Chapter 6 The truth unvalue

The night of the fitting arrived, and Mandy felt a knot of unease tightening in her chest. Dante Valros stepped into her boutique with the same quiet confidence he'd carried before. The completed suit hung on a mannequin behind her, the golden thread shimmering faintly in the dim light.

"You've outdone yourself," Dante said as he approached the suit, his voice warm but laced with an undercurrent of something darker.

"It's ready," Mandy said, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

Dante removed his coat and stepped behind the dressing screen. Mandy busied herself pretending to adjust a mannequin, but her heart raced. She had grown accustomed to the transformations her golden-threaded creations inspired, but something told her this one would be different.

When Dante emerged, the air seemed to shift. The suit fit him perfectly, accentuating his sharp features and commanding presence. The golden thread caught the light, casting a faint glow that seemed almost otherworldly.

Dante moved to the mirror, his expression calm-at first. But as he studied his reflection, his face changed. His confident smile faltered, his jaw tightening. His eyes, which had always seemed impenetrable, widened with something Mandy could only describe as fear.

"What... is this?" Dante whispered, his hands trembling as he touched the lapels of the suit.

"What do you see?" Mandy asked, stepping closer despite the growing tension in the room.

Dante didn't answer immediately. His reflection in the mirror seemed to shimmer, the golden thread creating patterns that hadn't been there before-patterns that almost looked like chains wrapped around his body.

"Power," he said at last, his voice low. "This suit shows me the power I've built, the empire I've created. But it also shows..." His voice trailed off, and his expression darkened.

"What?" Mandy pressed, her curiosity overcoming her caution.

Dante turned to her, his face a mask of anger and despair. "It shows the cost. The people I've betrayed. The lives I've destroyed to get here. It's as if this suit is... holding me accountable."

Mandy felt a chill run down her spine. She had never seen the golden thread reveal something so vivid or so damning.

"You've created something dangerous," Dante said, his voice cold now. "Do you understand that?"

"I-" Mandy started to speak, but Dante cut her off.

"This isn't just a suit. It's a weapon," he said, stepping closer to her. "And in the wrong hands, it could destroy people like me."

Mandy's breath caught. "I didn't mean for this to happen," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Dante studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to her surprise, he smiled, a smile that was both predatory and resigned.

"You have a gift, Mandy," he said. "But gifts like this don't go unnoticed. Be careful who you share it with."

He turned and walked out of the boutique, leaving Mandy alone with her thoughts and the terrifying knowledge that her work had the power to reveal more than just beauty