Chapter 26

Days slipped by, and soon the weekend brought the long-awaited socialite event.

Excitement buzzed in the air as the big gathering finally drew near.

Even though they weren't expected at the venue until later in the day, both Grace and Gianna woke up with the sun, eager to begin their preparations. A full morning of dressing and styling awaited them.

After washing up, Grace made her way to her closet, ready to pull out her gown and plan out her morning routine with hair and makeup following breakfast.

But as she swung open the wardrobe doors,her eyes went straight to a glaring problem.The hem of her stunning gown, once flawless, was now ripped unevenly, as though someone had slashed it with something sharp.

Her hands stilled on the fabric, and a frown creased her face.

Disappointment settled in her chest; the culprit was painfully obvious.

With a small, resigned smile, she ran her fingers across the ruined edge. "How childish."

Julia's knock echoed through the room at that moment. "Grace, are you up yet?"

Swinging the door open with the dress in hand, Grace greeted her. "Morning."

"Morning, honey. Come downstairs for breakf-" Julia's words faded as her gaze landed on the ruined gown.

For a second, shock kept her silent. Hurrying over, she examined the damage. "Howdid this happen? Was it just an accident? Let me call the boutique and see if they can do an urgent repair."

Grace gave a quiet shake of her head."There's not enough time for that."

A flicker of worry crossed Julia's face. "So what are we supposed to do? I should have had a second dress ready foryou."

Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs,and Gianna appeared, a mask of concern plastered on her face. "Grace, aren't you getting ready? The stylist will arrive any minute."

Her gaze flicked to the shredded gown, and Gianna put on a show of shock. "Oh no,how did this happen? Did someone from the staff ruin it by mistake?"

Right away, she deflected responsibility toward the household staff. A brief glint of smugness flashed in her eyes, barely concealed.

Now that Grace's gown was in tatters, what would she possibly do for the big night?

Watching eagerly, Gianna waited to see how Grace could ever hope to outshine her now.

Meanwhile, Julia's nerves frayed at the edges. Her daughter's first appearance in high society could not be ruined by something like this. "This is a disaster, and there's hardly any time left!"

Trying to sound genuinely helpful, Gianna chimed in, "Aunt Julia, please don't be upset.My closet is full of gowns, and most of them have only seen the light of day once. If nothing else works, let's pick one out for Grace to wear."

Julia pressed her lips together, mulling over the suggestion. Borrowing Gianna's old dress was not her first choice, but with the clock ticking, it might be the only solution.

But Grace remained unruffled. "That won't be necessary. I've got it covered. Mom, do we still have a sewing kit in the house?"

Julia nodded at once and asked a servant to bring it upstairs.

Confusion clouded her face. "What do you want it for?"

"I can take care of the repair myself," Grace answered with quiet certainty.

Fortunately, thedamage had spared most of the gown, tearing only at the hem and making it less of a challenge.

The sewing kit opened with a snap. Grace found the scissors and, without hesitation,trimmed away the ruined section.

Shock registered on Gianna's face. Was Grace actually serious? How could she think she could handle such a delicate repair alone? This wasn't just any dress-it was a custom creation from Maison Blanche,and she intended to fix it as if it were an ordinary frock.

Trying to disguise her scorn, Gianna warned,"Grace, tonight's gathering is the real deal.All the most polished young women will be there in designer gowns. Maybe you shouldn't make any rash changes."

That midnight blue dress was no ordinary gown-it was a coveted Maison Blanche original, instantly recognized among the city's elite.

Barely glancing up, Grace replied coolly, "I'm not interested in wearing someone else's hand-me-downs."

Gianna recoiled at the remark, her mood turning sour. "At least borrowing a dress would be better than showing up in something you butchered," she replied,forcing a grin as she tried to hide her glee.

She wondered what kind of disaster Grace's patchwork solution would become. Pulling it off seemed impossible for her.

Meeting Grace's gaze, Gianna quickly glanced away. "I was only trying to help lf you're set on doing it alone, that's your choice."

"If you've got spare time, perhaps you should figure ouut how the gown ended up damaged in the first place. It was kept at home, after all," Grace remarked coolly.

An uneasy chill crept through Gianna;suspicion flickered in her mind that Grace knew more than she let on. No words came from her after that. She kept her thoughts to herself.

"Mom, trust me. I'm going to make it look even better," Grace said to Julia, her voice full of assurance.

Suppressing an eye roll, Gianna bit back a retort.

What a boast! Make it better? How did she manage to sound so sure of herself?

Eagerness bubbled within Gianna, certain Grace would embarrass herself.

Both Julia and Gianna watched closely as Grace took up her needle and thread,settling on the edge of the bed. Swvift hands set to work, stitching with surprising skill.

Thirty minutes passed, and Grace reappeared, now dressed in the restored gown. Julia and Gianna stared in disbelief.

The hem, once ruined, had been masterfully reshaped into an asymmetric cut, the former rip now embellished with delicate sparkling diamonds. As Grace moved, the tiny stones shimmered like stardust.

No hint of damage remained. If anything, the dress had never looked so exquisite.

Gianna's eyes flew wide, and her fingers pressed sharp crescents into her palms.Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Grace to pull off something so creative.

Pure delight shone from Julia's face as she took Grace's hand. "Oh, dear, you've outdone yourself! This is even lovelier than it was before!"

Undeniably, the gown's transformation perfectly matched Grace's poise and beauty.