Chapter 26: The Visitor with a Pretty Smile
The email came at dawn.
Florida had just finished adjusting her scarf around the faint bruises on her neck when her phone vibrated. She reached for it with numb fingers, the weight of yesterday's violence still heavy on her chest. Her eyes scanned the screen.
Noir Texture Studio.
> "Congratulations. You've been selected for a six-month placement at our atelier. Please confirm your availability. We look forward to meeting FLD."
Her breath caught. Her dream — the one she'd buried under silence, bruises, and contracts—had cracked open a door. A way out. A beginning.
She tucked the phone quickly under her pillow, just as a knock landed at her door.
"Ma'am," Mina's soft voice came through. "There's a visitor for you. Says she's family."
Florida froze. A chill swept over her.
There was only one person who would come with a smile and sharpened teeth.
---
Eve Smith stood in the drawing room like she owned it. Dressed in an ivory blouse tucked into tailored beige trousers, her hair sleek and makeup perfect, she looked like she belonged in a fashion magazine. But her eyes — they glittered with calculation.
"Well, well," Eve drawled, standing as Florida entered. "Look at you."
Florida didn't smile. "What do you want?"
Eve's red lips curved. "Is that how you greet family now?"
Florida remained still. "Say what you came to say."
Eve laughed softly, pacing around the room. "Father said you'd be miserable. Honestly, I thought I'd find you scrubbing floors or crying in some dark corner. But this? This is... unexpected."
She waved at the décor. "All this luxury. And you — in silk. It's almost cute."
Florida didn't respond. Her silence was a blade, honed by years of being overlooked.
"You were always so good at disappearing," Eve continued, her voice sugar-coated poison. "But now? The world's whispering about you. Photos in the tabloids. Bryant King's mysterious wife."
She leaned in closer. "Do you think this little fairytale will last? You may have the last name, Florida, but you'll never have the power."
Florida's jaw tightened.
Eve's gaze flickered, sharp. "Mom's company — I know you've got your hands in it somehow. But you were never good at business. That was supposed to be mine. All of it."
Still, Florida said nothing.
Eve's smile thinned. "You're not special. You were just the daughter they didn't want. And now? You're the wife they'll never respect. One mistake, Florida — and they'll toss you out like they always planned to."
She stepped back, brushing invisible dust from her sleeve.
"But enjoy it while it lasts. Just remember: being Mrs. King doesn't make you untouchable."
She turned and strode out, heels clicking like applause.
---
Back in her room, Florida sat on the edge of her bed. The walls felt closer, but her chest had never been fuller.
She pulled the email back up, rereading each word. Then she reached for her sketchbook, slid the letter inside, and shut it firmly.
> "You thought I'd be caged," she whispered.
> "But I'm building my door."