(Chloe's POV)
Rain darkened the cobblestones outside the Paris gallery. Inside, white walls rose around me as I stood at the center in a red gown.
The centerpiece of my exhibition was a massive canvas titled *Chains and Ashes*. Shattered links of gold formed a woman rising from gray and black ash, one hand reaching toward a narrow strip of blue.
A distinguished man stepped up to the microphone. "The Prix d'Or for International Artist of the Year goes to the phenomenal Chloe Vance."
The room applauded. I smiled and accepted the award under my own name.
As I stepped onto the dais, security guards converged at the far end of the gallery.
A man in a creased suit stumbled past them. His suit hung from a gaunt frame, and a rough beard covered his hollow face. I almost failed to recognize h
