Two hours after Julian left the house, Clara’s packing was complete.

It hadn't taken long. She didn't want the expensive, soulless art Julian had purchased to impress his investor friends. She didn't want the designer furniture or the imported rugs. She had packed exactly two Louis Vuitton duffel

The town car glided seamlessly through the bustling downtown traffic, the tinted windows offering Clara a muted view of the city she was about to conquer. The adrenaline that had surged through her veins when the heavy mahogany doors of her former home slammed shut on Sloane was beginning to level o

The Sterling Acquisition Gala was the crown jewel of the tech industry’s social calendar, a massive, opulent affair held in the grand ballroom of the city’s most prestigious hotel. It was a night of champagne, high-stakes networking, and corporate pageantry. Tonight, it was meant to be Julian Vance’