Zoey It was a cold night, but somehow, the anticipation I felt made the environment feel welcoming. Laura, always so generous and friendly, invited me to her brother Albert's birthday party. He was in his 30s, and from what I knew, he was always surrounded by a class of people I only saw in movies
Lindsay Melanie sent me the invitation, but I was so hesitant to confirm my presence at that party because, of course, it was her husband's party, who was Max's best friend, my ex-husband's brother, so I knew Gideon would be there. Zoey didn't need convincing; as soon as she received the invitatio
Zoey The party was in full swing. I didn't know what impressed me more: the undeniable luxury of the decoration or the people walking around, all of them looking like they came out of a movie. The atmosphere was vibrant, but in an elegant way—a play of soft lights and restrained laughter. The dres
Laura I was in a corner of Albert's party with a glass of sparkling wine in my hand, sitting on one of the corners sofas in the company of Ava while she was telling me some gossip, and I was wandering around a little distracted, my gaze in the direction of Jason, who was chatting with some of his f
Lindsay “Oh my Goodness, your brother doesn't stop staring at me like that. Is it because of my dress?” I asked, running my hand over my short, skin-tight dress that I had dared to wear for today. Why not, right? Max Bathory chuckled mischievously. “Maybe Gid is missing your feminine attributes, i
Laura “I can really see your own secretary hitting on your husband and you can’t? Good God, you never change, don’t you, Laura?” Ava was rolling her eyes as she said that to me. I was really in shock as I saw that scene unfolding in front of me and at that moment I couldn't hold back, I immediate
Max I had left Lindsay alone with her new boyfriend in order to give them both privacy, especially because Matt Weiss might feel a little intimidated if I was around since he knew I was Lindsay's ex-husband's brother. I was going to find some fun at that party when I felt my shoulders being grabbed
Max POV“Could you give me a minute, please?” I asked as I approached Albert Williams. He was talking to Mel, his wife, and now that I had approached them, they had both turned to look at me.“Is it urgent?” Mel asked me, but it wasn't like I addressed her.“It has its urgency, I admit,” I replied h
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