Chapter 3

The day after Diana moved in, the estate changed.

She didn't like the dark curtains, so Hughes had them replaced with off-white ones overnight.

She didn't like the look of the lawn, so she had the gardener tear it all out and plant imported roses instead.

That patch of lawn was where I'd grown tomatoes when I first moved in.

Victor had laughed at me for being such a country bumpkin.

But he still had a heated greenhouse built next to it, saying I could grow them in winter too.

Later, I gave him my first crop of tomatoes.

He took one bite, said it was too sour, and tossed it in the trash.

I was miserable all night.

Now, watching the gardener pull up the last tomato vine, I felt surprisingly calm.

Diana stood on the steps and asked me with a smile, "Ivy, you're not going to miss it, are you?"

"No."

I was leaving anyway.

Whether they planted roses here or dug graves, it had nothing to do with me.

That afternoon, Sister Mary called.

The money for the medical trust had arrived.

She was sobbing on the other end.

"Ivy, it's enough... Lord, it's really enough.

"What kind of job have you been doing in New York these five years? How could you send back so much money?"

I looked at the face in the mirror, the one that looked quite a bit like Diana's, and said softly, "I work on Wall Street.

"The guy I work for has more money than sense, and the pay's pretty good."

Sister Mary laughed and scolded me for being cheeky, then asked when I was coming back.

I looked at the suitcase I'd already packed.

"In three days.

"This time when I come back, I'm staying."

I'd just hung up when Victor walked in.

"Who's staying?"

I casually turned off the screen.

"The family doctor the orphanage hired. She signed a long-term contract, so she's staying."

He didn't ask any more questions. He just tossed a gold-edged invitation onto the table.

"Charity banquet tomorrow night. You're coming with me."

I glanced at it.

The gala was raising money for underprivileged children across the country.

What a coincidence.

I still had one last paycheck to put to use.

The next evening, I came downstairs in my gown.

When Victor saw me, he seemed lost for a moment.

He'd given me this dress five years ago.

That day, after a gang shootout, he'd gotten drunk, held me, and called me Diana.

When he woke up the next day, he probably felt guilty, so he had this couture gown sent over.

I'd worn it many times since.

Every time, he told me I looked beautiful in it.

But tonight, when Diana stepped out from behind him, she was wearing one that was almost exactly the same.

Victor quickly looked away.

"Diana's coming too."

I nodded.

"Then I won't go."

"Stop right there."

His voice dropped. "What's gotten into you?"

"The helicopter only seats two," I reminded him.

Diana took his arm and said softly, "Ivy, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not feeling well, so I wanted Victor with me.

"How about you take the car behind us?"

The car behind us was the van carrying the bodyguards and hired muscle.

Victor looked at me, clearly on board with her plan.

I suddenly thought back to five years ago.

The first time I went to a party with Victor, I was so nervous my palms were soaked with sweat.

He'd put me in the car and said coolly, "Stay close to me. Don't get lost."

So some people's promises had a shorter shelf life than yogurt.

I gathered up my skirt and walked toward the van.

"Okay."

At the banquet, Victor donated $30 million in Diana's name.

The whole room broke into thunderous applause.

The mayor joked with a smile.

"Don Amato, that's quite a donation. Should we expect good news soon?"

Diana blushed.

Victor didn't deny it.

The society crowd all turned to look at me.

Someone laughed under their breath. "Diana's practically made their relationship public. How can the stand-in still show her face here?"

"If I were her, I'd have crawled into a hole by now."

I sat in a corner and unlocked my phone.

I transferred the entire $2 million I'd just been paid that month into the orphanage's endowment account.

The moment my balance dropped to almost nothing, I let out a long breath.

What I owed the orphanage, I'd paid back.

And whatever foolish feelings I'd had for Victor, it was time for those to end too.

When the banquet ended, Victor left first with Diana.

Paolo came over to tell me.

"Ms. Rowan, Ms. Laurent is feeling a little dizzy. The Don asked me to arrange a driver to take you home."

I shook my head.

"No need."

It was pouring rain outside.

I stood alone at the hotel entrance in my thin gown.

A new post from Diana popped up on my phone.

In the photo, she was leaning on Victor's shoulder.

He was looking down, warming her hands.

The caption read, "Someone never lets a single drop of rain fall on me."

The wind blew the rain in and soaked the hem of my dress.

I looked at it for a few seconds, then hit like.

Then I rebooked my flight for early the next morning.