The black Maybach rolled through the massive iron gates of the Carson Estate. The heavy tires crushed the gravel driveway, grinding out a steady, rhythmic crunch.

Inside the car, the air pressure was suffocating.

Bryant leaned back against the black leather seat. He stared out the tinted window. His profile was carved from ice. He hadn't spoken a single word since they left the asylum.

Clara pressed herself into the opposite corner of the spacious backseat.

Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the white plastic stick of a strawberry lollipop Wallace's assistant had shoved into her hand.

She kept her head down, letting her eyes dart toward Bryant in quick, terrified bursts.

The car glided to a halt.

The driver opened the door. Bryant swung his long legs out and stood up. He didn't look back. He didn't wait.

Clara clumsily slid across the leather. She pushed herself out of the door.

Her foot caught the edge of the stone step. She let out a sharp gasp and pitched forward.

Bryant's footsteps paused for a fraction of a second. He didn't turn around.

Reginald, the head butler, rushed forward and caught Clara by the elbows before her knees hit the stone.

Clara followed Bryant into the sprawling, vaulted living room.

Cornelius Carson Sr. stood by the fireplace. Both of his hands rested heavily on the head of a solid gold cane.

The moment the old man's eyes landed on Clara, the harsh lines on his face melted.

He opened his arms. His voice was thick with an unnatural softness.

"Oh, my dear Clara. You are finally home."

Clara blinked her massive, doe-like eyes. She dropped the lollipop on the Persian rug.

She stumbled forward, throwing her arms around the old man's waist, burying her face in his tweed vest like a lost puppy finding its owner.

Bryant watched the display. His stomach churned.

He reached up and yanked his silk tie loose.

"I picked her up," Bryant said, his voice flat and hollow. "My task is done."

Cornelius's face hardened instantly. He lifted the gold cane and slammed the rubber tip into the floorboards. The heavy thud echoed off the high ceiling.

"It is not a task!" Cornelius roared. "The wedding is next week. You will marry her properly, in front of everyone!"

Bryant let out a sharp, humorless laugh. He pointed a long finger at Clara, who was currently twisting a button on Cornelius's vest.

"You want me to marry a three-year-old idiot?" Bryant's voice shook with suppressed rage. "You want her to manage the Carson household?"

At the word idiot, Clara's shoulders jerked.

She sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes flooded with water. She pressed her face harder into Cornelius's chest and began to sob silently, her small frame shaking with every breath.

Cornelius wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. He glared at his grandson.

"She became like this because she saved my life!" Cornelius barked. "You will take responsibility for this family's debt!"

Bryant's jaw locked. The muscles in his neck strained against his collar.

He stared at Clara's shaking back. The disgust in his chest was a physical weight, pressing down on his lungs.

"As you wish," Bryant spat.

He spun on his heel. The air whipped around him. He marched out of the living room and slammed the heavy double doors behind him.

The loud crash made Clara scream. She clutched Cornelius's arm, her fingernails digging into his sleeve.

Cornelius sighed heavily. He gestured to a maid standing in the corner.

"Sarah, take Clara up to the master bedroom. The pink one."

Sarah bowed. She gently took Clara's hand and led her up the grand sweeping staircase.

They walked down the long, silent hallway. Sarah pushed open a heavy oak door and guided Clara inside.

"Rest well, Miss Clara," Sarah whispered.

She pulled the door shut. The heavy metal lock clicked into place. The sound echoed in the empty room.

The second the lock engaged, the terror vanished from Clara's face.

The tears stopped. The trembling ceased.

She rolled her shoulders back. Her spine snapped perfectly straight. The dull, vacant look in her eyes evaporated, replaced by a cold, razor-sharp focus.

She walked over to the vanity mirror.

She raised her right hand and pressed her index finger hard against the skin just behind her left ear.

A tiny, subcutaneous comms chip activated with a microscopic pulse.

A second later, a burst of static hissed in her ear, followed by a frantic male voice.

"Boss? Did you get in?" Alek asked.

Clara's lips curled into a slow, mocking smirk. Her voice dropped an octave, losing all the sticky sweetness.

"I'm in. Alek, I need the rest of the standard kit. Find a way to get it into my room. Use the east wing laundry chute."

She pulled open the top drawer of the vanity. She picked up a cheap, pink plastic hairpin.

She snapped the plastic in half. A micro-USB drive slid out from the casing.

She dropped to her knees beside the bed. She reached under the heavy mahogany frame and pulled out a hidden, rolled-up flexible silicone keyboard, which Alek had stashed there hours earlier.

She plugged the drive in. Her fingers flew across the flat keys, moving entirely by muscle memory.

Lines of neon green code cascaded down the small holographic screen projecting from the drive.

A small green checkmark flashed. The Carson Estate's perimeter security grid was officially compromised.

A second green checkmark flashed. All electronic locks in the master suite were now under her control. She smirked. They thought this was a cage. It was her new kingdom.

