The Substitute Heiress Leaves For Good

nhattan a glittering backdrop below. The silk of her emerald dress felt cool ag

hampagne flutes to her. Her eyes, however, kept scanning

It was the kind of party Preston loved-loud, filled with people from his world

riend since their days at Dartmouth, leaning ag

her voice barely au

ng across his face. "Eleonore.

n the smile. "Ha

the far end of the rooftop. "He's out o

ank

edroom where they'd left their coats. She turned to head inside but paused, thinking she should let Preston

ane, she could see Preston's back. He was leaning against the railing, a cigarette

hen Spencer's voice cut through a slight ga

's really ba

in her throat. A cold dread, heavy and

feel more than hear. It was tired, resigned, in

concern. "What about Eleonore?

rp crescents a small, grounding pain against the roaring in her ears. The entir

t, bitter, like the scrape of metal on stone. That sound shot t

's... perfect. She never makes a fuss,

ove, man," Spencer p

ok a drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling from his lips an

s that sentenced their thr

. Eleonore was exactly what I needed. She ev

o press her hand hard against her mouth to keep from gagging. The elegant party, the

bsti

disappointment. "So she's just a su

was strained, full of a struggle she now realized had noth

ears of quiet support, of loving him through family crises and business deals, of believ

jo

ic. Each step away from that balcony felt like walking on broken glass. She didn't turn

and empty, wearing a beautiful dress that suddenly felt like a costume. She saw the resemblance then, the slight curve of her jaw, the shape o

into the cold street, but she didn't see him. She hailed a cab and gave the address to the

Hamptons on the mantelpiece. His favorite leather armchair. The

liberate. She pulled open the bottom drawer of his mahogany desk. Tucked beneath a stack of old financial report

ement between the Sanford family and t

icult conversation on the matter. "Eleonore, this isn't just business

e time, deeply insulted. She had

arpen. A new, hard light kindled in their depths. The pain was still there, a massive, crushing

were steady as she navigated to her

ond ring. "Eleonore? I

ny emotion when she spoke. It was the voice she use

"About that pro

from her phone's lock screen. It was a picture of them laughing on a sailboat, the sun in