Chapter 1

I died on a Tuesday. The official cause was a stress-induced heart attack, a polite way of saying my career, my reputation, and my life had been so thoroughly destroyed that my own body gave up. I was Gabrielle Smith, once the undefeated star of Chicago's corporate law scene. Now, I was just a ghost, a whisper in the hallowed halls of the firm I helped build.

My spirit lingered, a disembodied spectator at my own memorial service. It was a somber affair, filled with forced eulogies from people who had ostracized me. They thought I was either a corrupt lawyer who took a bribe or a reckless fool who' d used falsified evidence in the biggest case of my career. The Russo insider trading trial. It ended in a mistrial, my disbarment, and a lawsuit that nearly crippled the firm.

Only one person had stood by me: Andrew Clark. My childhood friend, my law school companion, the man I' d secretly loved for years. He was there now, looking suitably heartbroken.

Then I saw her. Molly Johns. The paralegal Andrew had mentored and brought into the firm, a mousy woman from a lesser law school who always seemed to be in my shadow. She pulled Andrew into a quiet corner, her face streaked with tears. I drifted closer, an invisible eavesdropper to the conversation that would change everything.

"I can't do this, Andrew," she sobbed, her voice a raw whisper. "Seeing all these people... talking about her... it' s my fault."

Andrew wrapped his arms around her, a gesture of comfort that felt all wrong. "Shh, Molly. It's over. No one knows."

"But they should!" she cried, burying her face in his chest. "I swapped the evidence file. I did it to protect Russo. He promised me a fortune, said the original evidence was tainted anyway and the firm would drop him. I couldn't let that happen."

My non-existent heart stopped. It was her. She was the one who ruined me.

But Andrew' s next words were the true kill shot.

He stroked her hair. "I know, Molly. I knew all along."

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. "I helped you cover it up. It was the only way. I was so tired of living in her shadow, of her getting everything. This was my chance to... atone. To let her take the fall for once."

The shock wasn't a gentle wave. It was a physical jolt, a lightning strike that tore through my spectral form. The polished floors of the law firm dissolved, the mournful faces faded, and the scent of funeral lilies was replaced by the familiar smell of old books and fresh coffee.

I gasped, a real, lung-filling breath.

My eyes snapped open. I was in my office, my hand resting on the smooth mahogany of my desk. The clock on my wall read 3:15 PM.

A knock came at the door.

"Gabrielle? I have the final discovery files for the Russo case."

It was Molly' s voice.

I looked at the calendar. It was the day before the trial was set to begin. The day she handed me the forged evidence. The day my downfall began.

But not this time. This time, I knew.