Chapter 3: Gilded Cages

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:27:04 +0000

Evelyn Sterling's world was a study in curated calm. Where Lara's room was an explosion, Evelyn's was a sanctuary of cream tones, clean lines, and a single, breathtaking orchid on her bedside table. She moved through her morning routine with a silent, ingrained ritual: half an hour of meditation, a skincare regimen involving precisely three serums, and selecting an outfit that whispered professionalism and taste. Today it was a tailored sheath dress the color of sea mist, with the vintage scarf. Her scarf knotted with artful negligence at her throat. A silent reassertion of a boundary.