Mary's POV

I lift my glass slowly, letting the champagne settle before it reaches my lips. The bubbles tickle my nose, sharp and celebratory, the way success is supposed to feel. The restaurant is quiet but expensive, tucked away in another town where no one knows our names and no one is watching closely enough to matter. Soft music hums in the background. Linen tablecloth. Crystal glasses. The kind of place where futures are planned and sealed with smiles.

Victoria sits across from me, ...