Chapter 4 4

The penthouse was silent. It was a museum of a marriage, cold and curated. Florence stood in the walk-in closet, staring at an open duffel bag.

She threw in a silk blouse. A pair of jeans. Her passport.

She needed to run. Now. Before the pregnancy showed. Before she became a prisoner in her own body.

Her hand brushed against a framed photo on the dresser. It was her and Garnett on their wedding day. He was smiling. She looked adoring.

She grabbed the photo and threw it into the trash can. The glass didn't break, just landed with a dull thud.

Her phone rang again. Denese Livingston.

Florence stared at the screen. Her mother-in-law. The woman who looked at Florence like she was a stain on the carpet.

She let it ring three times before answering.

"Hello, Denese."

"Where are you?" Denese didn't believe in greetings. Her voice was sharp, like breaking glass.

"I'm at the apartment," Florence said.

"Get to the Estate," Denese commanded. "Immediately. Garnett told us the good news. We are having a family dinner tonight."

"I'm not feeling well," Florence said. "I think I'll stay in."

"Don't be dramatic," Denese snapped. "Grandame Hattie is asking for you. Do you want to disappoint her?"

Florence hesitated. Hattie.

The old woman was the only person in the Livingston family who had ever shown Florence kindness. Hattie had defended her when the Boone family cut her off. Hattie had held her hand when the first IVF failed.

If Florence ran now, she would never see Hattie again. And she needed allies. She needed money. She needed time.

"Fine," Florence said, her voice tight. "I'll be there in an hour."

She hung up. She looked at the duffel bag.

Running was cowardly. Running was what the old Florence would do.

She shoved the bag to the back of the closet, behind the winter coats.

She went into the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face. She looked at her reflection. She looked tired. Weak.

She opened her makeup drawer. She bypassed the nude lipsticks Garnett preferred. She grabbed a tube of deep, blood-red crimson.

She applied it with precision. It was armor. It was a warning.

She chose a black dress. It was sleek, severe. It looked like mourning clothes, but it fit like a glove.

When she walked out of the apartment building, the driver was waiting.

The ride to the Livingston Estate was long. Florence watched the city give way to manicured lawns and high iron gates.

Her phone buzzed. A text from her brother, Angelo.

Heard you're pregnant. Stay out of trouble. The Livingstons aren't a family you can afford to cross.

Florence laughed, a short, bitter sound. She deleted the message. Her family was dead to her.

The car pulled up the long driveway. The Estate loomed ahead, a massive stone beast against the twilight sky.

She saw them on the front steps.

Denese was there, wearing pearls and a scowl. Her daughter, Blossom, stood next to her, looking bored.

Garnett's car was already there. He was standing beside his mother, a portrait of the dutiful son.

Florence felt the rage ignite in her chest. It wasn't a flicker; it was an inferno.

He was celebrating the news of his heir with the very people who despised her, acting as if nothing was wrong.

It was a power move. A humiliation.

Florence opened her own car door. She didn't wait for the driver.

She stepped onto the gravel. She straightened her spine. She lifted her chin.

She walked toward them, her red lips curved into a dangerous smile.