a sea of expensive suit

t Eleanor Vance, wife of Senator Alistair

fabric of Seraphina' s famo

d "found" it for me, her eyes gleaming wit

said, her voice deceptively swee

, cold and sharp

low, carried acros

imita

the wo

not fit t

a collective gasp s

ce bu

ved, a predator

hs crafting for her, a delicate silver

to a theatrical pitch. "Trying to erase my

he locket under her heel, the silve

y heart shat

– that I could earn my place, that I co

ust about a dr

ys the outsider, always

smile was

on my original gala dress just hours ago, Alistair's smooth voice pressuring me to wear

ed the one t

mured, "and Clara can finally come

uffled off to boarding schools and dis

e, now so clearly a lie,

sacrifices, a