I never told my family I was the anonymous buyer behind the $200 million deal!

Julian had once stood beside her at Aura Design. Then she made him the fall guy. She ruined his reputation, accused him of theft, and buried her own failures under his name.

My brother Leo rushed forward, pale and shaking, pressing a linen napkin uselessly against my soaked dress. “Chloe,” he murmured. “Madeline—please. This is too far.”

“Too far?” Madeline laughed, brittle and loud. “She’s conspiring with a parasite. A tutor who can barely pay rent thinks she belongs in serious business discussions? In my house?”

The guests watched closely, barely hiding their enjoyment. They knew the narrative well: Madeline the genius, and me—the forgettable sister-in-law with a modest career and no visible ambition.

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