Chapter 3 - The Dark Secret Everyone Ignored
Whispers rippled through the glittering crowd like dry leaves blown across a winter pavement.
Three hundred of New England’s most influential figures stared in open disbelief as the heir to Whitmore Development openly rejected his bride.
Vanessa stood frozen in the center of the ballroom, her silk gown suddenly feeling less like a crown and more like a straitjacket.
“You’re choosing a maid over me?” Vanessa hissed, stepping forward with venom dripping from every syllable.
“I’m choosing human decency over a lifetime of quiet misery,” Ethan answered without a single flicker of hesitation.
Naomi kept her eyes lowered, acutely aware of the cameras flashing from the perimeter where society journalists recorded every second.
She recognized the danger of being at the center of a high-society scandal, feeling the old, dormant instincts awaken along her spine.
Years ago, in Philadelphia and Washington, drawing this kind of attention was the exact opposite of what a protective detail wanted.
Now, her peaceful life among linen closets and morning coffee was shattering under the glaring spotlight of billionaire politics.
May you like
Ethan turned back toward Naomi, lowering his voice so only she could hear the turbulent emotion beneath his words.
“I am so sorry you were dragged into my mess,” he whispered, his jaw tight with suppressed anger.
