The drive back to the mountains felt both longer and shorter than I remembered. Alex kept quiet most of the way, letting me stare out the window at the landscape gradually shifting from suburbia to farmland to forest. His Range Rover handled the rutted access road better than my sedan had, the headlights cutting through darkness that seemed more absolute with each mile."It's up ahead," I said, when the silence had stretched too long. "Around that bend."Alex nodded, eyes on the road. "I remember."He glanced at me, like he'd said something he shouldn't have, but I just nodded. "Right."We were past all that already.The cabin looked smaller than it had just days ago, or maybe that was just the effect of seeing it through new eyes. Seeing the cabin, made something well up in my chest. I hated how I was feeling right now. My chest was tightening around my heart. I swallowed hard as Alex pulled over just close enough to the Cabin, and the engine idled. We sat in the silence just starin
I peeled away the brittle tape, the sound unnaturally loud in the basement's stillness. The hinges protested as I opened the lid.Inside was a manila envelope, discolored with age, and on top of it, a single glass bead—larger than the ones I usually made, its surface an intricate swirl of deep blue and green. I recognized the pattern immediately. I'd been trying to recreate it for years, never quite getting it right. I picked it up, held it to the light. Inside the glass, almost invisible unless you knew to look for it, was the tiny stylized "LV""Her signature piece," I said softly. "The one they stole."I set it carefully aside and opened the envelope. Inside were documents—some original, some photocopies, all showing their age. The first was a patent application dated 1982, complete with detailed drawings of the spiral technique that would later become the foundation of the "Vega method." The name on the application: Guadalupe Vega.Next came photographs where a much younger Mami L
Outside, the night air was sharp with cold, stars impossibly bright in the clear mountain sky. I sat on the porch steps, my breath clouding before me, and tried to make sense of everything I'd learned.Three families—the Thornes, the Russos, the Kingstons—tangled together decades before I was born, their ambitions and betrayals setting the course for my entire life. I'd been born into one, stolen by another, married into the third. Every major relationship in my life had been shaped by this ancient wrong, this messiness.And now I held the proof of it all, the key to potentially destroying careers, legacies, reputations. I could bring my parents down with this evidence. Could implicate the Thornes in the cover-up that followed. Could reveal that Giuseppe Russo had known all along who had taken me and why.
FionaThree Weeks LaterI adjusted my Valentino blazer in the elevator mirror, checking my lipstick for the third time. Not a smudge. Perfect. The way everything about me needed to be today.Meridian Design Group occupied the entire thirty-eighth floor of a gleaming glass tower that screamed new money—unlike the tasteful limestone building that housed Russo Designs. Or should I say, Maya's designs now.That thought sent another sick wave through my stomach. I pushed it down, the way I'd been taught. Feelings were liabilities. Especially in business.The elevator doors opened directly into Meridian's reception area—all chrome and white leather and those weird plants that look fake but aren't. The receptionist glanced up from he
Three hours and two martinis later, I was sprawled on my sofa, scrolling through Maya's Instagram like it was a crime scene I couldn't look away from.Her latest post—a teaser for the foundation's launch event—already had twelve thousand likes. The comments were nauseating: So inspiring! A true artist reclaiming her heritage! Can't wait to see what you do next!I switched to my own profile. The post announcing my "new creative consulting venture" had garnered a pathetic eighty-seven likes, most from bots and distant acquaintances who hadn't heard about my fall from grace.Somewhere between the third and fourth martini, I'd started drafting comments on Maya's posts, deleting each one before sending. What would I even say?
