The opulent silence of Violet Bento’s penthouse was shattered, not by the usual sounds of the city below, but by the raw, unraveling scream of a trapped animal. Ceci stood trembling in the center of the minimalist living room, the scales finally falling from her eyes. The intimate confidante, the generous benefactor—it had all been a grotesque mirage.

“You’re using me!” The accusation tore from Ceci’s throat, her voice cracking with the force of her betrayal. “You said those ...