Chapter 9

After he left, she hired a private investigator. Standing by the window, she watched the figure disappear down the street, her voice calm and steady. "Follow him. I want to know everything."

On the first day, the photos arrived on her phone—Ethan's movements tracked in real time. He'd gone to her stepmother's company to pick up Vivienne, and the two of them had checked into a hotel together. They didn't leave until well past midnight.

The rest of the report was a series of intimate, damning photographs. Claire stared at them in silence, then looked around the room at the stuffed animals he'd given her over the years. She gathered every single one and carried them outside. She burned them all.

On the second day, she learned that Julian had known all along—known that Ethan was sleeping with Vivienne behind her back. He'd even gone to Paris and bought Vivienne a necklace.

Claire scrolled through the evidence without expression. Then she went through every trace of herself in the Sterling house. She erased it all. She even cut herself out of the family portraits and replaced her image with Vivienne's.

On the third day, she sold off three full suitcases of designer clothes. Ethan and Julian walked through the front door laughing, but the moment they saw the packed luggage, they both froze.

A wave of unease swept through Ethan—something felt like it was slipping beyond his control.

He strode up to Claire, his gaze locked onto hers. "Claire, what's all this?" His voice was tight with poorly disguised anxiety.

Julian glanced at the suitcases and noticed that many of the clothes inside were things he'd personally bought for her. His brow finally creased. He looked at Claire, waiting for an answer.

Under the weight of their scrutiny, Claire's heart clenched briefly, but her expression gave nothing away. She shrugged. "The engagement's coming up. I'm just getting things sorted ahead of time."

They both exhaled in relief, thinking nothing more of it. Julian casually produced a gift box. Inside was a necklace. "Brought this back from Paris for you."

Claire studied it for a few seconds. It was the exact same necklace he'd given Vivienne. Her voice turned cool. "Thanks."

Julian frowned at her flat tone. In the past, Claire had always lit up whenever he brought her gifts. She'd beam at whatever he'd picked out for her.

It struck him, suddenly, that he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Claire smile. Ethan arched an eyebrow and pulled out a crimson engagement dress. "Since you didn't want to go shopping, I figured I'd pick one out for you."

Claire stared at it. She'd seen this dress before—in the investigator's photos, worn by Vivienne. And she'd always preferred softer, lighter colors.

This shade of red was Vivienne's taste, not hers. Claire's face remained expressionless, and Ethan shifted uneasily. "What? You don't like it?"

"I don't wear colors this bold. That's more Vivienne's style."

Ethan's expression froze. His face cycled through several emotions before he recovered. "I thought all girls liked this sort of thing. I'll take you to pick something you like instead."

Claire's smile was thin. "Don't bother. It's not like I'll need it anyway."

"What do you mean you won't need it—" Ethan started to argue, but both their phones buzzed at the same time. They checked their screens, exchanged a glance, and turned to her. "Claire, we've got to step out for work."

They hadn't been gone long before Claire received photos of them meeting up with Vivienne.

It was Christmas Day. Richard had taken Diane out for a holiday outing, leaving the house cold and empty. Meanwhile, at Julian's private villa, fireworks bloomed across the sky. In one of the photos, Julian was ruffling Vivienne's hair with a look of pure affection.

Claire stood alone on the balcony, watching the distant fireworks flare and fade against the night sky. She made up her mind. Since they didn't love her anymore, she didn't need them either.

On the fourth day, she sold the rest of her clothes and donated every cent to children's charities. She stood in her stripped-bare room. When Richard came home and saw it, he stopped short. "What happened in here?"

Claire brushed him off. "Engagement's coming up. Just clearing things out early."

The irony was almost poetic—even the household staff could see she was leaving. But her own family remained oblivious.