Behind the gown

An offer too good

Aria barely remembered the subway ride to the address Claire had sent her. She checked the message again before getting off the train. Then she checked it a second time, and a third. Laurent Residence. The address was one she had heard before but never had a reason to visit. It was one of those places people mentioned casually, usually while talking about old money, private parties, or celebrities who didn't want to be photographed.

Aria stepped out of the taxi and looked up. For a moment, she forgot why she was there. The estate stood behind tall black gates, its glass walls catching the afternoon sunlight. The building was enormous, but there was something restrained about it. Nothing screamed for attention. It simply existed with the confidence of something that had never needed to prove its worth. A fountain stood in the middle of the circular driveway. White roses lined the walkway. Two black luxury cars sat beneath a covered entrance, spotless enough to reflect the sky. Aria looked down at herself. Navy blazer, black trousers, low heels she'd bought during a clearance sale almost two years ago. She suddenly felt like she'd made a terrible mistake by coming. What if they laughed at her? What if Vivienne Laurent had seen her sketches and changed her mind? or was this simply another rejection waiting to happen? Her phone vibrated.

Emma: Are you there?

Aria typed quickly. Aria: Yes.

The reply came almost immediately.

Emma: And?

Aria looked at the mansion again.

Aria: I'm standing outside a place that looks like a palace. Three dots appeared.

Emma: Don't embarrass me. Go inside.

Aria smiled.

She put her phone away. Before she could press the intercom, the gates began to open. She froze.

A man in a dark suit nodded toward her. "Miss Bennett?"

"Yes."

"Ms. Laurent is expecting you."

Aria swallowed. "Thank you."

She walked through the gates. With every step, she became more aware of how badly she wanted this meeting to go well. Not because she wanted to impress Vivienne but because she was tired. Tired of calculating whether she could afford her mother's medication. Tired of pretending she wasn't worried about Lily's tuition. Tired of telling her mother, Don't worry, I'll handle it, when she had no idea how she would. And most of all, tired of watching her dreams become something she only talked about instead of something she lived.

The front doors opened before she reached them. A woman stood waiting. "Miss Bennett?"

"Yes."

"I'm Claire."

Aria recognized her immediately.

"Hello."

"Come with me."

Claire turned and walked inside. Aria followed. The first thing she noticed was the silence. The house was enormous, yet there was no unnecessary noise. No television playing somewhere in the background. No footsteps rushing across the floor. Everything felt controlled. The second thing she noticed was the art.

Paintings covered the walls, some so large they looked like windows into another world. A grand piano sat beneath a massive chandelier. Fresh flowers filled tall glass vases. Even the furniture looked like it had been chosen for a reason. Aria stopped briefly when she saw a staircase.

Claire glanced back. "Beautiful?"

Aria smiled awkwardly. "Very."

"You'll get used to it."

Aria almost laughed. Get used to it? People like her didn't get used to places like this. People like her admired them from a distance.

Claire led her into an office overlooking the gardens. "Wait here."

Aria sat down. Her hands were cold. She rubbed them together and tried to breathe normally. A minute later, the door opened.

Vivienne Laurent walked in. Aria stood immediately. Vivienne looked exactly like she had the night of the exhibition, except somehow more intimidating. An ivory silk suit.Pearl earrings.Perfectly styled hair. She didn't need to raise her voice to command attention.

"Miss Bennett."

"Thank you for seeing me."

Vivienne smiled. "Sit." Vivienne took the chair opposite her and opened a leather folder. "I looked through your portfolio after the exhibition." Aria nodded.

"I wasn't expecting you to."

"Why?"

"I thought you were simply being kind."

Vivienne looked at her for a moment."I don't make a habit of being kind to strangers."

Aria didn't know what to say to that. Vivienne removed several printed pages from the folder and placed them on the desk. Aria recognized the sketches immediately.Her fingers tightened around her bag.

"These are yours?"

"Yes."

"The bridal collection?"

"Yes."

Vivienne studied her. "You designed all of them?"

Aria nodded.

"By hand?"

"Most of them."

"Why?"

Aria frowned. "Why what?"

"Why fashion?"

The question caught her off guard. She looked down at the sketches. Because there were things she could say about fashion that she couldn't say about herself. "I don't know," she said quietly. "I think I've always felt like I belonged somewhere inside a sketchbook."

