Chapter 184

Applause rattled through the hall as the contestant before me stepped down. I walked to the centre of the platform. The screen behind me buzzed once, then flared to life. White light burned the edge of my vision. My palms were dry; I’d made sure of it. I hadn’t come all the way here and worked weeks on four hours’ sleep a night just to flinch now. I gripped the mic in one hand, the laser pointer in the other. I began. ‘Good afternoon, judges, guests. I’m Mirabelle Vance.’ I paused just long enough to force them to look up. ‘The theme: Evening Gala. Gemstones. Composure. I designed a four-piece set intended for high-profile, high-visibility events. Met-tier, red carpet-ready. But every clasp, hinge, and suspension curve is engineered for full comfort. Nothing that requires styling glue or double-sided tape to sit right.’ I clicked the pointer. The ring rotated on the screen. ‘Let’s start with the ring. Cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire, 7.8 carats, zero thermal treatment. Cradled in a platinu