Nina The atmosphere in the room was still charged as we all retreated to the office, leaving the captive burglar alone but securely bound. Once the door was securely closed behind us, I felt the knot of apprehension in my stomach ease up ever so slightly. “Okay,” Enzo began, running his hand thr
“I know,” I whispered, comforted but still uneasy. “But what worries me is that if they’re ballsy enough to return despite my father’s forces, they’ve got more tricks up their sleeves than last time.” The room went silent, our thoughts too heavy for words. The weight of the unknown hung in the air
Nina An ultimatum. The word hung heavy in the air between us, like a storm cloud threatening to burst. I felt my eyes widen, my pulse racing. An ultimatum? From Enzo, of all people? “W-Why?” The word slipped out of my mouth before I could even formulate my own thoughts. “Because I need to know
“That’s all the time we have,” he retorted, not meeting my eyes. “I need to know if I have to quit my job.” “But you’re not leaving for months!" I was practically yelling now, my voice steeped in incredulity. “Why do we have to decide this right now?” “Because I need to be prepared to give the h
Enzo The weight of yesterday’s ultimatum was a stone in my gut as I walked into the tunnels. I kept seeing Nina's face, that look of shock and betrayal, like I had ripped the ground from beneath her. I didn’t want to do it. God, I hated myself for it, but it was a wall I couldn’t see past, a lin
“Enzo, stop!” Matt’s voice broke through my red haze, pulling me back to reality. I turned, meeting Matt’s eyes, the gravity of what I was about to do hitting me all at once. My hand loosened, my breaths coming out in ragged gulps. He pulled me aside, his grip firm on my arm. I glanced back at t
Nina The ache of Enzo’s ultimatum sat like a knot in my stomach, tightening every time I replayed our last conversation. It was as if a chasm had opened between us, one that neither of us knew how to bridge. We had spent the night on opposite sides of the bed, each of us too angry to move closer t
Maybe they were right. Maybe Enzo was right. But I still couldn’t be satisfied just yet, especially not after how he had left this morning. He had just walked out, telling me he was headed to campus, without even a kiss. The door had slammed in his wake, and I was left feeling even angrier than befo
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