family, and perhaps even the city, had expected, a grand affair merging Monroe tradition with Vanderbilt finance. Now, in their Upper East Si

avannah." His voice was cool, clipping each word. "This is a merger

aively perhaps, that this strategic alliance could become something

He then walked to another door, opened it, and went inside without a backward glance, the click of the latch echoing in th

referred dark roast coffee to his Wall Street office, a peace offering, a wife's gesture. The door

assistant. "So, did you... you know... with her?" Tiffany's tone was la

d, no. She's a prude. I told her I wasn't int

marble floor, coffee splashing like a dark stain. Her heart shattered. Prude. Not in

is disdain. He had paraded it

f him, for years. This union was supposed to be a triumph for both families, bu

nce of the townhouse that felt more like a gilded cage. She drank too much, too fast, trying to numb the raw ache inside. A kind bartender, Liam, listened without judgment, his eyes warm and understanding. He made her feel seen, desi

mbling as she unwrapped it in the cold, impersonal bathroom of the townhouse. Two pink lines. Pregnant. A tiny, fi

n. She couldn't stay. She wouldn't r

papers swiftly. She clutched them, t

ight. "Chloe, the realtor found a buyer for th

. "Honey, are you sure? You just got married..

, her voice flat. "It was a cage. I'm divor

ping to talk, to understand. She found him with Tiffany. They weren't overtly intimate, but the air crackled with it, Tiffany leaning close

, laced with annoyance. "Sav

ffice later that day, the divorce papers in her

hrew the papers onto his antiq

name with a flourish, not even reading past the first line. He pushed them back towards

age, was another twist of the knife. But this tim

ack. As she stepped onto the sidewalk, the city air feeling suddenly fresh, she allowed herself a small, tr

her family' s Charleston estate, a place of genuine history and belonging. She had r

an emerged, tall and imposing, his tailored suit speak

r, his gaze intense.

?" His voice was low, resonant, and held a chilling possessi