lining a private drive in the Hamptons. From the back seat,
was painfully familiar. It was an almost exact replica of the
her. The screen displayed the property records. The villa had
est showed that one week ago, a climate-controlled crate had been delivered to this address
dding
heels was the only sound as she walked toward the front door, tw
le push, it swung inward on silent
imalist aesthetic, the same color palette, even the same abstract
rom the second floor. A ja
al staircase, her hand gliding ovghtly ajar. Through the gap, she saw a scene of such brea
d before a ful
tricate lacework and hundreds of hand-sewn diamonds, hung sli
mile on her face, her hand stroki
composure
crashed against the interio
ise. Seraphina jumped, whirling aro
raking over Seraphina with undisguised contempt. She loo
it was quickly replaced by a mask of defiance. "W
hardwood floor. "That dress," she said, her voice dangerously quiet, "is a one-of-a-kind pi
her toward the open doorway as she tried to use Julian's name as a shield. "J
she was standing inches from Seraphina, her gaze withering. "You're a cheap im
Seraphina's neck. Her carefully constructed composure s
outstretched, intending to pus
ved with lightning speed, stepping
hina, encumbered by the long, heavy t
as she stumbled backward... Her momentum carried her out of
ve attempt to grab her. But her fingers only
and flailing limbs. Her body made a series of sickening thuds agai
commotion, ran into t
ng in pain. The pristine white dress wa
ing down at the scene. There was no pity in
911. With her other hand, she was recording a v
h a venomous hatred. "He'll kill you for
e stopped just in front of Seraphina,
ed, her voice as cold and hard a
/1/118847/coverbig.jpg?v=a0fafa303e7edf676ed9b8c0c18bf431&imageMogr2/format/webp)