Chapter 1: The Dress No One Else Would Make
Chapter 1: The Dress No One Else Would Make
The silence inside Laurent Atelier lingered long after Celeste Vale walked out.
No one returned to work until Matteo quietly removed his glasses and looked at the ruined gown.
"Start over," he said.
One assistant swallowed hard.
"Sir... the gala begins in nine hours."
"I know."
"The embroidery alone takes six months."
Matteo nodded once.
"So we'll create something no one has ever seen before."
Without another word, more than sixty artisans gathered around fresh ivory silk.
No one complained.
No one questioned him.
Because everyone inside Laurent Atelier had witnessed the impossible before.
Meanwhile...
Across Paris, Celeste stormed into her limousine.
"Call Milan."
"No."
"Call New York."
"I want every couture house."
Her manager, Daniel, made the first call.
Then another.
Then another.
His expression grew paler after every conversation.
"What?"
Daniel lowered the phone.
"They... all declined."
Celeste frowned.
"Offer double."
"They refused before discussing money."
She grabbed another phone herself.
"I'm Celeste Vale."
"I need tonight's fitting."
Silence.
Then a calm reply.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Vale."
"We're fully committed."
Click.
The second designer hung up before she finished speaking.
The third never answered.
The fourth sent only one message.
We stand with Laurent Atelier.
Her stomach tightened.
By afternoon, every major couture house in Europe had quietly rejected her.
Not publicly.
Not dramatically.
Simply...
No.
The unwritten rule had become reality.
When Matteo Laurent closed one door...
The fashion world quietly locked the rest.
May you like
For the first time in fifteen years...
Hollywood's most photographed actress had nowhere to buy a gown.
