Chapter 2 WHEN LUCAS WALKEE IN

Anne had arrived at the fashion program thirty minutes early. She wasn't the type of person who enjoyed waiting, but she had deliberately arrived early because she wanted a good seat. The program was an important one, especially for young designers and people in the luxury fashion industry. She found her seat near the front of the hall and settled down comfortably. For the first few minutes, she simply looked around. The hall was beautifully decorated, with elegant lights hanging from the ceiling and neatly arranged seats facing the large stage. Several banners displaying the names of the sponsors and fashion companies were placed around the venue.    Anne pulled out her phone. Since the program hadn't started yet, she had time to spare. She opened her social media accounts and began scrolling through her feed. She checked her messages and replied a few clients. She opened her business page and checked the latest comments then she switched to another social media app. She wasn't in a hurry she had a thirty whole minutes before the program was expected to begin.    Gradually, people started arriving, one person walked in then another. Soon, the empty seats around Anne began filling up. The conversations became louder, people greeted one another, exchanged handshakes, took pictures and discussed business. Anne remained quietly in her seat. She occasionally looked up from her phone, but she mostly kept to herself. After some time, the organizers finally appeared on the stage.    The microphones were checked, the lights were adjusted, the audience slowly settled down, everyone was waiting for the program to begin.    Then the doors at the entrance suddenly opened, a few people turned around. Whispers immediately spread across the hall.    "He's here" Anne looked up, and then she saw him Lucas Sterling. The atmosphere changed almost immediately.    Lucas walked into the hall with two men following behind him, he wore a perfectly fitted black suit that made his tall figure stand out without looking like he was trying to hard. His face was expressionless, he wasn't smiling and he didn't greet anyone. He simply walked through the hall with an air of authority that made people instinctively move aside.    Conversations died down as he passed. Even the people who had been talking loudly moments earlier became quiet. Lucas didn't seem bothered. His eyes moved briefly around the hall before he continued toward the reserved seat waiting for him near the front.  One of the event organizers quickly approached him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Sterling. We're very happy to have you here".    Lucas gave him a brief nod. "Thank you.    That was all. He didn't stop for a conversation, or exchange unnecessary pleasantries, he simply walked to his seat and sat down.    Anne watched him from her seat. she whispered to herself     "So this was Lucas Sterling, the billionaire everyone seemed to know, the businessman who owned several successful companies, Technology, Real estate, Finance, Luxury fashion. Interesting" she nodded her head.    The Program finally began. The host welcomed everyone and introduced the day's speakers. The first discussion focused on the growth of the fashion industry. Different designers spoke about their experiences. Some discussed luxury fashion, others talked about technology, and another speaker discussed the importance of taking fashion to the international market.    Anne listened carefully. Fashion wasn't just a hobby for her, it was her business, she was a designer herself, and she had built her small brand from the ground up so when the discussion turned toward the future of fashion, she became even more interested. One of the panelists leaned toward the microphone.    "How do we expand the fashion industry beyond what we already have?"    A man on the panel answered first  "We need stronger international partnerships if emerging designers want to enter larger market, they need access to the right networks".   Another speaker shook her head    "Partnerships alone aren't enough. We need technology. The way customers discover, purchase and experience fashion is changing rapidly" The discussion continued.    Different opinions began coming from different parts of the hall. Some people talked about digital fashion, others discussed luxury retail, global marketing, social media influence and the importance of building recognizable brands. Then one of the speakers made a statement that caught Anne's attention. "If we want the next generation of fashion brands to compete globally, we have to stop thinking small." Anne leaned slightly forward "Exactly".    The moderator then opened the floor for contributions, several hands went up, a few people spoke. Then the moderator looked toward the front section. His eyes stopped on Anne    "You ma'am"   Anne looked around, wondering who he was talking to. The moderation smiled,    "yes, you. We'd like to hear your opinion."    Anne slowly stood. She adjusted her dress, picked up the microphone and faced the audience    "I believe we're looking at the problem from the wrong direction."    The room became quiet. She continued    "Everyone keeps asking how emerging fashion brands can become global, but we're still designing and marketing as if we need permission from bigger brands before we can be taken seriously."    Several people nodded. Anne became more confident    "We don't need to copy brands that already dominate the luxry market. We need to create something unique enough that people will come looking for us".   A few people applauded. She continued     "Luxury isn't just about expensive fabric or a famous logo. It's about presentation. It's about craftsmanship. It's about story behind the brand and the experience you give the customer. She paused briefly   "People should see your product and immediately understand what your brand represents."    The room became even quieter. Anne glanced briefly around the hall    "And if we want to build brands that can compete internationally, we have to stop thinking only about making beautiful clothes." She tightened her grip slightly around the microphone    "We have to think about the entire business". A few people nodded.    "The design, the packaging, the marketing, the customer experience, the image, the strategy" she paused    "Because a beautiful dress can make someone look good for one night." Her eyes moved across the room    "But a powerful brand can make people remember you for years. For a moment, nobody said anything then the applause began.    Anne smiled politely, she handed the microphone back to the moderator and stepped away from the stage. As she walked back toward her seat, she noticed several people looking at her. But there was one person whose attention she didn't realize she had completely captured. Lucas Sterling    His expression remained unreadable but his eyes followed Anne until she sat down, he had heard hundreds of people speak about fashion, most of them talked about trends, some talked about money others talked about becoming famous but Anne talked about building something. And for the first time that afternoon, Lucas leaned slightly forward in his chair. He was interested, he just didn't know why yet. And Anne? She had absolutely no idea that the billionaire sitting a few seats away had just started paying attention to her.