Chapter 13

The progress bar on my computer screen glowed a steady, clinical blue. *78% Complete.*

I sat at the expansive oak desk in my corner office at Thorne & Vance, watching years of my intellectual property, personal design iterations, and private correspondence vanish into the digital ether

Chapter 14

The dining table was set with a precision that bordered on theatrical. Julian had pulled out the heavy linen napkins we had received as an engagement gift but never used. Two tall, white taper candles flickered in the center of the table, casting dancing shadows against the floor-to-ceil

Chapter 15

Before I walked out that door for the last time, my hand stalled on the cool brass of the front doorknob. The apartment was entirely silent behind me. I had grabbed my trench coat and my leather tote. I had left the envelope containing Julian’s grand, desperate illusion sitting untouched