Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains of the Vance estate, casting long, elegant shadows across the imported Italian marble floors. Clara Vance sat at the kitchen island, a picture of domestic tranquility in her cashmere cardigan and soft linen trousers. To any outside obser
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Four days later, the illusion of Julian Vance’s invincibility shattered in the middle of Clara’s living room.
It was a Tuesday afternoon. Clara was curled up on the plush velvet sofa, calmly reading a book on advanced algorithmic theory hidden behind a dust jacket for a romance novel. T
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Clara Vance stood before the full-length mirror in her master bedroom, critically evaluating her reflection. She needed to look precisely like the woman Sloane Mercer thought she was: soft, dependent, and entirely unremarkable.
She opted for a high-necked, pastel-pink chiffon dress. It