The crisp autumn air carried the scent of pine needles and damp earth, a stark contrast to the sterile air of the city she had left behind. Mariana stood on the porch of the vacation house, her gaze sweeping across the sprawling countryside. It was a beautiful property, a haven of peace and tranquility, a gift from Benedict as part of their divorce settlement.
But the beauty held no allure for her. It was a gilded cage, a reminder of the life she had lost, a life that had been built on a foundation of wealth and privilege, a life that had been ripped away from her.
She was Mariana Clemente again, a divorced woman, stripped of her social standing, her identity, her very sense of self. The 100 million dollars, a hefty sum that would secure her financial future, felt like a cruel joke. It c
