Lisa entered Bob’s apartment using the spare key that he had given her. She tossed her purse on the couch and plopped down beside it, burying her face in her hands. With a great shuddering breath, she let the tears flow. She had told her father that she was coming to the apartment to gather the re
Andrew smiled at Princess Aurora across the table. A splash of pink spread across the princess’s cheeks, and she smiled back. Andrew lifted his champagne to Princess Aurora before taking a long drink. They sat in the opulent Urge inside the Lexington Hotel. The scent of roses filled the air as can
Less than a week after Andrew’s press conference, Noah’s injuries—both external and internal—were fully healed. He seemed to be in high spirits. Despite all the work that he had to catch up on, he took an extra day off to celebrate with me. It was sweet, actually. We saw an early movie, a comedy
My nails dug into Noah’s arm. He looked down at me questioningly. I smiled apologetically and loosened my grip, to which he merely shrugged and returned to his lecture. I couldn’t stand the image of Princess Aurora in such an intimate position with Andrew, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. I t
Andrew drove up to the Lexington Hotel in his gold Aston Martin at 6:55 p.m. He had arranged to pick up Princess Aurora for dinner at 7 p.m. So long as nothing delayed him, he would be exactly on time. Andrew climbed out of the car and tossed the keys to the valet. “Don’t park too far,” he instr
The smell of seasoning and roasting meats filled the mansion’s dining room. Across the long table, meats, cheeses, vegetables, and fruits of all varieties had been laid out: Wagyu beef burgers, foie gras, escargot, pule, white stilton gold, Yamashita spinach, le bonnotte potatoes, white jewel strawb
I would have thought that saving me from the paparazzi—and myself—would have endeared Jeffrey to Noah. He didn’t so much as thank Jeffrey for it. Instead, Noah was more focused on the bad publicity we were receiving as a couple. “Have you seen what they’re saying?” he exclaimed as he paced his liv
Noah twined his hand in my hair, pulling me closer. He parted his lips with my own and flicked my tongue with his. This was the most playful and passionate that I had ever seen him, and I could barely get myself to go through the motions. Suddenly, he stopped as a noise from his pants drew his att
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