Suzy Lewis drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the car while we were parked somewhere on Wall Street, right under the buildings that housed Hextec's facilities. We had just gotten there, and I was thinking about how I would approach Laura to get what I wanted. “I've only seen Laura Thomp
Suzy She was smiling at me now, but a little restrained. “I think he and I can reach a consensus that will be a win-win for everyone,” she commented with a nod. “And I wish all the happiness in the world for you two. Besides, Annie deserves to live with her parents nearby,” I added my speech with
Laura “Can you explain to me clearly what’s going on? Stop circling around!” My best friend, Ava, was arguing with me on the other end. “Are you saying you were in a business meeting when you realized your period was late? My God, Laura. How could you have forgotten something so simple?” “For the
Laura It was a friend calling, Albert Williams. I had already worked with him on some projects relating to my company and his, and every time we had worked together, things had gone well. It was almost 7 p.m., so I didn't know why he would be calling me at that time, especially my personal number.
Laura “So you’re telling me to enjoy my new sister, but also at the same time be mindful of her, right?” Albert Williams asked on the other end of the line. I was still in the office of the room there in Jason's mansion, still assimilating what Albert had just told me about Suzy, so she is an heire
Laura “Okay, Suzy. Please remain calm. I don't mean to attack you or judge you or anything like that; I'm just trying to understand mom's side of her getting involved with... your dad," I tried to explain my side in a calmer way because I didn't want to create a strife between us as a thing as unne
Laura The next day, Jason did what he promised the night before, and at lunchtime, he came to my office at Hextec. “As I told you yesterday, I'm here to take you to lunch,” he said after he entered my office room. I giggled at the sight of him standing there in front of me. “So this is what it me
Laura "That's it. You're back to work on time. As promised,” Jason said as he left me in my office room at Hextec. “Thank you for being true to your word, Mr. Enchanting,” I said charmingly as I sat back down in my chair after he pulled out the chair for me, being a gentleman. He gave me a quic
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s
I swallowed hard, Caleb’s words coming back to haunt me. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’ve gone too far?” He’d said that at the mall, and I’d hung up on him, but now they echoed in my head. Annie had hurt me, yes. The fight in the dorm, the way she called me fake, like I was trash she
Abby POV I was leaning against the wall of the ballroom, the cup of punch in my hand already warm and forgotten, as I watched Annie dance with that masked boy. The soft lights of the ball cast shadows over them, and even from so far away, you could feel something in the air—a chemistry almost tangi
Anne POV I was there, trying to at least pretend I was enjoying the party with Summer, letting the loud music and spinning lights distract me from the weight pressing on my chest. Summer danced beside me, throwing her arms up with that endless energy of hers, and I tried to keep up, forcing a smile