Chapter 5

The black AMEX card felt heavy in my hand as Hannah passed it to me, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction.

"His own money," she said, "funding your resurrection."

I turned the card over, examining the embossed name—R.M. Montgomery—and felt a surge of something I hadn't experienced in years: power.

"We have three hours," Hannah said, checking her watch. "Let's make them count."

---

The private dressing room at Bergdorf's was larger than our entire bedroom. A rack of designer gowns stood ready, each one more stunning than the last. The personal shopper, a woman named Vivian with impeccable taste and discretion, circled me like an artist assessing a blank canvas.

"This," she declared, pulling out a sleek black gown with a razor-sharp silhouette, "is not a dress. It's armor."

I stepped into the gown, feeling the cool fabric slide against my skin. The transformation was immediate—every curve and line of my body celebrated rather than concealed. The woman who stared back at me from the mirror was a stranger—or perhaps she was the woman I'd been before Rhys had systematically erased me.

"Turn," Vivian instructed.

I rotated slowly, watching the fabric catch the light. There was nothing modest about this dress—it made no apologies for existing, for demanding attention.

"Perfect," Hannah murmured, her voice soft with approval. "He won't recognize you."

"That's the point," I replied, my voice steadier than I expected.

Next came shoes—Louboutins with heels that added four inches to my height. Then jewelry—diamonds that caught fire under the lights. Each piece was selected not just for beauty but for message: I am worth this. I deserve this.

As the makeup artist worked her magic, I closed my eyes and remembered another time, another mirror—the one in my law school dormitory where I'd practiced my courtroom presence, where I'd rehearsed arguments with the confidence of someone who believed she could change the world.

"Cora," Hannah said gently. "Look."

I opened my eyes and finally recognized the woman staring back at me—not the exhausted housewife who clipped coupons and apologized for existing, but the brilliant, fierce woman who had graduated top of her class, who had once believed anything was possible.

"Ten years," I whispered, touching my reflection. "Ten years he stole from me."

"Time to take them back," Hannah said.

---

James's small backpack sat open on his bed as I carefully folded his favorite sweater inside.

"Will Aunt Maggie have cookies?" he asked, his innocent question piercing my heart.

"Yes," I promised, smiling at his trusting face. "And her special hot chocolate."

I didn't tell him that Maggie was actually Hannah's cousin, a former FBI agent who lived in a secure compound two hours away. I didn't explain that this wasn't a normal weekend visit—it was protection against whatever might happen at the gala.

"Mommy, are you okay?" James's voice was small, perceptive in the way children always are.

I knelt before him, smoothing his hair. "Yes, sweetheart. Just... things are changing."

"Daddy said changes are scary," he said, his brow furrowing in a way that was painfully reminiscent of Rhys.

"Some changes are scary," I agreed. "But some changes make things better. Safer."

James reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, smooth stone—one of his treasured collection. "For your evidence," he said solemnly, pressing it into my palm.

I stared at the rock, remembering how he'd started collecting them during our walks—our escape from the suffocating atmosphere Rhys created at home.

"Evidence," I repeated, closing my fingers around the stone.

"Like on your shows," he explained. "When you find the bad guys."

I kissed his forehead, breathing in the scent of his shampoo. "Yes, exactly like that."

By tomorrow, I promised him silently, our lives will be completely different. And safe.

---

The ballroom of the Grand Seattle Hotel glittered with chandeliers and the jewelry of the city's elite. As I stepped through the doors, conversation faltered, then resumed with renewed intensity—the whispers of people who sensed drama unfolding.

I moved through the crowd with measured steps, feeling the weight of stares. The dress Hannah had chosen was perfect—not just beautiful but strategic, designed to command attention while remaining elegant.

"Cora?"

I turned to find Rhys staring at me, his glass halfway to his lips. For perhaps the first time in our marriage, I saw genuine surprise in his eyes—followed quickly by something darker.

"You look..." he began, then stopped, reassessing me.

"Different?" I supplied, my smile razor-thin.

"Where did you get that dress?" he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

"Does it matter?"

His eyes narrowed as he processed the implications. "Who helped you?"

"Old friends," I replied vaguely.

Across the room, in the VIP section elevated above the main floor, I spotted Selena. Her eyes widened as she took in my transformation, her hand automatically rising to touch her collarbone—her tell.

She leaned toward Marcus Webb, whispering urgently. He nodded, his gaze finding me in the crowd.

"Excuse me," I said to Rhys. "I believe someone is looking for me."

As I walked away, I felt Rhys's eyes burning into my back—the eyes of a man who suddenly realized he no longer controlled the narrative.

Selena's trap was about to spring. But so was mine.