MayaMy apartment had become a paper labyrinth. Every flat surface—dining table, coffee table, kitchen counter, even parts of the floor—was covered with documents, sketches, and diagrams. The foundation had started as a vague idea the night at the cabin, something Alex and I had discussed over bad whiskey and raw emotions. Now it was consuming my life in the best possible way.I took a step back, surveying the organized chaos. Application for 501(c)(3) status, check. Mission statement, check. Draft bylaws, check. Potential board members, in progress.My phone buzzed with a text from Olivia: Just got off call with the attorneys. Good to go on the name.That had been our biggest hurdle. The Kingstons' lawyers had fired off cease-and-de
I chose a small café in the arts district for the meeting—neutral territory, always crowded with students, and importantly, no alcohol served. Given Fiona's history, meeting at a bar seemed unwise.I arrived twenty minutes early to secure a table with a clear view of the door and both exits. Old habits from my escape from Daniel. I ordered herbal tea, declining the barista's suggestion of their "amazing fresh scones."Fiona arrived exactly on time, making an entrance as she always did—head held high, eyes scanning the room as if taking inventory. She'd lost weight since I'd last seen her, her cheekbones more pronounced, her designer clothes hanging slightly loose. Her eyes found me immediately.The look that crossed her face was hard to read—not exactly hostility, but a complex mix of emotio
The foundation had taken over my life—and my apartment. Two weeks after my meeting with Fiona, the dining table had vanished completely under stacks of legal documents and grant applications. My living room was now a makeshift conference area, with folding chairs arranged around a whiteboard I'd bought specifically for planning sessions. Even my kitchen counter had been conscripted, serving as a coffee station for the revolving door of advisors, designers, and potential donors that filed through daily.It wasn't just my space that had transformed. I was changing too. Each decision I made—from the foundation's mission statement to the color scheme of our logo—felt like another step away from the person I'd been with Daniel, with the Kingstons, even with Mami Lulu. Each choice was mine alone.Today's meeting was running longer than planned. Olivia had shown up at nine with bagels and a binder full of legal documents, followed shortly by Sarah Thorne who'd flown in from Paris specifically
He pushed inside, one long, slow thrust that made me gasp. The sensation was different without the condom—It was warm. The feeling of his warm cock against the wall of my pussy made me squirm. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, urging him on."Fuck, Maya," he groaned, holding still for a moment. "You feel—""I know," I cut him off. "Move."“Fuck me!”He did, setting a pace that had me digging my nails into his shoulders. He wasn’t holding back this time like he had done initially on the beach. Each thrust hit somehow hit that sweet spot inside me that made the pleasure build up.“Go harder Alex!” I moaned, “Please don’t stop. Fuck me!”
The drive back to my apartment was torture. Good torture, but torture nonetheless. Every red light felt like it lasted an hour. Alex's hand rested high on my thigh, his thumb tracing small circles that made it nearly impossible to focus on the road."You're going to make me crash," I muttered as his fingers inched higher, slipping beneath the edge of my underwear."Then drive faster," he replied, voice rough in a way I'd never heard from him before.He didn't stop. His fingers slid lower, finding me still wet from the beach. I gasped, my foot instinctively pressing harder on the accelerator as he stroked me."Alex," I warned, gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles went white. "This isn't—""Keep your eyes on the road," he instructed, his other hand moving to my breast, thumb circling my nipple through my shirt.The speedometer crept higher as his fingers moved faster between my legs. My vision blurred at the edges, body torn between focusing on driving and surrendering to th
He kissed me with an urgency that matched my own, hands moving beneath my t-shirt to find skin. His palms were callused and warm against my ribs as they moved upward, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts. I arched into the touch, impatient for more.We were still awkwardly positioned against the post, and my shoulder blade dug painfully into the weathered wood. "Not here," I said against his mouth.He immediately stepped back, misunderstanding. "We can go—""No, I mean, not against this post. It's digging into my back." I took his hand, led him away from the post to where a dune created some shelter from the wind. I pulled him down with me onto the sand.The cold immediately seeped through my jeans, but the discomfort seemed irrelevant compared to the heat
