Chapter 3 No.3

Three days later, the war was still cold, but the atmosphere in the house was suffocating.

Julian was barely home. When he was, he treated Vesper like a piece of furniture that had been placed in an inconvenient spot.

"Thanksgiving," Julian announced over a breakfast Vesper hadn't touched. He didn't look up from his tablet. "Mother expects us at the Hamptons estate."

Vesper gripped her coffee mug. "I thought we were skipping it this year."

"Change of plans," Julian said, his voice tight. "Damon is back."

The name landed on the table like a dead bird.

Damon Sterling. The eldest brother. The head of the family trust. The man Julian was terrified of.

"I thought he was in Europe," Vesper said.

"He was. Now he's not. And when Damon summons, we go. It's mandatory for the trust disbursement." Julian looked at her then, his eyes critical. "Wear the ring. The sapphire one. And try to look... happy. Damon smells weakness."

"He sounds like a monster," Vesper murmured.

"He is," Julian said, and for once, he looked honest. "He's a psychopath with a checkbook. Don't speak to him unless he asks you a direct question. And don't touch him. He has... issues."

Vesper went upstairs to dress. She chose a high-necked, long-sleeved dress in a severe navy blue. It felt like armor.

She sat at her vanity, opening her jewelry box. Her fingers brushed over the velvet slots.

She paused.

Her diamond earrings. The solitaire studs she wore every day.

One was there. The other was missing.

Vesper's heart hammered against her ribs. She frantically emptied the small box onto the marble countertop. Necklaces, bracelets, rings clattered out.

No earring.

She checked the carpet. She checked her purse. She checked the bathroom floor.

It was gone.

A cold dread settled in her stomach. She must have lost it at the hotel.

If someone found it... no, it was just a diamond stud. It wasn't personalized. It couldn't be traced back to her. Could it?

But if Julian noticed it was missing, he would ask questions. He knew every piece of jewelry he had bought her-not out of sentiment, but out of inventory management.

"Vesper!" Julian shouted from the foyer. "We're leaving!"

She quickly grabbed a pair of pearl drops instead, shoving the lone diamond stud deep into a drawer. She slid the heavy sapphire ring onto her finger. It felt cold and heavy, like a shackle.

She walked downstairs to meet her husband, her mind racing with anxiety, unaware she was walking straight into the lion's den.