Cecile walked out of the closet wearing an expensive cashmere coat.

Aidan stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her waist. He lifted her off the floor and carried her in his arms.

Cecile let out a small gasp. She hid her face in his neck. Aidan kicked the bedroom door open and walked down the hall.

Hallie stood by the bed. A tight, invisible chain wrapped around her neck.

As Aidan walked further away, the chain pulled tight. It dragged Hallie forward. She floated behind them, unable to stop.

They took the private elevator down to the underground garage. A black Rolls-Royce Phantom was waiting. The driver opened the heavy door.

Aidan placed Cecile gently into the back seat. He climbed in next to her.

Hallie was pulled right through the metal roof. She sat on the empty seat facing them.

The car was completely quiet. Cecile leaned her head on Aidan's shoulder. Aidan took her cold hand and placed it on his thigh to warm it.

He kissed the top of her blonde hair. "I will give you the biggest future," he whispered. "No one will stand in your way."

Cecile squeezed his hand. Her eyes filled with fake tears.

The car drove out of Manhattan. It headed east toward the Hamptons.

An hour later, the massive iron gates of the Monroe Estate opened. The car drove up the long, winding driveway.

The car stopped. The head butler and a row of maids stood on the stone steps. They held large black umbrellas in the rain.

Aidan stepped out. He reached back and helped Cecile out of the car.

The butler bowed his head. He handed Cecile a warm towel. "Welcome home, Miss Cecile."

The maids bowed their heads, their faces impassive, but Hallie could see the subtle shift in their posture as they attended to Cecile-a swiftness and deference they had never shown her. They knew who the real power was.

Hallie floated above the wet grass. She remembered her first day here. The butler had handed her a list of rules and walked away. The maids had whispered about her cheap shoes. Aidan had stood by the door and watched.

Aidan held Cecile's hand and walked up the marble steps. He asked her if she was hungry. His voice was full of patience.

Cecile shook her head. "I just want to rest."

Aidan told the butler to prepare hot tea. He led Cecile up the grand staircase.

They walked down the second-floor hallway. They stopped at the large double doors on the east wing.

Hallie knew this room. It had the best sunlight. She had begged Aidan to let her use it as an art studio. He had told her she did not deserve it.

Aidan pushed the doors open. The suite was filled with fresh white roses and expensive oil paintings. It was decorated exactly to Cecile's taste.

Cecile smiled. She threw her arms around Aidan's neck. "This is my only safe place."

Aidan hugged her back. "It is yours forever."

Hallie stood in the doorway. A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. She hated herself for ever begging this man for anything.

Aidan touched Cecile's cheek. "I need to go to the study. I have to speak with my father."

Cecile nodded. She watched him walk away.

The second the door clicked shut, the soft look on Cecile's face vanished. Her eyes turned hard and calculating. She walked to the mirror and fixed her hair.

Hallie did not stay to watch. The invisible chain pulled her backward. She floated down the hall, following Aidan's footsteps.

Aidan walked down the long hallway. His leather shoes made no sound on the thick Persian carpet.

Hallie floated right behind him. The oil paintings of the past Monroe leaders stared down from the walls.

Aidan stopped at the heavy oak doors at the end of the hall. He knocked twice.

"Come in," a deep voice called out.

Aidan opened the door. The smell of Cuban cigars and expensive scotch hit the air.

Governor Monroe sat behind a massive wooden desk. He held a crystal glass in his hand.

Jacquelin Monroe, Aidan's mother, sat on the leather sofa. She wore a perfect silk dress. She was flipping through a fashion magazine.

Aidan walked in and shut the door. Hallie passed through the wood and floated near the ceiling.

Jacquelin closed the magazine. She looked at Aidan with sharp eyes. "Is Cecile calm now?"

Aidan walked to the bar. He poured himself a drink. "She is resting. She was very scared."

Jacquelin let out a harsh scoff. "Hallie is a gutter rat. She only knows how to use cheap tricks to get attention."

Hallie heard the words. Her chest felt tight, but the pain was quickly replaced by a cold numbness.

The Governor put his glass down. He looked at Aidan. "What is the status of the prenup enforcement?"

Aidan took a sip of scotch. "The legal team has the papers ready. When she shows her face, I will force her to sign."

