The dinner had been planned long before the courtroom ever saw our names on paper. It was meant to be quiet, a warm gathering of people who still believed in the work, a way to remind the world—and maybe ourselves—that we were still standing. Investors, friends of the brand, a few familiar faces from our earliest collections. No speeches, no press, just conversation and presence. Still, as Julian and I pulled up outside the venue, I felt the weight pressing against my chest before I had ...