The Woman Behind the Storm

Elara Vale did not believe in luck.

She believed in patience.

The Bellanti estate disappeared in her rearview mirror as her car slid through the winding road, headlights cutting through dusk like quiet certainty. She did not look back.

She never looked back.

In the front seat, her driver waited for instruction.

“Home?” he asked.

Elara’s fingers tapped once against the armrest.

“No,” she said softly. “Take me to the waterfront office.”

She needed ...