Audrey's POV:

The plane touched down at JFK with a heavy thud, vibrating through my aching temples. Ten hours in the air had left me physically drained, but it was the mental exhaustion that weighed most heavily. Returning to New York meant confronting the past I had tried to outrun for four long years.

I am the adopted daughter of the Bailey family. Four years ago, when the family’s biological princess, Sienna, got cold feet before a high-stakes contract marriage, they sacrificed me to take her place. I was the convenient substitute—the girl they took in, now expected to pay her debt in silence.

The mysterious groom never showed his face during the quiet, cold proceedings. Whispers in the social circles suggested he was a reclusive eccentric, perhaps even someone too unsightly to be seen. I didn't care. He never contacted me after the papers were signed, and I welcomed the silence. I used that freedom to build a new life in London as an artist. But now, with the contract nearing its end, he had suddenly demanded a meeting.

"Welcome back, New York's most enigmatic artist!"

A familiar, loud voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see Clara Willow leaning against her flashy red convertible. Her blonde hair captured the midday sun, and despite the designer sunglasses covering half her face, her million-dollar smile was unmistakable.

"Clara!" I felt a genuine spark of joy as I rushed toward her. "How did you know I was landing today?"

Clara threw her arms wide for a fierce hug. "Please, you think I’d let my bestie take a sketchy cab? Grandma Margaret spilled the beans. London clearly suited you—you’ve got this whole 'boss-lady' vibe now."

"I had to level up," I said, buckling my seatbelt as we sped away from the airport. "The 'family reunion from hell' requires a certain armor."

At the mention of the Baileys, the light atmosphere in the car turned heavy. Clara’s expression shifted to one of deep concern. "I’ve always wanted to ask... what really happened back then? You just vanished. Cut off everyone."

I watched the New York skyline blur past, feeling a familiar ache. The Bailey mansion had once been my safe harbor, but everything changed when Sienna returned. I had sworn never to set foot there again, but Margaret—my grandmother—was the one person I couldn't abandon. Her health was failing, and she was the only Bailey who had ever truly loved me.

"I'll tell you everything when the time is right," I said quietly. "But first, I have a debt to settle and an explanation to demand."

When the car pulled up in front of the Baileys' Upper East Side residence, my throat tightened. The building gleamed with the same cold, high-gloss polish as the people inside.

"Remember, one call and I’m your emergency exit," Clara promised as I grabbed my luggage.

"I can handle them now, Clara. I’m not that panicked girl anymore."

I walked toward the entrance, each step a confrontation with a memory. I pressed the doorbell, and within seconds, the door opened. Grandmother Margaret stood there, her silver hair whiter than I remembered, but her elegance remained untouched.

"Audrey, my darling girl!"

I dropped my bags and collapsed into her embrace, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender and old books. "Grandma, I’ve missed you so much."

"Perfect timing," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Dinner is just beginning. They’re all waiting."

I followed her into the dining room. The setting was as opulent as ever—fine china, silver candlesticks, and the suffocating air of old money. My foster mother, Eleanor, and Sienna were mid-laugh, but the moment they saw me, the air in the room seemed to crystallize.

Sienna was the first to break the silence. She jumped up with an artificial brightness, arms outstretched as if we were the closest of sisters. "Audrey! Oh my God, you're finally home!"

As she moved in for a hug, I casually shifted my weight, taking a calculated half-step back. Sienna’s arms grasped at empty air, and for a split second, her perfect porcelain smile faltered, revealing the sharp edge of the woman beneath.

The battle had officially begun.