A few days later, the city glittered under the weight of another exclusive event—a high-society gala and charity auction that drew only the wealthiest, the most connected, and the most enviable people.
Lina, of course, was not invited. She never was. Not publicly, at least.
She had always been the shadow behind Christian—hidden, erased, unacknowledged. But this time, she wasn't going to sit back quietly.
This time, she had a plan.
The final push came from Stacey, as usual. That woman had a remarkable talent for cruelty wrapped in polished smiles.
Lina's phone buzzed all day—videos of Stacey spinning in front of the mirror in a designer gown, close-up shots of glittering jewelry with captions like "Christian picked this one himself. It's my favorite."
And then, the final dagger—a photo of Stacey on Christian's arm, both of them stepping into the gala with flashes of cameras bouncing off their perfectly curated image.
