Nina My heart pounded as I finally stepped out of my bedroom, dressed and ready for the ball. I looked down at the gown, its midnight black fabric shimmering under the soft glow of the hallway lights. For the first time in forever, I felt like I almost belonged in this extravagant setting. But e
“Good,” my father said, draping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer as we began to walk to the hors d'oeuvres table. “He’s a good man, Nina. I’m proud to call him my son-in-law.” Just as I was about to respond, I caught a snippet of Enzo’s conversation drifting across the room: “Yes,
Nina The mansion was alive with laughter, clinking glasses, and lively chatter. I was immersed in it all by Enzo’s side, but my focus sharpened when Tyler walked in, a radiant smile on his face and a girl on his arm. She was tall, slender, and had a vibe that screamed ‘effortlessly cool’. “Hey
I leaned into him, absorbing his familiar, comforting scent. “Yeah. Just got a little introspective, is all.” Enzo chuckled. “Nina, being introspective? That’s a new one. Kidding.” The scent of roses filled the air, mingling with the earthy smell of damp soil. The sound of the music playing insi
Nina “Nina! Enzo!” My brother’s voice carried across the garden, breaking Enzo and I out of our reverie. We both lifted our heads and turned around to see Tyler standing in the doorway, waving excitedly with a grin on his face. “What is it, Ty?” I called out, charmed by his enthusiasm. “They
Nina My hands trembled as I slammed the door behind me, locking it in a desperate attempt to keep the world—and the enigmatic shadow entity—at bay. Leaning against the cool, wooden surface of the door, I struggled to catch my breath, my heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. I closed my eye
We sat in silence, letting the weight of my confession fill the room. Tyler’s grip on my hand tightened, as if he could somehow squeeze the fear out of me, and replace it with the courage I so desperately needed. “I don’t know what this entity is, Tyler, but it terrifies me,” I finally admitted, m
Nina The door creaked open, and I tensed, expecting to see the stern faces of my parents, armed with a lecture or two. Instead, it was Enzo. His eyes met mine, and he looked softer than I’d ever seen him. Tyler gave me a knowing smile, touched my hand briefly, and left, closing the door behind h
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied