Chloe's sobs finally subsided into trembling breaths. Her father guided her to a plush leather armchair by the fire, while Caleb knelt beside her and handed her a silk handkerchief. She took it and wiped the tear stains from her cheeks.
"I'm ending my engagement to Harrison," she said.
Caleb's head snapped up. "Chloe, what are you saying? You know this isn't just about the two of you. The Vanderbilt-Crane merger—"
"I know," she interrupted. "I'm fully aware. He's not the right man for me. This relationship will destroy me. It will destroy this family too."
Arthur studied his daughter's face. Beneath the tear stains and pale skin, he saw a flicker of something. "What did he do to you?"
She couldn't tell them the truth. Not the full, impossible truth about rebirth and foreknowledge. But she could give them pieces—things they had already suspected but had been too polite or too hopeful to voice. She spoke of Harrison's suffocating control, his casual cruelty disguised as concern, his increasingly open flirtation with Brianna Hayes. As she spoke, she saw recognition flicker in their eyes.
"He's suffocating," Chloe said, her voice calm. "His control. His casual cruelty disguised as concern."
Caleb clenched his jaw. "If you're sure about this, Chloe, then I'm with you. To hell with him."
Arthur let out a long, heavy sigh. He reached out and took his daughter's hand. "The Sinclairs don't need a marriage to hold their heads high. Your father stands with you."
Chloe stood up. "Thomas," she called. The butler appeared instantly at the door. "Please bring me the Van Cleef & Arpels box from the safe."
A few minutes later, a deep blue velvet box sat on the polished surface of her father's desk. Inside, resting on a white satin cushion, was the engagement ring: a flawless eight-carat diamond. Arthur closed the lid and handed the box to Mr. Abernathy, his most trusted assistant.
"Deliver it to the Vanderbilt-Crane residence," Arthur said. "Immediately."
---
Meanwhile, in a spacious, wood-paneled study across town, Harrison faced his own family's patriarch. Cornelius Vanderbilt-Crane II tapped his ornate cane rhythmically against the Persian rug.
"You let her walk out of the hospital?" Cornelius's voice was a rumble of displeasure. "Against medical advice? Have you lost your mind?"
"She's throwing a tantrum, Grandfather." Harrison poured himself a brandy. "She'll come around."
The butler appeared at the study door. "Sir, Mr. Abernathy from the Sinclair estate is here to see you."
Abernathy was shown in. He held a small, flat package and placed it respectfully on the massive desk before Cornelius.
Cornelius opened the package. The blue velvet box. He lifted the lid. The diamond sparkled back at him.
His face hardened into a mask of cold fury.
"You call this a tantrum?" Cornelius's voice was dangerously quiet. "You arrogant fool."
He slammed his fist on the desk. The brandy snifter rattled.
"You will go there," Cornelius said. "If you must, you will get down on your knees. You will apologize. You will bring Chloe Sinclair back. Immediately!"
"I will not." Harrison's jaw tightened stubbornly. "I've done nothing wrong. She's the one who's lost her mind. And... I love Brianna."
Cornelius Vanderbilt-Crane II's face turned purple. He pointed a trembling finger at his grandson. "You idiot! You will destroy this family!"
