The Phantom Heiress: His Secret Obsession

r of the freezing, no

lumpy mattress. She reached inside and

ific flaw. The waistline was boxy, designed to fit a mannequin, not a human.

didn't feel panic. She felt the cold, clinical foc

out a pair of heavy, surgical-grade trauma shears. The blades were razo

o the bed and lai

e chalk. She

he shears sliced through the cheap pol

d the bulky, ruffled sleeves, turning th

shears straight up the back seam, splittin

pped them off the fabric. The dry glue snapped and popped. She tore off hundreds of them, lea

out a spool of thick, black silk ribbon sh

es. The cold air raised go

lue fabric over her head.

he black silk ribbon through the raw, cut edge

rotest, but the transfor

her ribs. The excess fabric gathered and draped over her hips, forcing th

ntique sapphire brooch George had given her. She pinned the massive, flawless gemstone directly over the raw knot of the black silk ribbon. The heavy, old-money opulence

e cracked mirror hang

c gave it a dark, deconstructed, avant-garde aesthetic. It looked like a piece of high-fash

e sink, splashed freezing water onto her face, and aggressively rubbed her

sted it into a messy, severe knot at the nape o

flat black leather loafers. No heels. She d

lroom was a sea of

rystal flute of champagne, laughing musically at a joke told by a state senator

taircase, Kelly

stel couture. "I bought it off a clearance rack next to a dumpster. It cost eighty-nine dollars. It

into vicious, high

in the corner hit a discord

doors at the top of the g

t was violently decapitated. A suffocating, dead si

ed out onto

ve the stairs cast a brilliant, bl

body like a second skin. The raw, deconstructed edges of the dress screamed high fashion. The

d arrogance radiating from her posture made the wom

d. The muscles in h

g directly onto her pristine white Chanel dress. She didn't even notice. She s

er throat. A physical jol

red, standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her with the exact same aristocratic

n-chief of a prominent New York fashion

"Look at the draping on that bodice. The raw-edge techniq

to walk dow

th a slow, predatory grace, her eyes locked dead ahead,

the crowd. His chest swelled. A massive, ov

ttom of the stairs a

ced, his voice booming with authority

olite, awestruck

rain. She couldn't let this happen. This was her night. This w

ggressively against the marble. She stopped

hrill laugh that sound

back of the room. "I cannot believe you actually wore it! You are so brave fo

use insta

changed sharp, calculating glances. The awe in thei

ve of dark relief washing over her. She

ith fake embarrassment. "We don't talk about price tags

dn't shrink back. She

he side. Her face was a mask of

he looked directly at Kelly. "But Kelly, you told me this was the height of Warren family fashion. Y

m became absolute. You

ing her voice just a fraction, p

n her sister's welcome-home gown," Corrie said, her tone perfectly flat, devoid of malice

ble gasp ripped th

b had d

g onto Dean and Kelly. The looks of condescension we

other. And now, she had just been outed for forcing her biological daughte

rupted lik

enator's wife sneered loud

ried to humiliate her?" anot

rn for eighteen years shattered into a million pieces. Her stomach churned with violent naus

ish. She looked around at her friends, but they all took a synchronize

t smile. She

arkling water from a passing waiter, and walked into the crowd, leav