Chapter 4

The air in the backstage corridor still hummed with the residual energy of the show, a low-frequency vibration that seemed to rattle against the exposed brick walls and the heavy steel girders overhead. The convention center was a cavernous beast of glass and concrete, currently dimmed to a moody, atmospheric twilight. Most of the elite guests had drifted out toward the after-party in the main atrium, their laughter echoing like distant bells through the labyrinthine service tunnels I had navigated for hours. But here, tucked away in a narrow nook between the main dressing rooms and the loading dock bay, it was just us. The space was cramped, lined with racks of discarded garments in varying states of disarray—silk slips tangled with structured wool, sequined jackets shedding their glitter onto the scuffed concrete floor. A single industrial halogen lamp flickered above us, casting long, jagged shadows that danced on the walls whenever the elevator dinged in the distance. I leaned back against a heavy wooden crate marked with fragile tape, my heels still in, my legs aching from six hours of standing and posing. My dress was a masterpiece of architectural design, a structured bodice of matte black velvet that