CLAIRE

"That's up to you," Julian said carefully. "Legally you're Claire Cross, but you can use whatever name you want professionally."

I thought about it, about what each name represented. Whitmore was my father's name, the man who'd disowned me. Cross was Julian's name, given to me through a contract marriage built on revenge, neither felt entirely like mine.

"Maybe just Claire," I said finally. "No last name. Just Claire."

Julian's eyebrows raised slightly.

"Just Claire?" he repeated.

"Why not?" I said, warming to the idea. "It's simple, memorable, personal. The clothes aren't about my family or my history. They're about moving forward."

"I like it," Julian said with a...