Chapter 5 - THE CITY OF LIES
Paris was cold,
a grey mist clinging to the Seine as we touched down at Le Bourget.
The Harrington security detail was doubled,
a wall of black suits that surrounded me as I stepped onto the tarmac.
We checked into the penthouse of a hotel that was not owned by the Vales.
I stood on the balcony,
looking at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
Somewhere in this city,
Ethan was preparing his victory speech.
He probably thought I was back in New York,
struggling to pay my rent.
He probably thought he had won.
Grace entered with a tablet,
her face illuminated by the screen.
“The guest list for the Grand Lumière has been finalized,”
she said.
“The French Minister of Finance is attending.”
“So are the CEOs of the top five European banks.”
“Ethan has promised them the Vale merger will be signed tonight.”
I took the tablet,
scrolling through the names.
I saw Madison Vale’s parents.
I saw Ethan’s mother—the woman I had cared for during her illness.
I felt a pang of sadness for her,
but it was quickly buried by the memory of the bodyguards’ boots.
“Have the legal papers been served?”
I asked.
“Not yet,”
Grace said.
“We’re waiting for the moment of the announcement.”
“We want the maximum impact.”
I nodded,
feeling the weight of the 37% share in my mind.
I wasn't just a wife anymore.
I was his boss.
I was the one who controlled his future.
I spent the afternoon with a team of French stylists,
ensuring that every hair was in place,
every line of the gold dress perfect.
I didn't want to look like a victim.
I didn't even want to look like a survivor.
I wanted to look like the person who owned the room.
Charles Harrington joined me for a late lunch.
He looked stronger than he had in years,
the mission giving him a new purpose.
“Are you ready,
Ava?”
“I’ve been ready for ten years,”
I said.
“I just didn't know it.”
I looked at the photo of my mother one last time.
I'm doing this for you,
Mom.
The sun began to set over Paris,
May you like
the sky turning a bruised purple.
It was time to go to the ball.
