Chapter 3 - THE BETRAYAL IN SILK AND DIAMONDSTen miles away, in a sleek high-rise penthouse overlooking the Inner Harbor, Evelyn Sterling swirled a glass of champagne while watching her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Evelyn was Roman Calder’s fiancée—a union arranged as much by corporate boardrooms and syndicate mergers as by mutual attraction. Or so society believed. In reality, Evelyn was a predator masquerading as high-society royalty, and she knew secrets about Roman’s financial ledger that could tear his empire apart.
Her phone buzzed against the marble table. She picked it up, her red lips curving into a sharp, triumphant smile as she read the encrypted text from her personal cleaner: The package is secured in the warehouse at Baltimore Harbor. She won't talk.
Evelyn replied with a single emoji: a fire.
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Nora had seen too much. Three weeks ago, while staying late to clean up after an elite gala at the estate, Nora had accidentally walked into Roman’s private study while Evelyn was copying confidential offshore account numbers onto a flash drive. Evelyn had played it off with a chilling laugh back then, but she couldn't risk a quiet, observant maid destroying her multi-million dollar coup before she married Roman and seized total control of the syndicate.
"Goodbye, little mouse," Evelyn murmured, clinking her champagne glass against the empty air.
