Natalie sat in her lavish penthouse, the city lights painting the room in a golden glow. The champagne glass in her hand trembled as she stared out at the sprawling skyline, her reflection a distorted image in the floor-to-ceiling windows. It had been months since Daisy’s death—months since she thought her path to Louis’s heart would finally be clear.

But it wasn’t.

She clenched her jaw as bitterness washed over her. Nothing had gone the way she planned. Louis barely looked at her, let alone offered her any affection. He was like a statue, cold and unmoving, consumed by his own demons.

Even the business appearances she had pushed him...