Chapter 3 - The Intruder in White
The delicate balance of Rosa's hidden life shattered when Victoria Haynes entered the picture. At twenty-eight, Victoria was a real estate heiress, polished to a terrifying gleam. She was blonde, flawless, and ruthless. To the society pages, Ethan and Victoria were a match made in corporate heaven—they didn't look in love; they looked correct.
Victoria moved through the Caldwell estate like she already owned the air inside it. She was demanding, dismissing the staff with waves of her manicured hands and sharp, cutting remarks. Rosa kept her head down, scrubbing the marble floors until they gleamed, swallowing her pride for the sake of Lily's winter boots and groceries.
But Victoria's presence made hiding Lily nearly impossible. The heiress had a habit of arriving unannounced, inspecting the home for non-existent flaws, mapping out her future domain. During a massive engagement gala, Rosa watched from the shadows as photographers snapped pictures of Victoria’s blinding diamond ring. Ethan looked calm, distant, and untouchable. Rosa went home that night, pulled Lily’s cartoon-moon blanket up to her chin, and cried silent tears into her pillow, mourning a life that could have been.
