The note arrived at my hotel room three days after I moved out. Handwritten on thick cream stationery, the kind that costs more than my weekly grocery budget. I recognized the handwriting immediately—elegant, precise, each letter perfectly formed. Katalina Sanders. I'd seen her signature in photos online, next to Lucian's at charity galas and corporate events. My fingers trembled slightly as I unfolded the paper.
'Dear Holly, I believe we should speak face to face. There are matters to discuss that would be better handled with dignity than through lawyers. Lucian's birthday gala at The Plaza would provide the perfect opportunity for a civil conversation. I'll have a car sent for you at 7 PM. I look forward to settling things gracefully. —K'
I read it twice, then crumpled it in my fist. The audacity. The condescension. The assumption that I would simply appear because she'd summoned me. I threw it in the trash.
But that night, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about the word 'dignity.' About the divorce papers still sitting in limbo. About the fact that I was still legally Lucian's wife, even though he'd signed the papers, even though he'd walked out that night without a backward glance. Maybe Katalina had information. Maybe she could help expedite the divorce. Maybe, despite everything, I just needed to hear someone say out loud that it was over.
The next evening, I smoothed my one good dress—a navy blue sheath I'd bought for job interviews—and waited. At seven sharp, a black town car pulled up. The driver didn't speak as he opened the door. I slid into the backseat, my heart hammering against my ribs.
The Plaza's grand ballroom glittered with chandeliers and old money. Women dripped diamonds, men wore watches that could buy my hotel room for a year. I felt immediately out of place, but I held my head high as I handed my coat to the attendant. The young woman smiled, took it, and hung it carefully among the others.
I scanned the crowd for Katalina, but she was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a server approached with champagne. 'Compliments of Ms. Sanders,' he said, offering a flute. I took it, grateful for something to do with my hands.
I sipped slowly, watching the room. Lucian stood across the ballroom, surrounded by men in dark suits. He looked different in his tuxedo—sharper, colder, more like the heir to a billion-dollar empire than the man who used to share dollar pizza with me on our Brooklyn couch. He hadn't seen me yet.
'Ms. Morgan.' A woman's voice, crisp and professional. I turned to find a security manager in a dark suit. 'Would you come with me, please? There's an issue with your coat.'
Confusion washed over me. 'My coat?'
'Yes, ma'am. If you'll just step this way.'
I followed her through the crowd, which seemed to part around us. People were staring. Whispers followed in our wake. We reached a small anteroom off the main ballroom, and she gestured for me to enter.
Inside, Katalina stood waiting. She wore a silver gown that caught the light with every breath. Her red lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
'Holly,' she said, as if we were old friends. 'Thank you for coming.'
'What's this about?' I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
Katalina's smile widened. 'I believe that's one of ours.' She gestured to the table where my coat lay spread open. Nestled in the inner pocket was a diamond necklace that glittered obscenely under the overhead lights. I'd never seen it before in my life.
'That's not mine,' I said immediately. 'I've never seen that before.'
'Of course you'd say that.' Katalina's voice was honey-sweet, but her eyes were hard. 'The Stone family diamonds are quite distinctive. That particular piece is valued at three hundred and forty thousand dollars.'
The door opened behind me. Lucian stood there, his expression unreadable.
'Lucian,' I breathed, relief flooding through me. 'She's saying I stole this. I didn't. I swear I didn't.'
For a moment, he just looked at me. I searched his face for any trace of the man I'd married, the man who'd held me through thunderstorms in our Brooklyn apartment, who'd laughed at my terrible jokes. His eyes were empty.
'I'll handle the reimbursement,' he said quietly. 'Get her out.'
The security guards moved forward. I stumbled backward, caught my heel on the carpet, and fell. My hand hit the marble doorframe as I went down, and pain exploded across my palm. I looked up at Lucian, blood seeping between my fingers, and saw nothing in his eyes. Nothing at all.
They escorted me out through a service entrance, away from the glittering crowd. I clutched my bleeding hand to my chest and walked alone into the cold New York night, leaving my dignity, my past, and the last piece of my heart behind me.
