Emily Blair slid the folder back into place, her hands gripping her knees.
Everything most people could only dream of, Isabella Austin had collected early on—family name, beauty, prestigious education, a coveted job, admiration from all sides. She had it all, plus a loving partner and a family that adored her.
Her life seemed to follow every beat of the fairy-tale heroine’s story, perfectly on script.
Dazzling, enviable—truly one of Fortune’s favorites.
Not just a few, but many—friends and fans alike—called Isabella the real-life leading lady, the woman who had it all.
And for once, Emily felt the sting of jealousy twist inside her.
She could envy, too. She could feel resentment.
She had been born ordinary—her father the Lane family’s chauffeur, her mother their housekeeper. If not for her father, Emily might never have stepped into the world of Andrew Lane and Isabella Austin, a world so far out of reach.
Even if she did set foot in it, it was a place her father had paid dearly—his very life—for her to glimpse.
And still, it was never truly her world. She could never belong.
She had never harbored ill intentions, always walked the straight and narrow, never done anyone harm.
So she couldn’t understand—why did someone like Isabella Austin, who hurt others and herself, get to start so high, and always land on her feet?
Why did Isabella get a happy ending?
And then there was her daughter’s accident—the car crash Isabella was entirely responsible for.
Yet somehow, there’d been no justice, no retribution.
A sharp pain stabbed at Emily’s heart, so intense her face drained of color and her body trembled.
Just then, Andrew Lane returned and opened the door. Emily drew a deep breath, steadying herself.
Not wanting him to notice her distress, she turned her face toward the window, fighting to calm the storm inside.
Once she’d composed herself, she glanced at the bag of fruit Andrew had set on the back seat.
Tart fruit, mostly—probably for Isabella, to help ease her morning sickness.
Andrew drove fast on the way back, clearly eager to get home.
Emily knew exactly what drove his urgency, but she didn’t protest. She wanted to get home quickly, too.
Andrew pulled up outside her apartment building, and Emily wasted no time getting out, moving quickly.


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