"Miss Lane," Madam Vivienne said through the ballroom speakers. "A stunning creation. I have a technical question."
Chloe's smile slipped. Derrick looked annoyed at the interruption.
"I see no corsetry or boning, yet the gown carries an immense weight of silk and diamonds. What is its primary load-bearing structure?"
The ballroom was quiet enough for the broadcast microphones to pick up the equipment hum. Madam Vivienne waited with the patience of someone who expected a technical answer.
The question belonged in a first-year design class. Chloe stared at her, then at Derrick. He had no answer to give her.
She looked down at the bodice as if the missing structure might become visible. Derrick's smile tightened, but he did not step toward the microphone.
"It's an emotional architecture
