The night air in the villa was heavy with perfume and bitterness, clinging to the velvet drapes and polished marble floors. Clarissa sat before her vanity, brushing her glossy chestnut hair in long, deliberate strokes, each pull harsher than the last. The silver-backed brush caught in her curls, but she yanked it through with more force, as if each tug was a punishment for the reflection staring back at her.Her reflection shimmered in the mirror, beautiful, flawless, but burning with controlled rage.“She thinks she’s clever,” Clarissa muttered under her breath, snapping the brush down onto the table so hard that the crystal perfume bottles trembled. “Running off, hiding, and then resurfacing in New York of all places, beside a billionaire. It’s laughable. Absolutely laughable.”Behind her, the faint sound of liquid pouring broke the silence. Cynthia, poised like royalty on the chaise lounge, swirled red wine in a crystal glass, her manicured nails gleaming in the lamplight. She lift
Last Updated : 2025-08-28 Read more