Chapter 10: The Dress Fitting
The afternoon sun cut sharp amber slashes across the parquet floor of the master dressing suite as the tailor pinned the heavy dark blue satin of my gown. The tailor, an elderly man with pins clenched between his teeth, circled me with practiced precision, murmuring polite compliments about the drape of the fabric and the elegance of the cut. Julian stood by the tall bay window, swirling amber whiskey in a crystal glass while watching our reflections in the gilded full-length mirror.
"Make sure the hemline falls precisely to the floor," Julian instructed, his voice low and commanding. "Nothing should look out of place. The press will have cameras at every corner of the ballroom."
"Yes, Mr. Vance," the tailor mumbled around his pins. "The dress will be absolute perfection."
I stood perfectly still, letting my breathing remain slow and shallow. Inside the hidden inner lining of the bodice, right beneath the intricate beadwork near the shoulder seam, the encrypted flash drive containing Julian's financial ledgers rested securely against the fabric. Every time the tailor adjusted the material, my muscles tensed, waiting for his fingers to brush against the hard plastic edge of the drive. But the tailor merely smoothed the satin, oblivious to the dangerous cargo hidden within the couture.
"Will you be joining us in the city tomorrow for the final accessories check, Mr. Vance?" the tailor asked politely as he stepped back to appraise his work.
Julian took a slow sip of his whiskey, his eyes locked onto mine in the mirror. "No. I have a meeting with the state senator regarding the foundation's land acquisition grants. Eleanor will take the car with the security detail. She knows how important it is that everything goes according to plan."
May you like
"I understand," I said softly, meeting his gaze in the glass without blinking. "I won't let you down, Julian."
"I know you won't," Julian replied, a thin, self-satisfied smile touching his lips. He believed absolute control was his birthright, a fortress built on money, intimidation, and silence. He had no idea that the foundation of his empire was already crumbling from within, and that tomorrow’s dress fitting would be the last time he ever saw me play the obedient wife.
