She rose from her chair, signaling the consultation was ending. "One more thing, Ms. Kane," she added, using my new name with practiced ease. "This transformation is as much psychological as physical. The woman you'll see in the mirror afterward will look different, yes, but how you carry her, how you embody her, that's what truly changes how the world sees you."
After blood draws and paperwork, James drove us back to Victoria's mansion in silence. I stared out the window at passing Manhattan streets, trying to memorize my own face in the reflection. By this time tomorrow, it would be altered in ways I couldn't fully grasp yet.
"You're quiet," Victoria observed as we pulled into the private drive.
"Just thinking."
"Having doubts?"
I turned to look at her directly. "Would you stop the
