Chapter 2

Damien and Chloe returned to the villa at nine that night.

Chloe dragged her feet toward the entrance. Selene had insisted they go home because Camille had traveled so far to see them. Damien had added that if they stayed away, Camille might try to join tomorrow's beach trip.

"What if Mom forces her way into our plans?" Chloe asked.

"She won't."

Damien did not hesitate. Camille had spent their entire marriage yielding to him. One firm refusal had always been enough to make her retreat.

Reassured, Chloe hurried inside and asked Marianne to prepare her bath.

The housekeeper approached Damien with an envelope. "Mrs. Harrington left this for you."

He accepted it without interest. "Where is she?"

"She returned home this afternoon."

Damien paused on the stairs. "She left?"

"Yes. She seemed upset. Angry, perhaps."

The idea almost amused him. Camille had never stayed angry with him. Whatever had upset her would pass.

He carried the envelope upstairs, then tossed it onto the bed when Selene called. By the time he left again, it lay forgotten on the floor.

Marianne found it the next morning and assumed Damien had already read it. She placed it in a drawer.

Hundreds of miles away, Camille packed the remains of her old life.

Six years in the house had filled closets and shelves, but she took only clothes, toiletries, and several college books she still could not bear to lose.

Damien had opened separate accounts for Camille and Chloe. Camille had never touched Chloe's money. Her own allowance had mostly gone back into the family: Damien's clothes, Chloe's gifts, carefully chosen things meant to make them happy.

With Damien and Chloe abroad, more than three million dollars had accumulated.

Camille transferred it all back, left the cards behind, and walked out.

Her own apartment was small and immaculate. She had bought it years earlier to help a friend in financial trouble and had never expected to need it herself.

By five, she had cleaned enough to sleep.

At one in the morning, an alarm tore her awake.

Seven in Lucerne. Chloe's breakfast time.

For months Camille had woken at this hour to call her daughter. At first Chloe had clung to every conversation. Lately she had answered with impatience or avoided the calls entirely.

Camille deleted the alarm.

In Lucerne, Damien and Chloe finished breakfast without Camille's usual call. Damien barely noticed. Chloe was delighted and ran for the car before Marianne could stop her.

The following morning Camille entered Harrington Group and placed her resignation letter in front of Caleb Doyle.

"I'm done," she said.