Vivienne's expression softened slightly. "When did you start?"

"Twelve."

"Who taught you?"

"No one."

"That's unusual."

Aria smiled. "My mother used to sew. She made clothes for people in our neighbourhood. Just dresses, alterations, things like that."

"And you?"

"I used to sit beside her and draw."

Vivienne looked at her carefully. "Does your mother still sew?"

"Not anymore."

There was something in Aria's voice that made Vivienne stop asking questions. Instead, she closed the folder.

"Why haven't you started your own label?"

Aria gave a small laugh. "Money."

"Only money?"

"Mostly."

"And talent?"

Aria looked at her. "Talent doesn't pay hospital bills."

The room went quiet. She hadn't meant to say it. Vivienne's eyes remained on her.

"Your mother is ill?"

"She's recovering."

"And you're paying for it?"

Aria hesitated. "Yes."

Vivienne nodded slowly. "What about your family?"

"My younger sister is preparing for college."

"You're responsible for her too."

It wasn't a question. Aria looked away. "I don't mind."

"But you're tired."

Aria's eyes lifted. Vivienne wasn't smiling anymore. "You look like someone who has been carrying things for too long."

Something tightened in Aria's chest. She didn't know why that sentence affected her so much. Maybe because nobody had said it before. Everyone praised her strength. Nobody asked what it cost her to be strong. She looked down at her hands.

"I'm okay."

Vivienne didn't challenge her. Instead, she reached for another folder. "This is why I asked you to come." She placed it in front of Aria. "Laurent Elite Events is expanding."

Aria opened the folder. Photographs, fashion shows, luxury weddings, private galas, red carpets, designers standing beside celebrities. She looked up. "What does this have to do with me?"

"We need an exclusive designer."

Aria waited.

Vivienne's voice was calm. "I want you."

For a moment, Aria thought she'd misunderstood. "Me?"

"You."

Aria stared at her. "You've seen my work."

"I have."

"But you barely know me."

"I know enough."

Claire entered quietly and placed another document on the table. "Your studio."

Aria turned.

Claire showed her photographs. A bright studio with enormous windows. Professional sewing machines, cutting tables, rows of fabric, fitting rooms, mood boards. Everything Aria had ever dreamed of having, her throat tightened.

"You'd have access to this?"

"Your own space," Vivienne said.

Aria touched the photograph with her fingertips. It looked impossible.

Vivienne continued. "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars annually."

Aria's head lifted. "Excuse me?"

"Health insurance. Travel expenses.

Accommodation allowance."

Aria couldn't speak.

"During Fashion Week," Vivienne continued, "you'll work directly with our clients and attend selected events."

Aria looked at the contract. Her mother's hospital bills flashed through her mind, Lily's tuition, the tiny apartment, her unpaid debts. The nights she'd worked until two in the morning because she couldn't afford to stop, and suddenly, for the first time, she could see a way out.

"This..." She took a breath. "This could change everything."

Vivienne watched her. "Yes.,”

Aria laughed softly, almost embarrassed by the emotion rising in her voice. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I just..." She wiped beneath one eye quickly.

"I've been trying so hard for so long."

Vivienne said nothing. Aria looked at the contract again. She imagined calling her mother. Mom, you don't have to worry about the bills anymore. She imagined Lily receiving her acceptance letter and knowing tuition wouldn't be the reason she couldn't go. She imagined herself walking into that studio every morning and finally calling herself what she'd always wanted to be.A designer.Not a girl serving coffee between freelance jobs or someone waiting for somebody to notice her. Her fingers reached for the pen. Then stopped. Emma's voice returned to her. If something sounds too good to be true, Aria… She looked at the thick stack of papers. There were far too many pages for a simple employment contract.

"Is there something I should know?"

Vivienne smiled. "There's always something to know."

That answer didn't comfort her.Vivienne picked up the contract and pushed it closer. "I don't force people to work for me."

Aria looked into her eyes.

"If you don't want this, you can walk away."

"And if I do?"

"You sign."

Aria swallowed. Vivienne placed the pen beside her hand then she leaned back.

"Before you sign anything..."

Her voice was almost gentle. "Read every

page carefully."

Aria stared at the contract. The room suddenly felt different. Everything that had looked like an answered prayer only minutes ago now carried a question she couldn't quite name. She picked up the first page and began to read.