The atmosphere inside *L’Éclipse*, the city’s most exclusive French restaurant, was designed to foster intimacy. The lighting was low, casting a golden, candlelit glow over the white linen tablecloths. Soft jazz drifted from a grand piano in the corner. It was the kind of place where a man brought h

The waiter had scarcely cleared their dinner plates before Julian’s phone buzzed again. He didn't answer it, but his eyes darted to the screen with the frantic, trapped energy of a cornered animal. The facade of the relaxed, in-control husband was dissolving by the second.

Clara sat serenely, sippi

The sprawling marital estate Julian had insisted on buying—with her family’s money—was completely silent. It was 2:00 AM. Outside the massive bay windows of the designer kitchen, the city skyline glittered like a scattering of diamonds against the dark velvet of the night.

Clara sat on one of the h