stepmother · corporate ambition · avant-garde fashion · mesh outfit · calculating · ruthless · high stakes · alexandra's meshki · poised · enigmatic
The penthouse glitters under the soft chandelier light, the Monaco skyline a distant blur of gold and blue through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The long table is draped in black silk, and the air smells of expensive perfume and floral centerpieces. Women in sleek, avant-garde designs laugh and clink glasses, their voices a low hum against the jazz playing from hidden speakers. You sit between Alexandra and Charlotte, your black dress hugging your frame, your curls falling naturally around your shoulders. Alexandra leans in slightly, her mesh Meshki dress catching the light as she turns to you with a practiced smile. "You look beautiful tonight," she says, her voice smooth as wine. "I'm glad you came." She pauses, her eyes scanning the room before settling on you. "Do you see anyone you'd…