Framed By My Maid

felt like shedding a skin, an identity that was never truly mine. Clara watched, her expression a

do?" she asked, her voi

the kind of practical, nondescript clothing I had worn in my former life as a special

ade a single call. It was

om

nt position, had a voice that always sounded calm, even in a cr

flat and final. "David is with Bethany. I'm

t one of shock. It was a calculating silence. My mothe

l you go?"

e talked about last year. At the secure

ed complete isolation and dedication. At the time, I had turned it down for David. A bitter laugh almost escape

ment, only support. "A car will be waiting for you at the back service entrance

, Mom," I repli

ck with unspoken words. As I was about to leave, she grabbed my arm. "They will ru

putation is only powerful if you

ut a backward glance. The engine purred to life, and the lavish wedding v

acility was a world away from the glitz and glamour of the city. It was a place of purpose, of silent, intense work. I

the nation's digital infrastructure from threats unseen. I built a new kind of power, not of wealth or social standing,

I would jolt awake, the phantom feeling of cold stone on my skin, the echo of David's voice in my ears. He had called me worthless. He had left me to rot. These memories weren'

rs of self-imposed e

nt's Chief of Staff, a man named Marcus Thorne. He had been my sta

The Global Tech Summit is next week. There's chatter about a potential cybersecurit

d. The Global Tech Summit. The

ry host and k

, now his wife, would be the king and queen of the summit. They were at the a

y voice betraying none of

ge was set once again, but this time,

achine. And I was coming