Clara stared at the screen.

"Let the game begin, husband," she whispered to the empty room.

The green code vanished. Clara yanked the micro-USB from the port.

She shoved the flexible keyboard back into the hidden compartment behind the nightstand. She grabbed the broken pink hairpin and shoved it into her messy curls.

Three sharp knocks hit the heavy oak door.

"Miss Clara?" Sarah's voice called out from the hallway.

Clara's facial muscles instantly went slack. She dropped her jaw slightly and widened her eyes, letting the sharp intelligence drain out of them.

"Come in!" she chirped, her voice high and grating.

Sarah pushed the door open. She held a simple, white sundress over her arm.

"Mr. Carson is waiting downstairs. You need to go try on your wedding dress."

Clara tilted her head. She shoved her thumb into her mouth and stared at the white fabric with blank confusion.

Sarah sighed softly. She helped Clara out of the oversized hospital gown and pulled the white dress over her head.

Sarah led her down the grand staircase.

Bryant stood in the center of the foyer. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit. A silver Bluetooth earpiece rested in his ear.

He was speaking rapidly in French, his tone brutal and commanding.

He heard their footsteps. He looked up.

His dark eyes swept over Clara's timid, shrinking posture. His upper lip curled in a microscopic sneer. He looked away instantly, as if the sight of her physically repulsed him.

He tapped his earpiece, cutting the call dead.

"Follow," he ordered.

He didn't wait to see if she did. He turned and walked out the front door.

Clara shuffled after him, her head bowed. Beneath her thick lashes, a cold, mocking light danced in her eyes.

The Maybach navigated the chaotic Manhattan traffic. It pulled up to the curb in front of a massive glass storefront. There were no mannequins in the window, only a discreet gold plaque.

The boutique manager and four assistants stood in a perfect line by the glass doors.

Bryant stepped out of the car. The manager's face lit up with a practiced, desperate enthusiasm.

"Mr. Carson! Welcome-"

Bryant cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Clara, who was currently struggling to climb out of the backseat.

"Pick one for her. Make it fast," Bryant said. His voice was devoid of any warmth.

The manager's smile faltered for a fraction of a second as she took in Clara's messy hair and vacant stare. But her training kicked in.

"Right this way, Miss," the manager cooed, stepping forward.

The assistants swarmed Clara. They ushered her toward the back of the boutique, behind a wall of frosted glass and heavy velvet curtains.

Bryant walked over to a plush velvet sofa in the front room. He sat down, crossed his long legs, and picked up a financial magazine from the glass table.

Behind the curtains, Clara stood like a wooden doll.

The assistants pulled a massive, heavy gown made of intricate French lace over her head. The fabric scratched her skin.

Suddenly, the heavy glass front doors of the boutique were shoved open. The metal handles slammed against the glass.

Sharp, aggressive clicks of stiletto heels hammered against the marble floor.

Keshia Palmer stormed in. She wore a skin-tight, plunging red dress that left nothing to the imagination. A limited-edition Birkin bag swung violently from her forearm.

She spotted Bryant on the sofa. The anger on her face vanished, replaced by a hungry, predatory smile.

She strutted over to him, her hips swaying.

"Bryant," Keshia purred, leaning over the glass table to expose her cleavage.

Bryant didn't blink. He didn't look up. He slowly turned a page of his magazine. He treated her like a piece of furniture.

Keshia's smile cracked. She bit her red lips, the humiliation burning in her chest.

She spun around, looking for an employee to yell at.

Her eyes landed on the gap in the velvet curtains.

Clara was standing on a circular pedestal, half-zipped into a million-dollar lace gown.

The blood drained from Keshia's face. Pure, acidic jealousy twisted her features into something ugly.

She marched straight through the curtains, shoving an assistant out of the way.

She stopped inches from Clara's face.

Keshia leaned in. Her expensive perfume was suffocating.

"You little retard," Keshia hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "You think you deserve to wear that?"

Clara's shoulders began to shake violently. She grabbed handfuls of the expensive lace, her knuckles turning white. She looked absolutely terrified.

But looking down at her own white knuckles, Clara's lips twitched. A microscopic, freezing smile touched the corners of her mouth.

Keshia saw Clara shaking. It fueled her cruelty.

Keshia reached out. She pinched the soft flesh of Clara's upper arm. She dug her sharp, acrylic nails deep into Clara's skin and twisted hard.

A sharp spike of pain shot up Clara's arm. Her muscles instantly locked down, preparing for combat.

Her brain calculated the angle of Keshia's neck. One strike to the throat would crush her windpipe.

She forced her muscles to relax. She let the pain register.

Clara threw her head back. She opened her mouth wide.

A raw, blood-curdling scream ripped out of her throat. It was deafening. It shattered the quiet elegance of the boutique.

Out in the front room, Bryant's hands stopped. He slammed the magazine shut and looked up.