Chapter 1

A violent spike of pain drove into the base of Clara's skull.

Her fingers dug into the edge of the vintage leather sofa. Her knuckles turned white. The sheer volume of memories from a sudden, terrifyingly vivid vision of an alternate timeline forced their way into her nervous system. Every fragmented image was accompanied by a visceral sensation-the smell of sterile hospital rooms, the agonizing sting of betrayal, the cold emptiness of dying alone. The sensory overload spiked her heart rate, making her chest heave as her brain desperately tried to process a lifetime of pain in a matter of seconds. Her stomach pitched. The physical weight of her own body felt foreign, heavy, and entirely wrong.

Before the nausea could recede, a low, suppressed sob echoed across the expansive living room.

The sound was manufactured. It grated against Clara's eardrums.

Across the Persian rug, Eleanor Price slammed the silver tip of her cane into the floor. The heavy thud was designed to crush the fake heiress into submission.

Clara slowly lifted her head.

The fear that usually clouded her eyes was gone. Instead, her gaze was a sheet of solid ice, slicing straight toward the two women on the opposite couch.

Bria's breath hitched. The unfamiliar, lethal look in Clara's eyes made her physically recoil. She shrank closer to Eleanor's side, seeking cover.

Eleanor's brow furrowed. She hated the direct eye contact.

"You will call Preston," Eleanor ordered, her voice cold and absolute. "You will cancel the engagement yourself."

"I don't want to ruin my sister's happiness," Bria whimpered, her face twisted in a mask of perfect pity. Every word was a calculated reminder that Clara was nothing but a fraud.

Clara didn't panic. She didn't beg.

She let out a short, breathy laugh.

The sound froze the air in the room.

Eleanor's face turned a mottled purple. She opened her mouth to scream, but Clara simply raised her left hand.

Her fingers didn't tremble. She pinched the five-carat pink diamond engagement ring resting on her ring finger.

The metal was tight. Clara gave it a hard yank. The skin around her knuckle turned red, but her expression remained completely dead.

Bria's eyes widened in shock.

Clara tossed the multi-million-dollar ring into the air.

It arced perfectly and slammed onto the marble coffee table right in front of Eleanor.

Clack.

The sharp sound echoed off the high ceilings. The diamond caught the chandelier's light, blindingly bright. Eleanor jerked backward, her chest heaving.

Clara stood up. She looked down at them.

"The engagement is off."

Bria's mouth fell open. The venomous speech she had prepared died in her throat. Her face flushed a deep, angry red.

"You ungrateful, classless wretch!" Eleanor shrieked, her hands shaking on her cane.

Clara ignored the old woman's tantrum. She brushed a nonexistent piece of lint off her skirt. Her movements were fluid and entirely unbothered.

Bria couldn't handle the dismissal. She lunged upward, reaching out to grab Clara's wrist.

Muscle memory from those visceral, hyper-realistic visions kicked in instantly. The phantom feeling of countless hours of brutal, life-or-death struggles surged through her veins, overriding her current physical weakness. Clara shifted her weight and pivoted her shoulder.

Bria's hand grasped empty air. Her momentum carried her forward. She lost her balance and crashed hard against the edge of the marble table.

Her elbow clipped a coffee cup. Dark brown liquid splashed across the front of Bria's pristine white couture dress.

Bria let out a high-pitched scream. She frantically clawed at the spreading stain.

"Stop her!" Eleanor yelled.

Footsteps pounded against the hardwood floors as maids rushed into the room.

Clara watched the chaos with zero empathy. She turned her back and walked toward the exit.

The butler stood by the doorway. He stepped forward on instinct, but Clara shot him a glare so oppressive that he immediately backed away.

Clara walked through the entrance. She grabbed the heavy brass handles of the double oak doors and pulled them shut behind her.

Bang.

The heavy wood sealed off the screaming. The silence was instant.

Clara stood on the front steps. She inhaled the crisp, cold New York autumn air.

She tilted her head back and looked up at the second-floor window. It was time to pack her bags.