After a long silence, he asked quietly, "How did you control costs for couture like this before?"
I glanced at the reports. "New fabrics have to be ordered in bulk a quarter ahead. Expensive materials need a ready-to-wear line to spread the cost. If a client cancels a bespoke commission at the last minute, the deposit is nonrefundable. Any style that goes unselected for two straight quarters gets boxed up immediately."
Lucas looked conflicted. "Chloe won't agree. She thinks that turns couture into a cheap assembly line and strips an artist of dignity."
"That's her choice."
"But the studio is losing money every day!" His knuckles turned white. "Come back. Operations, finance, PR, all of it can be yours again, just like before. Name your salary. We'll sign a new notarized agreement for t
