Elodie's POV
"It's fine," I said quietly, pulling my hand back and cradling my wrist.
I hadn't known it was a custom piece. Hadn't known it was one of a kind.
But now that I did, the disappointment settled in my chest like a stone.
I looked around at the other gowns in the boutique, they were all beautiful things, expensive things, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some were probably worth more than what most people made in a year.
But after seeing that purple dress, everything else just looked… ordinary.
Eventually, I settled on a simple off-white silk gown with delicate floral embroidery along the hem. It was elegant. Understated. The kind of dress that wouldn't draw too much attention but wouldn't embarrass me either.
It was Safe.
While the sale
