The relentless downpour battered the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Vance estate, the storm outside mirroring the sudden, suffocating tension within the sprawling mansion.

Julian Vance stood in the center of his lavishly appointed study, staring at the mahogany door Clara had walked out of less t

Three months later.

The Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria was a sea of glittering diamonds, bespoke tuxedos, and the intoxicating hum of extreme wealth. It was the social event of the season in Los Angeles: Victor Thorne’s annual charity gala, a night where billionaires mingled, deals were stru