Director Elliot Barnes didn't just sit; she vibrated with a cold, suppressed fury. Her grip on the edge of the mahogany conference table tightened until her knuckles turned a ghostly white, mirroring the stark, terrifying data on the computer screen before her. The numbers were bleeding.
Endorsement deals, the very lifeblood of a high-end fashion house like Soléne Couture, were dropping like flies in a frost.
Major brands that had spent months negotiating for a spot in the upcoming walkway event were reverting their signatures, citing "brand safety" and "unforeseen shifts in marketing strategy." It was corporate speak for we are running away from you as fast as possible.
The walkway event—the pinnacle of the season—was only days away. This wasn't just a bump in the road; it was a landslide. As if on cue, a swift, frantic knock echoed through the door, sounding like a hammer on a coffin.
