TheFirstPieceon the Board
The night felt unusually quiet.
From the floor-to-ceiling windows of her apartment, the city stretched endlessly beneath the darkness, thousands of lights glowing across the skyline like stars scattered across the earth.
Normally, Talia enjoyed this view.
Tonight, she barely noticed it.
A half-empty glass rested on the coffee table beside her while her phone remained clenched tightly in her hand.
Her eyes were fixed on the photograph displayed on the screen.
The same photograph she had looked at over twenty times already.
Evelyn.
Adrian.
The coffee shop.
The two of them seated across from each other.
Talking.
Looking far too comfortable.
A slow smile appeared on her face.
For the first time in weeks, she felt something close to satisfaction.
Ever since Evelyn's rise began, everything seemed to move in the other woman's favor.
Every attack failed.
Every scandal backfired.
Every attempt to drag her down somehow elevated her even further.
