Chapter 1: The Apex of Arrogance
Chapter 1: The Apex of Arrogance
The annual Hartwell Fashion Gala was not just an event. It was a battlefield disguised as the most glamorous night in New York.
Crystal chandeliers, each weighing over a ton, sparkled brilliantly above hundreds of elegantly dressed guests. Luxury brands competed ruthlessly for a fraction of a second of attention. Cameras flashed in a blinding, nonstop rhythm as celebrities, aggressive investors, sharp-eyed magazine editors, and international buyers filled the grand ballroom.
For one night, the entire fashion world belonged to whoever controlled the spotlight.
And absolutely no one loved the spotlight more than Regina Blake.
As the Creative Director of Hartwell Couture, Regina firmly believed she wasn't just running the gala. She believed she owned it, and everyone in it.
Dressed in an immaculate, razor-sharp white designer suit worth more than most people in the city earned in a year, she strode across the red carpet. She didn't walk; she marched, barking continuous orders into a sleek silver headset.
"Move those floral arrangements. They look cheap."
"Straighten the press backdrop. It's off by two inches."
"Who approved those amber lights? Change them to pure white. Now."
Every employee lowered their eyes the exact moment she passed.
Everyone in the industry knew Regina's greatest talent wasn't actually fashion design.
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It was humiliation.
She genuinely believed that absolute fear created undeniable excellence. Embarrassing her employees in public wasn't an accident; it was a carefully calculated part of her management style.
