Chapter 2

Cordelia walked into the mahogany-paneled library. Her hand shook slightly as she pushed the heavy double doors shut.

She turned the brass lock. A sharp click echoed in the quiet room. No one, especially Julian, could interrupt her now.

She leaned her back against the solid wood. She closed her eyes. A single tear, heavy with the residual grief for the unborn child she lost in her past life, slipped down her cheek.

She quickly wiped it away. Her expression hardened.

She walked over to the massive oak desk in the center of the room. She sat down in Julian's leather chair. She reached down and opened the bottom drawer.

She pulled out a heavy, fireproof lockbox. It contained her pre-marital assets and legal documents.

She inputted the code. Her fingers moved mechanically. Her mind flashed back to the freezing delivery room. She saw Julian's signature on the medical release form, condemning her to death.

The lockbox clicked open.

Inside lay the deeds to the Manhattan penthouses and the Hamptons estate her grandfather had left her.

Cordelia began sorting through the thick stacks of paper. She made mental notes of which properties Julian had secretly leveraged for the Astor group in her previous life.

A soft knock sounded at the library door.

"Julian..." Ava's sickeningly sweet, timid voice called out from the hallway. "Cordelia said she had a migraine earlier. I brewed some chamomile tea to show my gratitude... Should we check on her?"

Cordelia froze. Her fingers tightened around a property deed, crinkling the thick paper. She suppressed a violent urge to rip the door open and scream at the woman who ruined her life.

Cordelia remained dead silent. She stared at the locked door. She refused to give the manipulator the satisfaction of an audience.

Outside, the hallway was quiet for a few seconds.

Then, a loud crash shattered the silence.

Ava intentionally dropped the porcelain teacup. It shattered loudly against the hardwood floor.

Ava let out a pathetic, dramatic gasp. She immediately started to sob.

Heavy footsteps quickly approached down the hallway.

"Ava? Are you hurt?" Julian's voice rang out, laced with deep concern. He completely ignored the locked library door.

"I'm sorry," Ava whimpered. "I was just trying to be nice to Cordelia. I got startled and dropped the tray."

Julian knocked aggressively on the library door.

"Cordelia! Open this door," Julian demanded. "Stop acting like a child."

Cordelia calmly placed the documents back into the lockbox. She locked it and shoved it back into the drawer. Her face was devoid of any emotion.

She walked to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open abruptly.

Julian had his fist raised, ready to pound on the wood again. He stumbled forward slightly.

Cordelia looked down at the shattered porcelain and the spilled tea staining the floor. Then, she shifted her cold gaze to Ava's fake, tear-streaked face.

"This is unacceptable, Cordelia," Julian scolded. His jaw was tight. "You are making her feel unwelcome in our home."

"The cleaning staff is paid to handle messes, Julian," Cordelia cut him off mid-sentence. Her voice was flat. "I am not."

She stepped right over the broken glass with her designer heels. She didn't spare Ava a second glance.

Julian grabbed her arm as she passed him. His grip was tight. His eyes searched hers, desperate to find the jealousy he expected to see.

Cordelia looked down at his large hand gripping her navy sleeve. A wave of mild disgust washed over her face.

She pulled her arm free with a sharp, violent jerk.

"Don't touch me," Cordelia said. "The smell on you makes me absolutely sick."

Julian recoiled. He physically took a step back. He was genuinely shocked by her physical rejection and the venomous, unyielding disgust in her eyes. He had just come from the private clinic with Ava and felt a sudden, irrational flash of paranoia that she somehow knew.

Ava bit her lip. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She realized Cordelia was not playing the typical, hysterical jealous wife role.

Cordelia turned and walked toward the grand staircase.

"Keep the noise down," Cordelia tossed casually over her shoulder. "I have important calls to make."

She left them standing in the hallway, staring at her back as she ascended the stairs.