Chapter 48
Rose point of view
The showroom that had once been my pride now felt like a tomb. Silent. Empty. Abandoned. I moved between the clothing racks, touching fabrics that represented thousands of hours of work. My spring collection, the one fashion critics had called "boundary-pushing" and "career-defining" just weeks ago, hung untouched, unsold, unwanted.
My phone buzzed for the twentieth time that morning. Another cancellation, no doubt. Another buyer pulling orders. Another door slamming shut.
I ignored it, continuing my lonely tour through what remained of my empire. The front desk sat vacant, I'd had to let Jessica go yesterday, along with three other staff members. The remaining team worked from home now, making desperate calls to salvage what business they could.
The qui
