Jennifer's POV**
The news of my engagement to Alistair Croft didn't just spread through Texas; it ignited a wildfire, fanned by the winds of envy, hatred, and sheer, unadulterated shock. I felt it before I saw it, a shift in the atmosphere the first time I walked into my gallery after the announcement.
At the gallery, Sarah’s congratulations were a little too bright. A donor I was courting a piece for shook my hand and said, “Quite the power move, my dear. Croft, of all people.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
The whispers were no longer about the "wicked woman who put her husband in jail." They were sharper this time.
*In the upscale boutiques on Post Oak Boulevard:
“From a prison wife to Croft’s fiancée in a year? She’s certainly… efficient. A woman whispered to her friend while
