Chapter 9

• As Ester stepped out of Charlotte’s atelier, the cool air slapped her face, jolting her out of the haze of irritation and uncertainty. She forced a smile, but as the door swung closed behind her, the warmth faded, replaced by the cold realization that her heart was no longer light. Charlotte Sinclair was insufferable. There was something maddening about the way she spoke of Damien, as if their shared history could still influence him. It pressed on Ester’s chest, a weight she could no longer ignore.
• The sun dipped on the horizon, casting long shadows that mirrored the lurking darkness in her heart. She had worked too hard to get Damien to love her, to mold him into the man she needed him to be. The thought of Charlotte, an echo from his past, creeping back into their lives sent a chill of pure rage through her. How could Charlotte have the audacity to create this bespoke necklace for Damien’s fiancée while playing the innocent artisan? The very idea made Ester’s blood boil.
• “Charlotte thinks she can just walk back into his life and charm him with her creations?” Ester muttered under her breath, her fingers digging into her palms as her resolve hardened. Charlotte knew nothing about the lengths Ester had gone to secure her place beside Damien. She had crafted a world where everything flowed just right, where Damien’s heart was hers to orchestrate. And she wouldn’t let a ghost from his past ruin it for her.