Chapter 2 - The Hidden Heiress
Sloane Harrington was the quintessential Chicago socialite—arrogant, entitled, and fiercely protective of her family's status. Her boyfriend, Nolan Whitmore, was a mid-level commercial real estate developer desperately trying to break into the upper echelons of the city's power structure.
To Sloane, Clara Bennett was merely a face she recognized from the high-end catering company that serviced her country club. She had seen Clara carrying trays of champagne and wiping down tables, assuming she was a working-class nobody who had somehow sneaked into the exclusive Ashford Gala.
What Sloane didn't know was that Clara didn't work for the catering company—she owned it.
Furthermore, Clara was the sole surviving heiress to the Bennett Foundation, a massive philanthropic trust that owned the very real estate the Ashford Grand Hotel was built upon. Clara preferred to work hands-on with her staff, valuing hard work and humility over the superficial vanity of the elite.
Six months ago, Clara had married Roman Raines.
Roman was a man the city whispered about in hushed, fearful tones. He was the head of the Raines Syndicate, a powerful, shadow-broker family that controlled the city's shipping ports and labor unions. Despite his dangerous reputation, Roman loved Clara with a fierce, unwavering devotion, respecting her desire to keep their marriage private and her philanthropic work separate from his dark empire.
When Sloane saw Clara standing alone near the buffet table while Roman was checking his coat, she saw an opportunity to humiliate someone she deemed "beneath" her.
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She had no idea she had just physically assaulted the wife of the most dangerous man in Chicago.
👉 Read Part 3 to see Sloane's terrifying realization.
