"Victim," I repeated slowly, as though the word tasted bitter in my mouth.
"Yes, victim," Liana reaffirmed with a calm face, as if that settled everything.
I couldn’t help the scoff that escaped my lips. My fists clenched at my sides.
"What are you trying to say, Ms. Liana?" I asked, my voice shaking now .... a mix of confusion, frustration, and the fury building in my chest. "Are you saying I should just believe that Mara is innocent? After everything that’s happened?"
My head spun. My hands clenched into fists on my lap. "But that’s not true," I whispered, then repeated louder. "That’s not true! I have proof. Real proof. Olivia tracked the account and the phone location. It all leads back to Mara."
Liana leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. "Emily, I’m not saying I fully believe Mara. That’s why this investigation is ongoing. But
“What are you saying, Olivia?” I asked again, this time more forcefully. I yanked the phone off speaker and pressed it hard against my ear, my fingers trembling slightly.Olivia’s voice was firm, but calm, as always.“Celeste was released two weeks ago.”I blinked, stunned. “What?”“No one knew,” Olivia continued. “Everyone was so focused on the Sinclair trial. The media, the justice system, the people, everyone. That was when they slid Celeste out.”My heart slammed against my ribcage.I stared blankly through the windshield as her words settled in my brain like a growing thunderstorm. I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. “Why didn’t I know? How did I miss something this huge?”“I’m curious about that too, Emily,” Olivia admitted
I stood motionless for a moment, staring at my phone like it was a bomb that had just gone off in my hand. My heart beat like a war drum against my ribcage as the reality of what I had just heard sank in.Victoria Hale.That voice was unmistakable. Cold, venomous, and tinged with a twisted kind of amusement. The type of amusement that came from watching the world burn and being the one holding the match.I bent slowly, my hand trembling slightly as I picked the phone off the floor.“Victoria Hale,” I said aloud, more to myself than anyone else. There was still disbelief in my voice. I needed to hear her name, to confirm that it had truly been her.“I guess you still remember my voice,” she said, her voice dripping like poisoned honey. “How are you and that bitch fairing?”I scoffed bitterly, rolling my eyes. Some things nev
EMILY’S POV“Shouldn’t the question be the other way around?” Mara asked coolly, folding her arms over her chest, her tone like ice measured, cutting, and unapologetically sharp. “Like, what’s your so-called husband that’s not even your husband yet doing with Emily?”The silence in the room thickened.Camille’s expression twitched, just barely. Her lips parted like she had something clever to say, but nothing came out immediately. Her gaze dropped from Mara’s piercing eyes to the floor for a beat then lifted with a slow, venomous glare. She looked Mara up and down like she was trying to pick her apart, as though she could size up her confidence and dismantle it with one swipe of her designer-clad presence.But Mara didn’t flinch. Her posture was steady, her chin lifted, the kind of woman who had been through too much to cower under hee
EMILY'S POV“So, can we start with your designs?” I asked, walking over to the low center table in my workspace. The overhead pendant light cast a soft golden glow, making the room feel warm despite the tension from the earlier visit from Daniel still lingering in my mind.Mara nodded quickly, as if trying to shake off the excitement and disbelief that lingered from our previous conversation.“Sorry,” she began, her tone apologetic yet laced with disbelief. “I got carried away with what you had told me about Daniel. Geez, I can’t believe you dated that dickhead. Ethan is better than him but colder than him.” She rolled her eyes with exaggerated flair when she said “dickhead,” making me chuckle at her.What a dramatic girl.“It’s fine. It’s understandable,” I replied, shrugging lightly as I settled besid
EMILY'S POV"Meet Daniel Sinclair, my client," I said calmly, gesturing slightly toward Daniel, who stood beside me with his usual air of unbothered elegance. Mara stared at him, wide-eyed, her mouth slightly parted as if the name had struck a chord.Daniel remained still, arms at his sides, expression unreadable."I'm Mara, nice to meet you," Mara finally said, snapping out of her momentary daze. She reached out her right hand politely, offering him a handshake.I held my breath.Daniel glanced at me, a flicker of hesitation dancing in his eyes. He looked at Mara’s outstretched hand like it was a test or maybe a trap and then slowly, with mechanical deliberation, he reached out and shook it. Briefly. Lightly. Like he was touching something delicate or contaminated.My eyes widened, but I quickly masked the reaction behind a composed smile. Internally,
EMILY’S POVThe drive back home was easy. The sky glowed pink at dusk and the street lamps stretched their light across empty sidewalks. My mind kept drifting back to last night: Ethan and I making our at my workspace. It was so naughty, so perfect. I held onto the memory like a lifeline because for the first time in a while, I didn’t feel second-guessed or complicated around him. I was just Emily, and he was just him. We had sex with raw emotions, strong desires.Pulling into our driveway felt strange and wonderful, I've never felt like there was a "our" before. I unlocked the door, kicked off my shoes, and let my coat fall to the floor. I collapsed on the sofa and closed my eyes.“Yesterday was awesome,” I whispered to myself. The tension in my shoulders eased as a smile grew across my face. Maybe he really was telling the truth: nothing going on with Denise.I