Chapter 36

Vanessa leaned back in her plush armchair, the amber glow of a single lamp casting long, eerie shadows across her dimly lit apartment. The faint hum of the city buzzed outside her window, but inside, her world was a storm of twisted delight. She twirled the glass of whiskey in her hand, the ice clinking softly as she stared at the ceiling with a grin that could only be described as predatory. Happiness—dark, venomous happiness—spread across her face as she replayed the moment she’d heard the news of Elena’s miscarriage. It wasn’t enough to simply ruin their happiness; Vanessa wanted to dismantle their lives piece by piece until nothing remained. “I’ll always have the best and last laugh,” she murmured to herself, her voice dripping with satisfaction. She giggled softly, the sound chilling in its contrast to the malice behind her words. Elena and Derek had been her target for months, ever since she’d seen the way Derek looked at Elena—like she was his entire world. That kind of love made Vanessa’s stomach churn. She’d never had that, and if she couldn’t, no one else would either.