A thread of tears ran down my face; I hated feeling so weak. “I don't need your money, Gideon,” I mumbled. “I don't need anything from you; I'm just going to take my son and leave here." He was silent for a few seconds. Then, the coldness in his eyes gave way to something darker, something more thr
Gideon POV I was sitting in the mansion's living room, head bowed, my thoughts devouring me like a storm. Lindsay had left, leaving behind an echo of our fight, a void that seemed to swallow the soul of the house. It was all my fault; I knew it with every fiber of my being. My thoughts spun uncontr
Lindsay POV The sun had barely begun to rise when I heard the knock at my hotel room door. I wasn't expecting anyone, especially not him. My heart jumped, a mix of fear and anger spreading through my veins. I knew it was Gideon even before opening the door. There he stood, with an expression that
Lindsay POV I was nervous as I made my way to the fancy London restaurant where I had arranged to meet Laura. The last time I saw her, I had yelled at her, letting out all the frustration and pain I felt due to Gideon's obsession with her. Now, as I walked through the streets of London, I knew I n
Lindsay POV After the meeting with Laura, I knew I had to head straight to the Bathory mansion to confront Gideon. The weight of the decision I was about to make was immense, but it was clear in my mind: I needed to do this, for me and for Wyatt. When I arrived at the mansion, I was greeted by Ma
Lindsay POV I was finishing packing my things in that room that had been ours for so many years when Gideon walked in. The air between us was heavy with sadness, the silence of those final moments almost tangible. We were already divorced, and each movement, each packed box, was like a reminder of
Lindsay POV Nowadays Arriving home after an unhealthy day at Hextec was like a relief, a refreshment for the soul. I knew I needed some time away from Gideon, especially after yesterday, when I gave in to his charms. That was a mistake, and I couldn't let it happen again. I had to be firm becaus
Jason POV Frustration bubbled inside me like a cauldron about to overflow. Laura's words echoed in my head, over and over, like a scratched record. "Zoey needs to be kept under control." What the hell! As if I were some kind of puppeteer, pulling the strings of a girl I barely knew. I wasn't being
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
“She’s an idiot,” Summer said, crossing her arms as she looked at me with concern. “You okay?” “Yeah,” I lied, grabbing a cup of punch just to have something to do with my hands. “I just… I just want this to stop, you know? For people to leave me alone.” Before Summer could reply, I felt him befor
Anne POV It was the day of the freshman ball, and I stood in front of the mirror in my dorm room, the blue dress Summer had insisted I buy staring back at me. The fabric draped lightly over my body, the delicate sleeves and simple cut highlighting my shoulders and collarbone in a way I knew was bea
“Why do you keep hanging out with them, Abby?” he asked, and now there was a note of concern that annoyed me even more. “You know Madison’s not good for you. She uses you, and you let her.” “It’s none of your business,” I shot back, my voice sharp. “I do what I want, Caleb. Bye.” I hung up before h
Abby POV It was a lazy Sunday, and I was at the mall’s food court, waiting at the counter to pick up snacks for myself and the “new friends” I’d managed to latch onto. The smell of grease and cheap coffee filled the air, and the hum of conversations mixed with the muffled pop music from the speaker
Caleb, Abby, Madison, Nadia—they all spun through my head like a broken carousel. I wanted to tell my parents everything, collapse and ask for help, but the thought of seeing disappointment in their eyes—or worse, them trying to intervene at Oxwell to “save” me—made me swallow the words. I had to fi