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\nA luxury yacht | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
In the affluent coastal town of Tidal Cove, secrets run deep as the ocean. Selene is just trying to rebuild her life, working as a caterer for the town\u2019s elite. But when ambitious divorc\u00e9e and reporter Lexi uncovers a cryptic note during a party, she strikes back at the rich and famous, determined to get her life back on track\u2026<\/p>\n
The ocean shimmered like a jeweled blanket under the fading sun, but all eyes on the shore were fixed on the Montgomery yacht. Docked just beyond the marina, its towering sails and sleek white hull announced that this was no ordinary party.<\/p>\n
\nA luxury yacht | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
This was Tidal Cove\u2019s elite at their finest, celebrating themselves.<\/p>\n
I moved through the crowd with a tray of champagne, careful to keep my smile neutral. That was the rule.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo seductive or suggestive smiles, do you understand? You lot are made to be\u2026 there. Not noticed. Just seen. But not seen, do you understand?\u201d Madeline, my head chef, drawled on as she puffed on her cigarette when I had first started in the catering field.<\/p>\n
It was a lesson that I never seemed to shake off.<\/p>\n
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\nAn older woman smoking a cigarette | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
I was young, and I needed money quickly; catering to the elite seemed like the best option.<\/p>\n
Tonight, like every other event where I was hired to cater, I was invisible, just the help. And that suited me fine.<\/p>\n
Until I heard his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelene.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nA woman holding a tray of champagne glasses | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
Reginald leaned against the railing, his silver hair catching the golden light, his tailored navy blazer crisp and stylish, like himself. His smile was warm, but there was something disarming in the way he said my name.<\/p>\n
It was like I mattered.<\/p>\n
\u201cSir,\u201d I said, smiling back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you, Selene, when you\u2019re working my events, you\u2019re supposed to call me Reginald or Reg. None of this \u2018Sir\u2019 business.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nA man on a yacht | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry,\u201d I said. \u201cForce of habit. Before I went out on my own, we were trained to be\u2026 unseen. Or just seen enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been working too hard. Let me take that,\u201d he said, reaching for the tray, but I shook my head, stepping back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I said quickly. \u201cIt\u2019s fine. I can manage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways so self-sufficient, Selene. Like the moon you\u2019re named after, huh?\u201d he chuckled.<\/p>\n
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\nA smiling woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t tell if I was flattered by him or whether he just came across as slimy. But before I could respond, a woman approached. She was striking with sleek auburn hair, emerald-green eyes, and a dress that probably cost more than my rent for the year. Her smile didn\u2019t quite reach her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cReginald,\u201d she purred, her voice as smooth as the champagne in my flutes.<\/p>\n
She looked so familiar, but I couldn\u2019t place her face. But then again, the rich in this town all seemed to have similar looks; there was only one doctor they allowed to alter their looks.<\/p>\n
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\nA woman on a yacht | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a marvelous party, darling,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd who is this? She\u2019s cute as a button!\u201d<\/p>\n
Her gaze flicked to me, assessing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is Selene,\u201d Reg said simply.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelene,\u201d she repeated, extending her hand. \u201cAlexandra. But everyone calls me Lexi. Alexandra was my grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNice to meet you,\u201d I said hesitantly, shaking her hand while I tightly held onto the tray with the other.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me, Selene,\u201d Lexi said, tilting her head. \u201cWhat\u2019s it like working for someone as\u2026 accomplished as Reginald?\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t have to answer. Reg stiffened beside me, his mouth forming into a pout that looked unnatural on his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cLexi,\u201d he said, his tone cooling. \u201cAre you here to enjoy the evening or to work?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled broadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not both, Reg? You know how it is now, I\u2019m single and unattached. I can actually work at events, not stay stuck onto Richard\u2019s arm.\u201d<\/p>\n
I left them to their exchange and slipped below deck, eager to escape the tension. Lexi\u2019s gaze had been too sharp, too knowing, like she\u2019d been looking for something, and I wasn\u2019t sure what.<\/p>\n
Lexi wasn\u2019t here for the champagne or the conversation. She\u2019d heard whispers about Tidal Cove\u2019s glittering surface hiding something darker. The glitz and glamor could only hide so much.<\/p>\n
