"Don't say that," Serena murmured, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "She's still a human being. I feel terrible for her."
Axel's voice hardened. "Don't defend her. She's a placeholder-a pathetic copy who will never be you. She means less than nothing to me."
Chloe's fingers went numb. Through the archway, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Manhattan skyline, stood Axel. His broad shoulders were tense under his tailored shirt. He was facing away from her.
On the leather sofa beside him sat a woman in a burgundy silk dress.
The woman turned her head toward the window. The city lights caught her profile.
Chloe's stomach plummeted. Her fingers went numb, and the briefcase nearly slipped from her grasp.
The woman's brow bone, the slope of her nose, the curve of her jaw-they mirrored Chloe's own face. The resemblance was uncanny.
Serena let out a soft, breathy laugh. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Axel's waist from behind.
Axel did not push her away. He turned around, his large hands resting on Serena's hips. He lowered his head and pressed a long kiss to her forehead.
Chloe could not breathe. Her lungs felt like they were packed with wet sand.
The harsh terms of her prenuptial agreement flashed in her mind. The strict rules about her appearance, the specific way Axel asked her to style her hair, the exact shade of lipstick he preferred.
She was not a wife. She was a placeholder. A cheap replica of the woman currently in his arms.
Serena shifted her weight. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the shadow in the entryway. A small, triumphant smile touched her lips before she deliberately buried her face into Axel's chest.
Her lungs burned. She reached the elevator bank and slammed her palm against the call button. The doors opened immediately. She threw herself inside and jammed her finger against the close button.
Axel stepped out of the suite just as the silver doors began to slide shut.
Chloe stared at him through the narrowing gap. His face was an unreadable mask. The doors clicked together, sealing her inside.
The elevator dropped. The sudden descent made her knees buckle. Chloe slid down the cool metal wall and hit the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and covered her face with her hands.
Tears burned her eyes, hot and fast.
The elevator chimed at the lobby. Chloe scrambled to her feet. She pushed through the revolving glass doors and ran out into the freezing New York rain.
The icy drops soaked through her trench coat instantly. The cold shocked her system, clearing the fog in her brain.
She ran to the curb and threw her hand up. A yellow cab screeched to a halt.
Chloe yanked the door open and slid onto the cracked vinyl seat.
"Where to?" the driver asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
"The Hamptons," she said, her voice shaking. She rattled off the address of the estate. "And please, hurry."
She reached into her coat pocket. Her phone was vibrating violently against her thigh. She pulled it out. The screen flashed Axel's name.
Chloe stared at the glowing letters. Her thumb hovered over the screen. She pressed the red button, sending the call to voicemail.
She opened a new text message. Her fingers trembled so badly she dropped the phone onto her lap. She picked it up again and typed four words.
I am pregnant.
She hit send. Then, she held down the power button until the screen went completely black.