The Governor hit the desk with his knuckles. "I do not just want her signature. I want her stripped of everything. Not one share of Monroe Group goes to that outsider."

Jacquelin stood up. She walked to Aidan and touched his arm. "You need to understand, Aidan. Cecile is the only woman fit for this family."

Hallie stared down at them. Her eyes widened. She thought they just hated her because she was poor. She did not know they had chosen Cecile from the start.

"Cecile has class," Jacquelin continued. "She knows how to protect the family name. Hallie is an embarrassment."

Aidan rubbed his jaw. "I know. But Hallie is hiding right now. It delays the process."

"Then freeze her bank accounts," the Governor ordered. "Cancel all her credit cards. Cut off her air supply. She will crawl back begging."

Hallie listened to the three most powerful people in New York plan to destroy her. It felt completely unreal.

Jacquelin twisted the large ruby ring on her finger. "Cecile's debut art show in Paris is next month. It is her entry into high society."

"We must erase Hallie before then," Jacquelin said. "I will not let the media call Cecile a homewrecker."

Aidan nodded. "I will use the PR team to bury Hallie. Cecile will be protected."

A hot, violent rage exploded inside Hallie. Her three years of pain meant nothing. They were going to step on her dead body to lift Cecile up.

The energy in the room spiked. The air grew freezing cold.

A loud crack echoed in the corner of the room. A large, antique blue-and-white vase split right down the middle.

All three of them turned their heads.

The Governor stared at the fractured porcelain, his eyes narrowing. "Have the house checked for structural vibrations," he commanded, his voice low. "And get this cleaned up. I don't want to see it again."

Aidan put his glass down. He checked his watch. "I am going to check on Cecile."

He walked out of the study. Hallie followed him. The sadness was gone. Only pure hatred remained.

Aidan walked quietly down the hall. He stopped a maid and asked for a glass of warm milk. He carried it to Cecile's suite.

Hallie floated behind him. Her face was blank.

Aidan did not knock. He pushed the door open. Warm yellow light spilled onto the floor.

Cecile was not in bed. She had changed out of the heavy coat. She wore a very thin, black lace nightgown.

She sat on the rug by the large window. She pulled her knees to her chest. She looked out at the dark trees. She looked incredibly fragile.

She heard Aidan's footsteps. She turned her head. Her eyes were wide and wet.

Aidan walked over quickly. He put the milk on the small table. He frowned. "Why are you on the floor? It is cold."

Cecile reached out and grabbed his leg. She looked up at him. "I close my eyes and I see her. I am so afraid she will come back and take you."

Hallie hovered near the ceiling. She watched the performance. Her stomach turned.

Aidan sighed. He bent down and scooped Cecile off the floor. He carried her to the large bed and set her down.

He handed her the glass. He watched her take a sip. "No one is taking you away from me," he said softly.

Cecile put the glass down. She grabbed the edge of Aidan's shirt. Her knuckles turned white.

"Do not leave me tonight," she begged. Her voice cracked. "Please, Aidan. I am terrified."

Aidan froze. His jaw tightened. He knew he was still legally married. Staying in her bed crossed a line.

He gently tried to pull her hand away. "I am right next door. Call me if you need anything."

Cecile let go immediately. She turned her face away. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I understand. I do not want to trap you. Go."

The rejection hit Aidan's pride. He looked at her bare shoulders shaking.

Aidan took off his suit jacket. He threw it over a chair. "I will stay on the sofa."

Cecile turned back. She smiled through her tears. She pulled the heavy blanket back. She patted the empty space next to her.

"The sofa is hard," she whispered. "Sleep here. I promise I will just sleep."

The air in the room grew thick. Aidan stared at her pale skin under the black lace. His breathing got slightly heavier.

Hallie watched him. This was the final test.

Aidan reached for his wrist. He unclasped his heavy Patek Philippe watch. He dropped it on the nightstand.

He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He climbed into the bed.

Cecile immediately wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his neck.

Aidan did not push her away. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

Hallie closed her eyes. The last piece of her marriage shattered into dust.

Down on the bed, Cecile slowly opened her eyes. Aidan could not see her face.

She looked straight up at the ceiling, a wide, wicked smirk spreading across her face. The prize was finally hers.

Hallie felt nothing. The man in the bed was dead to her. She waited in the silence for the sun to rise.