top of the grand staircase.

She was wearing a black velvet dress. High neck. Long sleeves.

It was identical to Elza's.

Except Bianca's dress was covered in Swarovski crystals. They glittered under the chandeliers, flashy and aggressive.

"Oh my god," Clotilde gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in mock surprise. "Bianca! You and Elza are matching!"

Bianca descended the stairs, beaming. She spun around, the crystals catching the light. "Well, not exactly matching," Bianca laughed, eyeing Elza's plain dress. "Mine is the Starry Night edition. Elza, honey, did you get the budget version? It looks so... empty."

The crowd tittered. The narrative was set instantly: The rich, vibrant original versus the sad, cheap knockoff.

Barron's jaw clenched. He looked down at Elza. He expected her to be crying. He expected her to run.

Elza was perfectly still. She reached out and took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. She took a sip, her eyes fixed on Bianca with a look of absolute boredom.

She wasn't embarrassed. She was waiting.

The whispers were like insects, buzzing in Barron's ears.

"Look at the hem," a woman in emerald silk murmured. "It doesn't even have the crystal trim. Poor thing."

Victoria Schmidt, Elza's stepmother, was working the room. "We tried to help her," she sighed loudly to a group of board members. "But with Barron's legal fees... well, she has to cut corners. It's probably a replica from downtown."

Barron felt the heat rising in his neck. It wasn't that he cared about fashion. He cared about winning. And right now, his wife looking like a discount version of Bianca was a loss.

"We're leaving," Barron growled, grabbing Elza's elbow.

Elza planted her feet. She shook her head. No.

"Don't be stupid," he hissed. "They're eating you alive."

Elza looked at him. Her eyes were clear. Wait.

Bianca sashayed over, emboldened by the crowd's approval. "Elza, really, if you needed a dress, you could have asked. My maid has some lovely things from last season."

Clotilde chimed in. "It's fine, Bianca. Maybe Elza likes the... minimalist look. It hides the flaws."

Just then, the double doors swung open. The room went silent.

Valentina V walked in.

The editor-in-chief of Vogue didn't walk; she glided. She wore sunglasses indoors. Her bob was sharp enough to cut glass. She was the supreme court justice of style.

Clotilde's eyes lit up. This was the kill shot.

"Valentina!" Clotilde waved. "Over here! You have to settle a debate."

Valentina stopped. She turned her head slowly. She walked toward the circle, the crowd parting like the Red Sea.

"What is this?" Valentina asked, her voice a monotone drawl.

"We have a 'Who Wore It Better' situation," Clotilde giggled. "Bianca is wearing the Velvet Noir, and Elza is wearing... well, a version of it."

Valentina looked at Bianca. Bianca puffed out her chest, showing off the crystals.

Valentina reached out. She touched the fabric of Bianca's sleeve. She rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger.

"Tsk."

The sound was quiet, but it echoed like a gunshot.

Clotilde's smile faltered. "Right? The quality is just—"

Valentina turned her back on Bianca. She walked to Elza.

Barron tensed. If this woman insulted Elza, he was going to cause a scene that would make the evening news.

Valentina reached into her sleek clutch and retrieved a delicate, gold-rimmed jeweler's loupe. She didn't just peer from a distance; she stepped into Elza's personal space, lifting the fabric of the sleeve and rubbing the heavy velvet between her thumb and forefinger. She pressed the loupe to her eye, examining the seam running along the wrist. There, perfectly camouflaged and impossible to verify without professional magnification, was a tiny, hand-stitched emblem in black silk thread.

The room held its breath.

Valentina stood up. She took off her sunglasses. She looked Elza in the eye.

"The 2024 Atelier prototype," Valentina said. "Hand-stitched by Pierre himself before he died. There are only three in existence."

She turned to the crowd. She pointed a manicured finger at Bianca.

"That," Valentina said, "is a mass-produced fake from the diffusion line. The crystals were added to hide the cheap stitching."

She pointed at Elza.

"This is art."

Bianca's face went the color of a beet.

Valentina turned back to Elza. "I didn't think anyone had the connections to get this out of the archive. You have exquisite taste, my dear."

Elza inclined her head. A queen acknowledging a subject.

Barron stared at his wife. He looked at the dress, really looked at it. It wasn't plain. It was perfect. And she knew it the whole time.

The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating.

Bianca looked down at her glittering dress as if it were made of radioactive waste. "But... Clotilde said..."

Clotilde stepped back, holding up her hands. "I... I was told it was a custom piece! I had no idea!"

Preston Hayes released Clotilde's arm. He took a step away from her. Association with a counterfeit scandal was bad for business.

Richard Schmidt cleared his throat, trying to pivot. He walked toward Elza, a strained smile on his face. "Well, clearly my daughter has inherited the family eye for quality. Elza, darling—"

Barron stepped in. He wrapped his arm around Elza's waist. His hand was warm against the velvet. He pulled her flush against him.

"Back off, Richard," Barron said, his voice low and dangerous. "Five minutes ago you were apologizing for her. Don't pretend you know her now."

Richard stopped, his face darkening.

Elza looked up at Barron. His jaw was set, his eyes hard. He was defending her. It was possessive, yes. It was about his own ego, yes. But it was a shield.

Bianca burst into tears and ran from the room, her crystals jingling ridiculously.

Clotilde was cornered. She needed to regain control. She caught Victoria's eye.

Victoria nodded. She raised her voice, pitching it to carry. "It is amazing, truly. But one does wonder... how does a girl with no access to her trust fund afford a priceless prototype? I've heard rumors... about certain private clubs she visits."

The implication hung in the air. Escort.

The crowd gasped. The sympathy shifted back. Of course. She sold her body for the dress.

Barron went rigid. His grip on Elza's waist tightened to the point of pain. "What did you say?"

He was going to kill Victoria. He was going to tear this whole gala down.

Elza placed her hand over his on her waist. Stop.

She stepped out of his embrace. She walked over to the table where Victoria had set her drink.

Elza picked up a full glass of champagne.

She turned to Victoria. She didn't throw it. That would be trashy.

She simply turned her wrist and poured the champagne onto the floor, directly onto Victoria's satin shoes.

It was a libation. A drink for the dead.

She looked at Victoria with eyes that said: You are dead to me.

Then, she turned her back. She walked toward the stage where the auctioneer was setting up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the auctioneer announced, trying to break the tension. "We are moving to the main event. The North Lot of the Schmidt Estate."

Elza stood at the front. She reached out and took a paddle. Number 707.

She raised it.