“Darling,” Alexander murmured with intimate tenderness, his voice low, careful, and disturbingly affectionate, “once Gabriel releases the funds, everything will finally align exactly as we planned.”
My pulse slowed not from calmness, but from disbelief so profound that comprehension struggled momentarily against instinctive denial, leaving my body frozen while my mind strained to reconcile the familiarity of his voice with the unfamiliar cruelty of his words.
A woman’s laughter followed, light, amused, unmistakably recognizable.
It was Elise Moretti, my closest friend, whose presence within my life had always symbolized trust, loyalty, and shared history rather than concealed destruction.
“And Camille?” Elise asked casually, her tone relaxed, almost playful. “Does she suspect anything at all?”
Alexander responded with a confidence that pierced through me like sudden ice.
“Camille trusts completely,” he replied smoothly. “Her brother raised her to believe loyalty is permanent and unquestionable.”