-

sixth morni

g against the café window in rhythmic patter

Not because of pain this

er heart was... not

e returned to work each day. The barista had started remembe

sn't

asn't he

now, was a k

-

oor c

y briefly-and returne

tlined a five-p

ence: women

confidence wi

skin serum infused with botanica

n that forgot h

ame to her li

type

us

ar

as g

od to

back, chest

-it had t

nted

-

buzzed on

om

. Don't screa

a bli

lau

nd star

at, eyes wide with somethin

er a bright yellow umbrella like she owned the damn co

ned - like a woman who kn

open the door,

aid to

rugged.

-

ed like s

ll the unsaid things comp

ent of Naomi's vanill

rned-but sh

cheek. "God, look at you. No ma

ia

scorned women everyw

-

at, they shed

pened her laptop and began synci

ittle diggin

e?" Selina a

n potential investors, mock branding decks, a

a bli

ad all th

get tired of bleeding eventua

-

hours rebuilding Selina's

eth

th post-its, voice

ts. Brainstorms

ina didn't feel like a wife, or

like a

n goo

-

allowed Geneva in shadowed gra

dy to pitc

roze. "T

but serious players. Mostly men.

stomach

aomi

y y

not r

u a

if they

it into a louder yes. But you

-

le of drafts and scribb

at

- her reflection fain

no

. Ce

let's

-

ext M

smelled like polishe

ide her, and six men across from them - all clean-cut, all st

e black

o dis

omin

back. Her lipstick ne

no ring on

n't been

-

en leaned forward,

asked in Englis

led withou

someone else wanted. Because I forgot how

om wen

cont

nt to sell recognition. The kind that s

e might weep and scr

at the table cl

mbers are

d in. "So is

-

e polite kind. But she sa

t fund her

m asked for se

r the others had left

g," he said. "Sh

-

, Naomi kicked off her heel

ere un

again, wine glass in hand,

t smile t

voice

me, they'l

-

oss

ooked at the

screet insider at the investor meetin

on her name. Di

t... w

her hold

her no

ed he

" he said sof

ime, he wo

-

th soft snowfall and the

pped in a navy robe, steaming mug cradled in both hands.

nside

was

burn she hadn't

an

gr

iv

-

ike a tactical map, surrounded by laptops, plann

design into Photoshop. "Something that screams strength, n

sipping her coffee. "What a

nked. "Ex

o obvious. But charcoal, for grit. Rose gold f

i gr

, CEO queen.

d a brow. "P

-

ed until

anifesto. By 2 p.m., they were on a video call with a Swiss

at the dream had moved fr

s weren't sh

-

, Naomi stood

ket run, also maybe a peek at the concept store di

ded. "Don'

k woman with a power bun and Goog

-

was lef

in days, she didn

with her tablet, and pulled up someth

na

gle search:

l photos from Florence events. Pieces that

icked

e sh

. Always besid

the su

the p

il

-

osed t

ped a

Events: G

ing her own s

e, she wasn'

-

nvestment lunc

e scotch in his glass

table with two French executives, one UK-based po

start-ups, inflation rates

- until one word

Geneva?" one man asked casually. "A woman-led comp

ad lifted.

in the air

ame is Selina Moreau. Ex-wife of someone in your world, I think.

said n

dropped into

-

eat of his car, Luc

ed the

e sh

t his Selina

leaving the investor buildi

as gl

een her glo

it wasn'

-

rivate residence

y, thumb stroking the corner of

e sat on

ark

it: a

ss. Minima

something calle

from someone connected to Se

ned th

d his

ha

. Citru

ed like

who had been to hell

dn't

voice

y. Through third arms.

itated. "Sir, she

an t

have to. She ju

-

t N

was in

les, her laptop perched nearb

d around he

idn't

Or Florence. Or wedding anni

numbers. Labels.

ke eucalyptus and someth

ed up he

ed her

w em

Interest – Branding

a bli

t a neutral le

he terms

ent company willing to fully fund her first 3-mon

unde

brows dre

the he

alled

going to b

-

y, Adrian Voss

t," said the vo

id no

d toward t

softly against the

-