The Price of Defiance

Clara

Stepping out of the yellow cab, I stood before the towering iron gates of our family’s luxurious estate. I swallowed hard against the dry lump forming in my throat. This sprawling mansion, with its pristine manicured lawns, tall hedges, and sweeping stone driveways, was a lavish engagement gift courtesy of Dominic’s parents. Once upon a time, I viewed it as a grand blessing, a symbol of two