I drove until the highway signs thinned out and the lights from the city faded in my rearview mirror. Alex didn't ask where we were going. He just sat silently, occasionally glancing at my profile, his fingers tapping a pattern on his knee that I couldn't decode.The turnoff appeared sooner than I'd expected—a narrow road that curved toward the coast. I'd passed it hundreds of times over the years, always thinking vaguely about stopping someday. Tonight, I finally did."We're trespassing," Alex said as I pulled into the darkened parking lot and cut the engine. A faded sign near the entrance clearly stated "Beach Closed After Sunset.""Are you going to report me?" I grabbed my jacket from the back seat."Just making an observation." There was something in his voice
The conversation drifted to other aspects of the launch—the press coverage, the surprising industry connections, the unexpected support from Giuseppe."I still can't believe he showed up in person," Olivia said. "His assistant told me last week he wasn't leaving the mansion.""The Kingstons' arrival seemed to energize him." I remembered Giuseppe's face when my mother approached him, the cold smile he'd given her. "I think he enjoyed watching them squirm.""Speaking of watching people squirm," Troy said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "let's talk about that moment at the glass station.""Let's not," I replied immediately."What moment?" Olivia asked."Oh you certainly haven't been paying attention. Design Weekly captured Maya giving Alex a very... hands-on demonstration." Troy pulled out his phone, scrolling through photos. "Look at this."He held up his screen, showing a photo of me standing behind Alex at the workbench, my arms wrapped around him. The picture looked like soft-core p
MayaI kicked my heels off the second my apartment door closed behind me. My aching feet sank into the carpet, and I let out an involuntary groan of relief. After twelve hours at the foundation launch, even breathing without a smile plastered on my face felt like luxury.The apartment was dark and quiet. I didn't bother with the lights, just dropped my bag on the counter and stood for a moment in the stillness. My place still had boxes stacked in corners and bare walls I hadn't gotten around to decorating. After Daniel had trashed my place, I had barely done anything with it. And now with everything going, I barely had the time.I peeled off my earrings and headed for the shower when my phone buzzed. Sarah's face appeared on the screen, and I flopped onto the couch to answer."I look like hell, just warning you," I said.Sarah's face appeared, hair piled messily on top of her head, glasses sliding down her nose. "You're alive! How was it?""Exhausting. Just got home.""Shit, sorry. I
My phone buzzed in my clutch, the vibration traveling up my arm. I pulled it out automatically—three missed calls from Mother, two from Father, and a text: Update?I flinched, shoving the phone back into my bag. The movement was too fast, too telling."They really have you on a short leash, don't they?" Maya observed, her voice softening with something dangerous close to pity."It's not like that." The lie sounded hollow even to my own ears."What happens if you fail?" she asked, and something in her tone made me think she already knew the answer.The rustle of clothing and scent of expensive cologne announced a new presence before I could respond. I turned to find Maya's
The mountain cabin felt empty as the last guests left, their voices fading away. I stood in the back corner, holding a warm champagne I hadn't touched, watching Maya from behind a display case. The lights were dimmer now, making shadows stretch across the floor. The air smelled of perfume, wine, and that metallic smell from the glass-working station.Maya stood near the central display, amber lights catching in her hair as she gathered a small portfolio of papers. Her shoulders rolled once, the only sign she was tired after hours of smiling at people. For the first time all day, she was momentarily alone—Alex had stepped outside with a group of investors, their voices floating through the open doorway. Her stylish friend who'd confronted me in the bathroom was across the room, telling staff where to put things. The lawyer friend who seemed glued to Maya's side was talking with the venue manager, both looking at a tablet.The sweat on my forehead felt cold. My last pill high had long f
The strain of sleepless nights hit me all at once, a wave of fatigue that made the room tilt slightly. With the pills worn off, my body was demanding payment for the chemical credit I'd been living on. I could walk away now—just turn around, go home, and collapse into bed. Let my parents handle their own shit. They clearly hadn't needed me in the first place.But Daniel's face flashed in my mind. His eyes when he'd said he trusted me. The way he'd leaned forward in that sterile visiting room, voice low and certain: "You're the only one who understands what needs to be done."I straightened my shoulders and arranged my features into the smile I'd perfected over the years—warm, slightly self-deprecating, harmless.My mother's spine went rigid the moment my arm slid around her waist. I could feel her instinct to pull a