“Hello, Crystal! Let me check.” There was the sound of clicking on the keyboard, and then a humming came across the phone. “I am sorry, but we do not seem to have an order for you.” “What? Are you sure? It would have been made by Fabian Gallo.” “Yes, I am sure.” “Well, is there any way tha
Now that Fabian’s feelings were known, his efforts to undermine my authority seemed to triple. In a week, he ignored—or half-assed—every request I made of him. Even most of the other employees were getting tired of him because they had to pick up his slack. When I complained to Lily, she took Fabi
“Yeah. It’s wild, isn’t it?” Terri said from behind the counter. “Especially why he got fired.” I set my bag behind the counter. “What do you mean?” “You didn’t hear? I would think you of all people would know.” Terri’s playful smirk confused me more than anything else. “Was it because he
With the problems involving Fabian resolved, I was able to focus on the next big event in my life: Nikolas and Eliza’s wedding. Set to occur that Sunday, it was actually going to be a small event with only a few family members and friends in attendance, but everything had to be perfect. Nikolas and
“It’s Eliza,” Nikolas said, his tone sad. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?” “Yes, yes, she’s perfectly fine. I just…I don’t know about this wedding.” I furrowed my brow and turned to face him. “What do you mean?” “Eliza is so beautiful and full of life. There’s no way that she’ll be happy being
We woke up early on Sunday morning for a quick breakfast before we had to start getting ready for the wedding. Eliza’s younger sisters helped me get her into her wedding dress, while Andrew and a couple of Nikolas’s friends helped Nikolas with his tuxedo. Afterwards, Andrew and I quickly changed int
“No,” he said firmly. “Excuse me?” Pete replied. “You heard me. I said, ‘No.’ I’m not going with you.” Pete made to charge Nikolas, and Andrew held his hand out at Pete’s chest. “I’d think twice before you tried that,” Andrew warned. Pete growled but stepped back. “This isn’t over.” Si
A couple days passed after Nikolas and Eliza’s wedding without incident. I had thought that everything was calming down. Then I found the picture on the web. We had not hired any photographers for Nikolas and Eliza’s wedding. It was an odd request, but they did not see any reason to record their w
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