As a reporter, she lived for the whispers. But until tonight, they\u2019d been just that.<\/p>\n
Now, as she moved through the lounge below deck, she spotted it: a folded piece of paper lying atop the piano. Her heart raced as she picked it up.<\/p>\n
The truth about Tidal Cove\u2019s legacy is buried at the Montgomery estate. Seek the ledger.<\/p>\n
She slipped the note into her clutch, her instincts buzzing. This wasn\u2019t just a party; this was a story. For the first time since her divorce, she felt her spirits rise.<\/p>\n
She needed to get back to being at the top of her field. She had won awards for her fearless journalism. And then what? She had married Richard and fallen into the trap of being yet another wealthy wallflower wife.<\/p>\n
No. This story was going to bring her back.<\/p>\n
Two days later, Lexi cornered me in the catering kitchen at another one of Reg\u2019s endless galas.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think Reg is as noble as he seems?\u201d she asked casually, leaning against the counter as I chopped coriander.<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t gossip about my clients if that\u2019s what you\u2019re getting at. I worked hard to break out on my own, Lexi. My reputation for just cooking and catering without asking any questions is what got me here. I won\u2019t talk ill of Reginald.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not,\u201d she said smoothly. \u201cBut don\u2019t you ever wonder how someone like Reg gets to the top? You\u2019ve worked with him, Selene. Surely, you\u2019ve noticed\u2026 things.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t respond. Instead, I offered her a goat\u2019s cheese and fig tartlet and continued with my job.<\/p>\n
But her words followed me long after she left.<\/p>\n
Later that night, as I packed up, I overheard Reg talking in low tones with a man in a tailored suit. From where I was standing, I couldn\u2019t see Reg, only the man, who looked nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn\u2019t leave the room,\u201d Reg was saying between what sounded like long cigar drags. \u201cWe can\u2019t afford loose ends right now. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man nodded, his expression grim.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsider it handled. This won\u2019t get away. I won\u2019t let it,\u201d he said, suddenly bolder than he looked.<\/p>\n
They walked into Reg\u2019s library before I could hear more, but it was Lexi\u2019s questions which nagged at me. What didn\u2019t Reg want anyone to know?<\/p>\n
When Lexi texted me the next day, asking to meet at the docks, I almost ignored her.<\/p>\n
But curiosity, or maybe something deeper, got the better of me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need your help,\u201d she said the moment I arrived, standing up and slipping her phone into her bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp with what, Lexi?\u201d I asked wearily.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting into Reg\u2019s estate. You have your ways in, don\u2019t you? You\u2019re like his designated caterer, aren\u2019t you? He\u2019s hiding something, something that could ruin this town if it gets out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re asking me to betray him?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her closely. Her hair was just as sleek as it had been on the evening we met, but her eyes were tired, like she had been spending too many nights poured over screens or reading through articles with tiny fonts. Her fingers were covered in ink, like she had been going through newspaper articles.<\/p>\n
Was this the same woman I had met? She looked\u2026 unhinged. Like a crazed dog with a bone who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m asking you to stand up for yourself, Selene,\u201d Lexi said, her voice hardening. \u201cI\u2019m not asking you to betray him. It\u2019s about looking at the bigger picture. Don\u2019t you get tired of being invisible? People like Reg, they stay untouchable because people like you let them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA ledger. A journal. A planner. Ideally a laptop, but that would be password-protected. You\u2019ll know it when you see it, Selene. Come on. Don\u2019t be a wallflower while the world burns around you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her words stung more than I cared to admit. I couldn\u2019t say yes, but I didn\u2019t say no either.<\/p>\n
After meeting Selene, Lexi realized how much she needed her for her investigation. But Reg was good. When he wanted something, he would stick to it. And he would get his way.<\/p>\n
Maybe he had promised Selene something. Or maybe his shameless flirting led her to believe that one day, he would make her visible. He could make her be seen in the world of elites.<\/p>\n
But Lexi wanted Reg to be exposed. She needed it. The town did, too.<\/p>\n
That night, I couldn\u2019t sleep. Lexi\u2019s words replayed in my mind, but so did Reg\u2019s charm. It was his laughter, and how he\u2019d looked at me, like I mattered. Like I wasn\u2019t invisible.<\/p>\n
But then I remembered the way his voice had dropped when he spoke to that man.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn\u2019t leave the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before I knew it, I had abandoned my cup of tea and made my way to his estate, sneaking through the darkened halls. I wasn\u2019t breaking in exactly, I had a key. I catered for Reg so often that he knew I\u2019d need to be in and out.<\/p>\n
His study smelled of leather and cologne, the moonlight casting long shadows over the shelves.<\/p>\n
