Chapter 3

Cassidy pushed through the heavy revolving doors of the luxury apartment building, the wheels of her suitcase clicking sharply against the pavement.

She pulled out her phone, opened the app, and ordered an Uber to Brooklyn.

A black sedan pulled up to the curb. She hoisted the heavy suitcase into the trunk herself, slammed it shut, and slid into the backseat.

As the car drove over the Brooklyn Bridge, Cassidy stared out the window. The glittering, opulent skyline of Manhattan-her gilded cage for seven years-was rapidly shrinking in the rearview mirror.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped in front of an old, weathered red-brick industrial building.

Cassidy dragged her suitcase through the dimly lit, narrow corridor until she reached the heavy metal door at the very end of the top floor.

She reached deep into the pocket of her trench coat and pulled out a slightly rusted brass key.

She slid the key into the lock. It turned with a heavy, satisfying clunk. She pushed the door open.

She hit the switch on the wall. A row of warm, industrial-style track lights flickered to life, illuminating the massive space.

It was a sprawling private studio. The air was thick with the comforting, dusty scent of raw fabric, machine oil, and aged pine wood.

In the center of the room stood several large dress forms, surrounded by high-end sewing machines and drafting tables covered in fabric swatches.

Cassidy walked straight to a heavy steel safe bolted into the corner of the room. Her fingers flew across the keypad, punching in a long, complex string of numbers with muscle memory.

The safe beeped and the heavy door popped open. She carefully reached inside and pulled out a sealed, waterproof document folder.

She unwound the string closure and tipped the contents onto the table.

A pristine, framed certificate slid out. It was her Ph. D. diploma in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Beneath the diploma lay a stack of original, limited-edition haute couture design sketches. At the bottom right corner of each page was a single, bold signature: Indigo.

She traced the fluid, aggressive lines of the dress designs with her fingertip. The dead, hollow look in her eyes slowly began to sharpen, replaced by a cold, brilliant clarity.

Cassidy walked over to the wooden workbench and flipped open the old, battered laptop she had brought from the penthouse.

The screen glowed to life. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, bypassing security protocols and logging directly into the internal OA system of the commercial bank where she held her "job."

She opened a new email window and began to draft a resignation letter.

She hit the keys hard. Every single keystroke was a physical blow, severing another tie to the pathetic, submissive life she had lived.

She didn't hesitate. She clicked send, instantly resigning from the useless tech support job Cornelius had arranged to keep her busy and harmless.

She slammed the laptop shut. She turned and looked at a faded photograph pinned to the brick wall.

It was a picture of her younger self, standing next to the legendary haute couture designer, Clemma Page. Her grand-aunt.

Cassidy pulled out her phone and scrolled down to a number she hadn't dialed in five years.

She opened the text thread and typed: Aunt Clemma. I've thought it through. I'm ready to come back.

Seven years ago, she had stubbornly refused her grand-aunt's help, desperate to prove she could build a perfect life on her own terms. Now, stripped of those naive illusions, she finally understood that some wars were not meant to be fought alone.

She stared at the glowing words for exactly three seconds. Then, she pressed send.

The sharp swoosh of the message sending echoed clearly in the quiet, cavernous studio.

Cassidy let out a long, shaky exhale. For the first time in seven years, the crushing weight on her chest vanished.

She walked over to the small, simple twin bed tucked in the corner of the studio and lay down fully clothed.

Breathing in the familiar scent of raw textiles and wood, she closed her eyes and, finally, felt entirely safe.