The boutique smelled of expensive leather and ambition. Velvet curtains pooled like forgotten dreams at the corners of the showroom, and golden chandeliers bathed the room in warm light that made every item glimmer seductively. The saleswoman moved gracefully between racks of meticulously curated clothing, but the real electricity in the room surged between two women standing rigidly before each other.

Violet Bento’s heels clicked confidently as she approached, her sharp gaze ...