CHAPTER 1: The Ghost in the Uniform
The crystal chandeliers of the Vance Manor ballroom caught the light exactly as they had fifteen years ago. The champagne flowed, the laughter was forced, and the diamonds were blinding. But tonight, Aria wasn’t wearing diamonds. She was wearing a plain, stark-black maid's uniform, carrying a silver tray of empty flutes.
Nobody looked at her face. To the elite, she was invisible—a part of the furniture. And that was exactly what she needed.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed across the marble floor. A glass had shattered.
"Are you blind?!" a harsh, arrogant voice boomed.
It was Julian Vance, the golden boy of the Vance empire. He stood there, wiping a drop of red wine from his pristine tuxedo jacket. He looked down at Aria with utter disgust. The entire ballroom went silent, eyes turning toward the drama. High society loved a public execution.
"Clean it up. On your knees," Julian demanded, his voice dripping with malice, trying to humiliate her in front of his wealthy investors.
Aria didn't flinch. She knelt calmly, picking up the sharp shards of glass. Fifteen years ago, a five-year-old girl named Lyra Vance had vanished from this exact room during a massive gala. The police were never called. The security footage mysteriously wiped. The family’s official statement? The child never existed. And the first person to voice that lie, to protect the family’s stock prices, was a young, ruthless Julian Vance.
As Aria stood back up, her eyes locked onto Julian’s. The submissive look of a maid vanished, replaced by a cold, piercing gaze that made the air freeze.
May you like
She stepped closer, leaning in until her breath hitched against his ear. In a soft, lethal whisper, she said:
“You finally found me…”
