.
Zara sat at her vanity and studied her reflection with the careful, dispassionate eye of someone preparing for battle rather than a party. Each stroke of the brush was deliberate. Each detail considered.
From the doorway, Maya watched her. “Are you ready?”
Zara set down the lipstick and exhaled slowly. “Yes.”
“Zara.” Maya’s voice softened. “If you’re not truly ready, if any part of you needs more time please don’t force this. Not after everything they put you through.”
Zara rose from the stool and smoothed the front of her dress. She looked at Maya steadily. “I have spent over a year preparing for exactly this moment.” A pause. “Besides our company received an invitation to this event. Elena needs to make her entrance.”
Maya nodded, then hesitated. “Can I come w
