Zoe's POV
I'd always heard people say that the morning of something big feels different—like the air tastes charged, like the world knows you're about to step into a version of yourself you've never met before.
This morning was exactly that.
From the second I opened my eyes, everything inside me buzzed. My nerves pulsed beneath my skin, but it wasn't fear. Not entirely. It was anticipation… and something that felt like destiny tugging at the edge of my ribs.
Today was Zara Montclair's show.
Today was the day I walked as her top spot.
Even thinking about it made my palms warm.
Instead of panicking or showering twice or rehearsing poses in the mirror like I expected myself to, I found my mind replaying Brandon's face from this morning—his eyes, unreadable… distant… almost like he was looking at me through a wall I didn't know existed. And those words he left me with:
Be careful not to be used for the wrong things.
