The news didn’t just sting.
It settled.
Deep.
Sharp.
Persistent.
Emma stood in the empty restroom on the thirty-second floor of Blackwood Companies, both palms braced against the cold marble sink as the television’s muted headlines replayed in her mind.
Dominic Sterling and Laura Reed announce engagement.
The words echoed louder in silence.
She stared at her reflection.
Perfectly composed.
Hair smooth.
Lipstick untouched.
Eyes steady.
A lie.
Her chest rose too quickly beneath her blouse.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the sink until her knuckles paled.
She laughed once.
A brittle, humorless sound.
“Engaged.”
The word tasted bitter.
Of course.
Of course Laura would turn scandal into spectacle.
Of course Dominic would let her.
Emma closed her eyes.
And for o
