Chapter 3

Clara's message was a declaration of war. She thought she was untouchable, hidden away in her gilded cage. She didn't know I had the key.

I needed to get inside that house one more time, not just for evidence, but to see the truth with my own eyes, to hear it from their own mouths, unfiltered. The flash drive had the what, but I needed the why.

Bribing a servant was the obvious choice. I reviewed the financial records I'd copied. Clara's household staff was paid through the shell corporation, but one name stood out-a cleaning service that was paid a surprisingly low, flat monthly fee. A company that likely underpaid its workers. I found their website and the name of the manager. A few thousand dollars, transferred from a burner account, was all it took to get me a uniform and a spot on the next day's cleaning crew for the mansion.

The next afternoon, I pulled up to the service entrance in a nondescript van with three other women. I wore a plain blue uniform, a baseball cap pulled low, and a disposable face mask. I kept my head down and my mouth shut.

The housekeeper, a tired-looking woman named Maria, let us in. She barely glanced at me. "Upstairs bedrooms and the master suite. Be quick. Mrs. Reese doesn't like to be disturbed."

I was assigned to the master suite. The room was enormous, with a stunning view of the city. But I wasn't interested in the view. I was interested in the life they had built here. On the bedside table was a silver frame. It held a picture of Julian and Clara in what looked like wedding attire. They weren't officially married, of course-Julian was engaged to me. This was a lie within a lie, a ceremony just for them, a fantasy they lived out in secret.

I moved through the house, cleaning mechanically, my eyes scanning everything. The walls were covered in family portraits. Theo on a pony. Clara and Julian laughing on a boat. My father, Richard Sterling, a renowned architect, had designed this house. My mother, Eleanor Sterling, a high-society philanthropist, had decorated it. Her signature taste was everywhere.

I found Maria in the kitchen, wiping down the counters. I kept my voice low and disguised. "It's a beautiful home. They seem like a very happy family."

Maria sighed, not looking at me. "They are. Mr. Thorne adores that boy. And Mr. Sterling... he's here more than he's at his own home. Taught little Theo how to draw. Says the boy has his talent."

The words were a physical blow. My father had never offered to teach me anything. I had begged him to teach me calligraphy, his passion, but he always said he was too busy. He wasn't too busy for Theo.

"And Mrs. Sterling?" I asked, my voice tight.

"Oh, she spoils Clara rotten," Maria said, shaking her head. "Brings her new jewelry every week. Says Clara is the daughter she always wanted, so spirited and strong. Not like Miss Aurora, always so gloomy and complaining about expenses."

The daughter she always wanted. Not me. Not the real daughter who had spent years dreaming of a mother's love. They complained about my normal expenses, not knowing that the allowance they claimed to send me each month was being intercepted by Clara, never reaching my account.

My stomach churned. I had to get out of there. As I turned to leave the kitchen, I heard the sound of a car in the driveway. A sleek black sedan. Julian's car.

"They're home early!" Maria hissed, her eyes wide with panic. "Quick, hide! In the pantry! They can't see you here after hours."

She shoved me into the dark, narrow pantry just as the back door opened. I pressed myself against the shelves, my heart pounding against my ribs. Through the slatted door, I could see them. Julian, Clara, and Theo.

Theo was crying. "But I wanted the blue one!"

"I know, sweetie, I know," Clara cooed, stroking his hair. "Daddy will get you the blue one tomorrow, won't you, Daddy?"

"Of course," Julian said. He knelt down and looked at Clara, his face etched with concern. "Are you okay, though? You looked pale at the store."

"I'm fine," Clara said, but her voice was weary. "Just tired. It's hard, Julian. Always pretending, always having to accommodate Aurora's feelings now that she's back. It's all so difficult."

My breath caught in my throat.

Julian stood up and pulled Clara into his arms. He kissed her forehead. "I know, my love. I know it's not fair to you. But we have to be careful. Aurora just got back, she's sensitive. I just need to spend more time with you and Theo, that's all. She'll get used to it. She's just overreacting."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Really," he said, his voice a low, intimate vow. "You and Theo are my entire world. Aurora... she just needs to learn to adapt."

Learn to adapt.

The words echoed in the silent pantry. That's all I was to him. A problem that needed to "adapt" to his preference for another. The love, the engagement, our entire life together-it was just a performance where I was expected to accept my supporting role.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the bile that rose in my throat. I had all the proof I needed. I had the photos, the bank statements, and now, the raw, undeniable truth from his own lips.

I waited until they moved into the living room, their laughter echoing down the hall. I slipped out of the pantry, nodded a silent thank you to a terrified-looking Maria, and walked out the service door without a backward glance.

As I was rounding the corner of the house, heading for the street, Clara stepped out onto the patio for a phone call. She saw me. Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition in them even with my disguise. She didn't know who I was, but she knew I didn't belong.

"Hey, you!" she called out. "What are you still doing here?"

I didn't answer. I just picked up my pace, my heart hammering. I couldn't let her see my face. Not yet. The game wasn't over. It had just begun.