Eleanor's hand was a clammy, trembling weight on Chloe's arm as she led her through a long, art-filled corridor. The muffled sounds of the party grew louder with every step.
Preston walked on Chloe's other side, a grim sentinel.
"It's Juliet's birthday," he hissed, his voice a low warning. "Don't you dare cause a scene."
Chloe ignored him. Her gaze swept over the scene unfolding before them. The party was on a vast, manicured lawn, lit by hundreds of fairy lights. A sea of expensive dresses and tailored suits. The air smelled of champagne and privilege.
And in the center of it all, like a queen holding court, was Juliet Townsend.
She wore a breathtaking custom gown that shimmered under the lights. A circle of adoring friends surrounded her, laughing at something she'd said.
Then she saw them. Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second as she took in the sight of her mother and brother flanking a plainly dressed stranger.
With the practiced grace of a born socialite, she detached herself from her circle and glided towards them.
"Mom, Preston, where have you been?" she chirped, linking her arm through Eleanor's. Her eyes, a perfect blue, landed on Chloe. They held a flicker of confusion, quickly replaced by an air of dismissive authority.
Before Eleanor could form a coherent sentence, Juliet turned to Chloe with a dazzling, utterly fake smile.
"Are you one of the new staff?" she asked, her voice sweet as poison. "Could you be a dear and fetch me a glass of champagne?"
A ripple of snickers went through the nearby guests. They turned, eager for the drama.
Eleanor's face went white. She opened her mouth to explain, to stop the impending disaster, but it was too late.
Chloe moved first.
She reached out, not towards the champagne flute Juliet had gestured to, but to a passing waiter's tray. She picked up a glass of water.
Then, instead of handing it to Juliet, she took a small, deliberate sip herself.
The snickering died. All eyes were on her.
In the sudden silence, Chloe's voice was perfectly audible. "I'm sorry," she said, meeting Juliet's stunned gaze. "House rules. The staff isn't usually permitted to call the lady of the house 'Mom'." She paused, then added, "And alcohol doesn't agree with me."
Juliet's smile froze on her face. It cracked, then crumbled. She looked at Eleanor, her blue eyes wide with confusion and a dawning sense of betrayal. "Mom? What is she talking about?"
Eleanor took a deep, shuddering breath. She looked out at the sea of curious faces, her friends, her peers, all watching, waiting.
"Everyone," she announced, her voice strained. "I'd like you to meet... my other daughter. Chloe Harding."
The word "daughter" dropped into the party like a bomb. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Whispers erupted. Eyes darted back and forth between the glamorous Juliet and the plain, unadorned Chloe.
Juliet looked as if she'd been struck by lightning. The color drained from her face. She gripped Eleanor's arm, her nails digging into the expensive silk.
"Mom, what kind of joke is this?" she demanded, her voice rising to a shrill pitch.
Preston moved to support her as she swayed, glaring daggers at Chloe.
Chloe ignored his fury. She met the shocked stares of the crowd with unnerving calm. "Townsend, actually," she corrected quietly. "Harding is my adoptive father's name."
That final, quiet statement was the killing blow. It shattered the last of Juliet's composure.
From somewhere in the crowd, a distant cousin, emboldened by champagne and gossip, whispered a little too loudly. "Harding? You mean Caden Harding? The one who... with Brenda White? The murder-suicide?"
The names hung in the air, ugly and sharp.
Juliet's pupils contracted. She had heard whispers before, fragments of a story she was told never to ask about. A dark secret locked away.
Now the lock was broken.
She turned to her father, Jacob Townsend, who had just arrived on the scene, his face a thundercloud. She grabbed his sleeve, her voice frantic.
"Is it true?" she shrieked, her carefully constructed world collapsing around her. "What they're saying? Are my parents... murderers?"
Jacob's face was grim. He couldn't answer. His silence was the answer.
A raw, animalistic scream tore from Juliet's throat. She shoved away her father, her mother, the whole glittering, suffocating world.
And then she ran.
