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Chapter 4 - The Fiancee’s Golden Mask

By 8:00 AM, the storm had cleared, leaving the Manhattan skyline glistening under a crisp autumn sun.

In the executive recovery suite of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, my mother was resting comfortably in a motorized orthopedic bed, her vital signs stable, prepped for surgery under the personal care of Dr. Bennett. Caleb sat beside her in a soft leather armchair, eating a hot breakfast that Dominic’s private driver had delivered.

Back at the Park Avenue penthouse, the double private elevator doors chimed.

Evelyn Ashford strode into the foyer, wearing a custom ivory Dior trench coat, diamond stud earrings, and five-inch Louboutin heels. Her platinum blonde hair was styled in an untouchable chignon, and a five-carat emerald-cut diamond ring glittered on her left hand.

“Dominic, darling!” Evelyn called out with an affectionate, performative purr. “I took the early helicopter from Newport. The wedding planner from Vogue is waiting downstairs to review the seating chart for the Pierre Hotel—”

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Standing in the center of the living room was Dominic Mercer, dressed in a bespoke charcoal-grey three-piece suit, sipping black coffee.

Standing beside him was me, wearing a simple, elegant navy silk blouse and tailored slacks that Dominic’s assistant had arranged for me that morning.

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed into slits of venomous disgust.

“What is this filthy servant doing in your penthouse, Dominic?” Evelyn sneered, waving her manicured hand dismissively. “I specifically fired this girl three weeks ago after she shattered my crystal vase and attempted to steal my Cartier bracelet.”

Dominic took a slow sip of coffee, setting the porcelain cup on the marble console with a quiet, ominous clink.

“Is that so, Evelyn?” Dominic asked, his tone deceptively mild.

“Yes!” Evelyn snapped, crossing her arms. “She’s a gutter rat from Queens. She’s been trespassing and squatting in your service quarters! Have building security drag her out in handcuffs!”

Dominic didn't raise his voice. He tapped the remote on the conference table.

The sixty-five-inch high-definition display on the wall illuminated.

Displayed in crystal-clear 4K resolution was the synchronized security feed from the penthouse reception three weeks ago:

Evelyn, drunk on champagne, accidentally knocking the crystal sculpture off the pedestal with her own elbow.

Evelyn threatening Grace: “If you tell Mr. Mercer, I’ll have you blacklisted and thrown out of your apartment.”

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And the recorded phone audio of Evelyn calling the building superintendent of Grace’s apartment complex, ordering her immediate illegal eviction under threat of terminating the Ashford corporate property lease.

Evelyn’s face turned an ashen shade of grey. Her breath caught in her throat.

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