That night, Andrew took me to Il Segreto, a high-end Italian restaurant that specialized in guarding the privacy of its clientele. As soon as we arrived, the maître d’ made us surrender our cell phones so that we could not photograph other diners and took us to our own room in the back of the restau
After about thirty minutes of flipping through channels, I gave up and turned off the TV. I threw the remote on the cushion next to me and pulled out my phone, deciding to watch online videos instead. I immediately regretted it. Every social media outlet and tabloid was focused on the shooting,
Heat rose into my cheeks. Of course, Lisa started that rumor. Bob probably encouraged her to do it, too. “How did she…was she just waiting for us at the staircase—” I stopped abruptly as I got a news alert on my phone. I dove for the device. As soon as I got my hands to quit shaking, I found
I sighed. “All right. What else?” “Just…be safe.” I smiled slightly at his concern. “I will be.” * * At work the next day, I expected that the human terrorist attack to be the center of conversation. However, as I entered the bridal shop, Jeffrey close behind me, what caught
With a budget approved by Lily, I went shopping for security cameras with Jeffrey. He helped me to choose the best ones and hide them in the shop where my colleagues wouldn’t be able to see them. We then set up the software on my phone so that I could review the footage wouldn’t my coworkers being a
“Well, Samantha, what do you have to say for yourself?” Lily asked. “I was only taking what was rightfully mine,” Samantha said. I gawked. Lily’s brows furrowed. “Rightfully yours? Please, explain to me, how are my company’s checks and my company’s property rightfully yours?” Samanth
The next night after work, I went home and put on one of my favorite red, knee-length dresses. It scooped low in the back and cut down far enough in the front to give a peek at my breasts. Although the dress was no longer in fashion, I was certain that it would catch Andrew’s attention. I curled
“I’m not,” I said, moving farther down the booth from him. “My date went to get us drinks.” I pointed Andrew out at the bar. The man in the fox mask frowned. “That loser? You deserve better than him.” I nearly choked on that remark. I didn’t know what he thought would be “better” than An
That night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
Sensing the urgency in Noah’s voice, I leaned in closer. “What is it?” I asked, trying to suppress the anticipation in my voice. Noah’s grip on my hands tightened. “I’m going to study financial law in the human world.” I froze. My heart thumped hard against my ribs, so hard that I thought th
The nightmares did not stop. In fact, they got worse. By the end of that week, I was having at least one every night, and it was showing in behavior during the day. I could scarcely stay awake. At my new branch of Ever After Weddings, I had to sneak off into the breakroom whenever there were no cu
I dreamt of the Lunar Festival. Noah and I walked hand-in-hand through the stalls, enjoying the sparkling lights and the company of our new pack mates. Yet something was off. I could feel a chill in the air, a foreboding that I could not quite shake off. “We should get out of here,” I said, tryi