There was only one locked drawer in the desk. It didn\u2019t take much effort to pick the lock. The ledger.<\/p>\n
Flipping through the pages, my stomach twisted. It looked like bribes, blackmail, and notes about shady land deals filled every line. Tidal Cove\u2019s shining boardwalk, its top-rated schools, the glitzy marina, they\u2019d all been built on lies.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t sure exactly how damning the information would be. But I knew Lexi would make sense of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be here,\u201d Reg said from the doorway.<\/p>\n
I froze, the ledger trembling in my hands.<\/p>\n
He stepped into the room, his face unreadable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing, Selene?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lied,\u201d I said, trying to keep my voice calm. But something had changed. It was like a switch had flipped inside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything you\u2019ve built, it\u2019s all a lie, isn\u2019t it? Lexi was right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that simple,\u201d he said, his tone softening. \u201cDo you think this town would even exist without those deals? Without me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut at what cost?\u201d I asked, tears welling in my eyes. \u201cYou ruined lives, Reg. It shows here that you\u2019ve used people. You\u2019ve taken their money\u2026 for what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saved this town!\u201d he snapped. \u201cThe boardwalk, the schools, the hospital. None of it would exist without me. Sometimes, you have to make hard choices for the greater good, Selene. It\u2019s just like making a deal with the devil. Someone has to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t pretend you did this for the town,\u201d I said. \u201cYou did this for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
His shoulders sagged, but he said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo,\u201d he said. \u201cJust, go. I thought you were different, Selene.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHere,\u201d I said when I walked into Lexi\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n
Lexi had been sitting on the floor of her living room surrounded by stacks of paper.<\/p>\n
I threw the ledger at her, \u201cI don\u2019t have anything else to say,\u201d I added before walking out.<\/p>\n
Finally, Lexi thought. I can expose the man who had taken Richard\u2019s money. I can expose the man who had ruined my marriage and caused my ex-husband to flee town. But I guess I\u2019ll never know who left that note on the piano.<\/p>\n
The next morning, Lexi\u2019s expos\u00e9 hit the news.<\/p>\n
The Montgomery Empire: Built on Lies and Despair.<\/p>\n
Tidal Cove erupted. Reg\u2019s business partners abandoned him, and his name became a curse in the town he once ruled.<\/p>\n
Lexi didn\u2019t escape unscathed either. Some residents praised her courage, but others accused her of exploiting the town for her own gain. Caught in the middle, I found myself standing in a packed town hall, staring at Lexi while people asked her questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth hurts,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s the only way forward. We can\u2019t cling to the past if we want a future worth fighting for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room fell silent.<\/p>\n
In the weeks that followed, the tides began to shift in Tidal Cove. Reg stepped down from his leadership roles, quietly selling off his business, but not before he sent a huge amount of money straight into my bank account.<\/p>\n
One day, he came into my caf\u00e9, which is what I had expanded my catering business into. He looked smaller and different in his casual clothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to say thank you,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen everything is sold, I\u2019m going to leave. I think I\u2019d like to disappear into the city somewhere. Go reinvent myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do it for you,\u201d I replied. \u201cAnd you should get out. I agree, Reg.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lexi left town, her story a national sensation. Whether she regretted the fallout, I\u2019d never know. I also never figured out why she was so hell-bent on her discovery. There were rumors that it had to do with her ex-husband, but that\u2019s speculation\u2026<\/p>\n
As for me, I stayed. My little catering business became a hub for the community, and the caf\u00e9 became a place where people came not just for food, but for connection.<\/p>\n
Look, despite how perfect the town was, and how wealthy the people were, Tidal Cove was changing. For the first time, I felt like I belonged, not as part of the elite, but as someone who used her autonomy for good.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, tearing down the walls is the only way to see the horizon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the affluent coastal town of Tidal Cove, secrets run deep as the ocean. Selene is just trying to rebuild her life, working as a caterer for the town\u2019s elite. But when ambitious divorc\u00e9e and reporter Lexi uncovers a cryptic note during a party, she strikes back at the rich and famous, determined to get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22633"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22640,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22633\/revisions\/22640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}