Lily stood in front of the gleaming windows of Fifth Avenue, the iconic streetlights illuminating the storefronts. It was 1994, and Manhattan had never felt more alive, its buzz coursing through the chilly autumn air.

The reflection staring back at her was one she was still getting used to: a young woman with sleek hair pinned back, wearing a tailored black coat and heels she could barely afford. Behind her, towering buildings loomed as if mocking her ambition, but all Lily could focus on was the life she imagined lay just beyond the glass.