Kayla The first thing I noticed, even before the pain in my body, was the sound of voices. They were distant at first, muffled like they were coming from underwater, but they grew sharper and clearer as I slowly returned to consciousness. My eyes fluttered open to find sunlight spilling into the
Kayla The sunlight streaming through the window gently washed across my cheek, nudging me awake. I cracked my eyes open and blinked, finding that my head felt surprisingly clear. No fever, no delirium, just an ache in my shoulder from sleeping. For the first time in what felt like days, my body
And when I had expressed my desire to wear short sleeves, it was as if I had suggested she suddenly drop to the floor and have a heart attack. Obviously, I had to capitulate to her—because Liam, her favorite baby boy, certainly wasn’t going to stand up for me if I decided to go against her wishes.
Kayla The ride home was quiet, save for the sound of the bags rustling between my feet and the hum of the car’s engine. I kept staring down at the two dresses Nicholas had purchased for me, my head swirling with conflicting emotions every time I saw the champagne and crimson fabrics. I knew it w
The words hit me like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head. I stared at the road as the reality of his statement sank in. Of course I knew this wasn’t a real wedding. I knew it was all for show, a charade to keep up appearances. But hearing him say it so bluntly, after everything, f
Kayla Noah looked anything but thrilled by my presence as we approached, and I felt my heart sink a little. Did he not like me or something? We’d hardly exchanged more than ten words between the two of us since we’d met. Nicholas, however, seemed as unbothered as ever. “Why would I leave my Luna
By the time the game ended, I had scored exactly one point to Noah’s fifteen. But instead of sulking, I walked over to him and extended my hand across the net. “That was fun,” I said, and I really did mean it. “Thanks for letting me play.” Noah hesitated for a moment before shaking my hand. Ther
Nicholas The winter sun was even more blinding from the snow outside as it streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows and reflected off the polished floors of the country club’s indoor courts. I tugged at the collar of my polo, the fabric suddenly feeling too tight and too warm, and gl
I ripped the compass bracelet from my wrist, holding it high. “Is this what you want?!” I shouted. “Come take it!”The attack paused. Even Isabella halted, looking to her cohorts for guidance. The compass dangled from my fingers, swinging enticingly.“No, Kayla! Don’t give it to them!” Nicholas mana
My hand moved instinctively to my wrist, feeling the cold metal of the bracelet against my skin.“And of course,” my father added, his gaze hardening as it settled on Nicholas, “you’ll be free of this… playboy. No more confusion, no more manipulation. You’ll be where you belong—with your real family
KaylaIt wasn’t William’s presence that shook me to my core, but my father’s.Two years. For two years, I’d sat by his bedside, holding his limp hand, begging him to wake up, to move, to give me any sign he was still there. And now he walked in as if the bodily damage he’d suffered from his coma had
Once we were safely beyond earshot, I filled Nicholas in on Henry’s message as we made our way toward the old barn at the edge of the estate. Henry was waiting for us outside as we approached, and his face was grim.“He’s inside,” he said without preamble. “You’re going to want to see this for yours
KaylaNicholas stayed for dinner that night, although not for no reason. Henry was still out there somewhere, searching for the person who knocked me unconscious and took my mother’s journal, and we needed to be close in case he captured the fucker.Furthermore, we couldn’t leave my father. Not when
“A journal?” Nicholas’s expression sharpened with interest.I nodded. “I only read a few entries before… before I was knocked out. But Nicholas, she knew about Luporath. She knew where it was.”His breath caught. “Are you sure?”“Positive.” I held my wrist up, exposing the compass charm bracelet I’d
KaylaOnce Nicholas and I were alone, truly alone—we’d ensured that the basement was empty, Mindlinked Henry to quietly check the estate grounds for intruders without alerting my father, then hurried upstairs to my bedroom and closed and locked the door—I turned to him. My head was still throbbing f
And yet, somehow, I knew… It was hers.I followed the scent down the hallway, down the grand staircase, through the foyer. The scent grew stronger as I approached a door I hadn’t noticed before, partially hidden in the shadow of the stairwell.The basement.I wrenched the door open and descended the
NicholasI straightened my tie one final time as I approached the podium. The guild hall was packed with members from various packs, all eager to hear what the candidates for chairman had to say. The position William had left vacant in the wake of his timely escape—from which he had still not return