The Forgery of a Life

From the back cover

To enter Sterling City’s elite, I forged a new identity: Clara, the lost granddaughter of master Alistair Finch. My target was Andrew Vance, the city’s untouchable tech mogul.

I buried my true self, polishing every rough edge until I was flawless as jade. It was the only way, I thought, to stand beside my radiant, distant moon.

I believed if my performance was perfect, we could share a lifetime under that moon.

Then I saw my ever-calm husband publicly explode over a wild-haired coffee shop girl, destroying a billion-dollar deal.

I stayed to clean his mess at a gallery gala. But on the terrace, I overheard a world-shattering talk:

“Andrew, your ‘artist’ wife is quite dutiful, playing nice with the sharks for you.”

“She’s the perfect facade for my new-money mansion—a perfect fake.”

“A painter from the projects… thinks mixing colors can hide her poverty?”

Through the phone, Andrew’s lazy chuckle rang with amusement.

He knew. He’d always known.

He had been acting, too.