Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 7

The champagne shone under the chandelier’s light, catching the glow as Sophia raised her glass. Around her, Manhattan’s finest swirled in designer gowns and tailored tuxedos, their laughter blending into a polished, practiced symphony she used to find intoxicating."To another successful year at Blackwood Media," Richard declared, one hand firmly on her waist. His grin was perfect, the kind that made stockholders trust him and strangers envy her. "And to my beautiful wife, who makes it all worthwhile."Applause echoed through the room. Sophia smiled, though it felt unatural like everything about her role as Mrs. Richard Blackwood."You’re so lucky," Margaret Worthington murmured at her side, eyes bright with envy. "Richard is absolutely devoted to you.""We’re devoted to each other," Sophia replied, the words slipping out automatically. It was what she knew by heart, the gracious wife, the flawless hostess, the woman who seemed to have it all. So why did it feel like she was disappear

Sophia sat in her car outside Blackwood Media, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. The clock read 2:15 PM. Jessica left Café Luna at 1:47, and Richard’s “meeting” had been moved to 2:00.The math was simple. Devastatingly simple.She hadn’t thought, just followed her instinct to find the truth. Now, staring at the tall tower, it felt like she was on the edgeBut she had to know.The lobby was marble and chrome, meant to impress. The security guard hardly glanced at her—Mrs. Blackwood had privileges. The elevator ride to the fortieth floor felt endless, each ding counting down to something bad.Richard’s secretary wasn’t at her desk. On Thursdays, Margaret left early for yoga. The executive floor was quiet. Sophia’s heels clicked on the polished floor as she walked toward Richard’s office.The door was slightly ajar. Voices filtered through—low, intimate murmurs that made her stomach twist.“God, I’ve missed you,” Richard said, his voice thick with something she hadn’t heard in m

Sophia’s hands shook as she shoved the papers back into the folder. Her knuckles ached from holding the fake death certificate, her own, but she managed to put everything roughly in place just as Richard stepped into the doorway.“Sophia?” His voice was calm, almost casual, but his sharp eyes betrayed suspicion as they scanned the desk—and her.Think. Act normal. Play the naive wife he expected.“I was looking for some aspirin,” she said, surprised her voice sounded steady. “I have a headache after coffee with Jessica and thought you might have some in your desk.”Richard’s eyes stayed on the folder, and her heart nearly stopped. Had she put it back right? Could he tell she’d moved it?“Aspirin?” He stepped closer, his cologne strong and expensive. But underneath it, she smelled something else—Jessica. His betrayal was everywhere. “There’s a whole medicine cabinet in the bathroom, darling.”“I know, but I was already here, and I thought…” She trailed off, slipping into the helpless-wi

Sophia stepped back from the door, breathing fast. The man in the suit stayed in the hallway, out of sight but close, pressing on her like a weight she couldn’t shake.“Just rest, Mrs. Blackwood,” he said, calm and polite, but with a sharp edge that made her shiver. “The doctor said so.”Doctor’s orders. The words repeated in her mind, heavy and sharp. Dr. Morrison a man she had never met already had the power to tell her what she could or couldn’t do.She pressed against the cool marble wall, trying to slow her racing heart. The penthouse, once a place she loved, now felt like a prison. The marble floors, the huge windows showing the city lights, the expensive artwork Richard had chosen all of it felt like a trap. The beauty she once admired now felt like a cage.Had he been here the whole time? Was Richard’s “security” set up weeks ago while she never noticed? Or was this sudden, triggered by something she couldn’t see?Her hands trembled as she reached the window. Forty floors down