Mara POV
The gala is in two hours and I can't get the damn zipper up. Days have passed, but Evelyn hasn't done any of the things she threatened. The interview video wasn’t released either.
My hands shake as I reach behind myself, trying to grab the tiny pull. The designer gown is stunning—midnight blue silk that Catherine selected to complement Lucien's suit—but the zipper might as well be engineered by sadists.
Performance anxiety has my fingers trembling too badly to manage the delicate mechanism.
I twist awkwardly, nearly dislocating my shoulder in the attempt. The zipper stays stubbornly at mid-back, mocking my efforts.
"Need help?"
I spin around so fast I nearly trip over the gown's hem. Lucien stands in my doorway, already dressed in his tuxedo. He looks unfairly good, all sha
