CLARA
The heavy glass door of The Velvet Chamber swung shut behind me with a muted chime, cutting off the humid city air and replacing it with the scent of high-end silicone, leather, and vanilla-scented disinfectant.
I had a strong urge to walk back out.
I felt like a criminal in a place as raw as this. If anyone recognized me here, it would be scandalous. No doubt.
I was Clara Huntington, the daughter of a Senator, the fiancé of a rising political star, and currently, the loneliest woman in the state.
My s*x life with Julian was a polite tragedy.
He approached intimacy like a diplomatic briefing—efficient, sterile, and over in barely fifteen minutes.
He f****d like a saint, always asking for permission and never venturing below the neck with his mouth. I didn't love him; I wa
