Chapter 5 — Then Chloe Walked In

The woman who appeared on those screens looked nothing like the soft-spoken, elegant fiancee I believed I knew.

It happened the instant she crossed the threshold, as though she had shed a costume at the door.

Her graceful posture hardened.

Her sweet smile vanished completely, replaced by a cold, sneering scowl I had never once seen on her face in all the months I had known her.

Valeria was sitting on the rug near the fireplace, quietly reading a book.