I stood in front of the mirror in my new apartment, adjusting the emerald green gown. Not the apartment I'd shared with Ethan. Not Liam's place. Mine. A penthouse I'd bought with my divorce settlement. A space that belonged only to me.
"You look incredible," Harper said from the doorway. She was wearing midnight blue, her hair swept up elegantly. "Ready to make your grand reappearance?"
Tonight was the Knight Foundation Gala. The same event where, last year, Ethan had brought Layla as his date. Where he'd tried to intimidate me with her presence.
This year, everything was different.
"Ready," I said. And meant it.
The past six months had been transformative. Four weeks in the Maldives with Liam, where I'd finally learned to sleep without nightmares. Then returning to build Carter Consu
