Kate sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

Dark circles framed her eyes, a testament to the restless night she had spent tossing and turning.

She hadn’t bothered to apply any makeup—what was the point? Today wasn’t about looking beautiful. It was about sending a message.

She didn’t dress to kill, either. Instead, she threw on a plain, oversized sweater and a pair of faded jeans.

Her hair, usually styled to perfection, hung loosely over her shoulders, slightly tangled from the way she had run her fingers through it in frustration all night.

Today, she wasn’t the glamorous woman people expected her...