Laura My husband had left early today to go play golf; you were sleeping late because I had a headache from having drunk myself yesterday. Jason had talked to me and asked me why I hadn't told him that I was going to be late and that I was going out with the girls for a girls' night. I had actually
Lindsay I didn't know what to expect when I heard Matthew call me from the living room. His voice had a casual tone, but something about it seemed different, like he was trying to hide a tension he couldn't hide. When I turned down the hall and saw Gideon standing in the doorway with a bouquet of r
Zoey Lee I was in the office, typing some reports on the computer, but my eyes couldn't help but get lost in Laura's flawless figure. She was the kind of woman who looked like she came out of an old movie — elegant, refined, with that touch of sophistication that only “old money” people have. Hair
Zoey Lee The next day, I woke up to the alarm waking me from a restless sleep. I've always been good at separating personal and professional life, but lately, I felt like something was pulling me in conflicting directions. I quickly made my coffee, put on some simple but tidy clothes, and left the
Zoey Lee I never imagined that a simple day at work could turn into such embarrassing chaos. When I decided to use the bathroom, I just wanted a few minutes to breathe, away from the frenzy of the office. But upon leaving the cabin, everything fell apart. Jason Davies was there. Yes, himself,
Lindsay Night fell heavily upon me, but it did not bring the relief I had hoped for. The sound of the phone vibrating on my coffee table snapped me out of the chaotic mind I was lost in. I knew who it was, but I still looked at the display with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Max. I took a deep
Laura “Hello, Laura! You received the invitation, right?” I heard Melanie's voice on the other end of the line. In the last few days, they only talked about this party she was preparing for her husband's birthday. “I did receive the invitation, and allow me to say that, aesthetically, it’s beauti
Laura “Oh, my God! You guys are so beautiful tonight.” It was Melanie who was approaching us to hug us. Jason and I had just gotten out of our car parked in front of the Williams mansion, a very ostentatious place. To tell the truth, that mansion was the place where my father was born and raised, s
When I met her last week at a council meeting, I could tell she’d be a challenge—confident, charismatic, the type who knew how to play the game. “Ugh, Madison Goodwin is here too. What a rotten day,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Of course Abby would get close to Madison—she was her adopted cousin.
Annie POV I was still trying to process everything that had happened at the square. Caleb’s words—“I hope you suffer”—mixed with Nadia’s ultimatum about my revoked candidacy had left me in pieces. My dream of leading the student council, something I saw as the first step toward following in my mom’
Annie POV I was still sitting on the bench in the square, the echo of Caleb’s words reverberating in my head like thunder that wouldn’t fade. "I hope you suffer." He had shoved the bouquet of pink flowers against my chest and stormed off, leaving me with a mix of shock, anger, and something that
He hesitated, his smile faltering, but he sat, still clutching the bouquet like a shield. “Sure, about what?” I took a deep breath, looking straight into his eyes. “About you following me around. Showing up in my classes, staring at me all the time. It has to stop, Caleb. I’ve already told you I
Annie POV A month had passed since the first day of classes, and it felt like the universe was determined not to let me have any peace. Caleb was everywhere—in my classes, in the hallways, at every corner of the campus—always watching me from a distance with those brown eyes I once found comforti
Annie POV I was still standing in the hallway, Caleb’s words echoing in my head like a poorly tuned radio. He wanted to surprise me by coming to Oxwell. He still thought about me. He thought I was jealous. Each of his sentences looped endlessly, and I tried to figure out what I felt—anger, confus
“I know, I know,” he laughed, a light sound that seemed to brighten the space between us. “I couldn’t believe it myself when they accepted me. But it was a chance I couldn’t pass up.” I nodded, trying to find something to say that didn’t sound like the chaos swirling in my head. Caleb here, at the
Annie POV It was the first day of classes at college, and the tension between Abby and me still hung in the air like an invisible fog. Though we shared the same dorm, we didn’t speak to each other. We ignored one another completely, pretending the other wasn’t there. I spent my time interacting
Max POV The club was a circus of flashing lights and bass that made the floor feel alive, pulsing like a heart about to burst. The air reeked of gin and tonic, sweat, and overpriced perfumes, and I was at the bar counter, swirling the ice in my bourbon, watching the crowd throw themselves onto the