ya

ial event of the season; it was a bl

hampagne, and old money-a cloying, suffocat

re b

compliant. Instead, I'd chosen black silk. It clung to

ousine. His fingers gripped my elbow, digging into the tender

my face trembled with the effort, feel

ed me, a relentless assault of white light. Beside me, Liam

he whispered, stopping dead cent

box from his pocket

pene

e. The "Rea

a drawer. He must have rooted through my things to fin

he metal was ice-cold against m

ward the cameras so the diamond

trays of crystal flutes. I grabbed a glass of cha

ned, his voice l

ure in the room shifted. Th

e doors s

walk

e was wearing red. A dress so bright, so visceral, it looked

sn't hidin

vely on her stomach. A sm

tely-a ripple of scandal tha

us. The crowd parted for he

lence. She offered a smile-a terrifying, triumphant expression t

m my fingers. It shattered on the par

r of ash. "Ava, what

nto his personal space. "You promised me. You sai

ze to me. Her eyes

" She pouted, mockin

theaded. The room began to spin. Every eye was fixed

. My voice was barely

looked at the cameras. I saw the calcul

e his

ped tow

of her back, shielding her from the pre

tore out of my throat, raw,

ed out of nowhere, grabbing my arm. "Mrs.

uggled against his gr

ng sound. She plucked a glass of re

hirsty, May

rew th

he cold liquid soaked into the black silk instantly-invisible agains

tch," I

up and ripped the necklace from my throa

or with every ounce o

scattered across the

a million dollar

hove

nt to move an obstacle. He didn't care wher

heels caught on th

reak my fall, driving straight into the shards

alms were sliced open. Bright red blood mixed with the darker

was already wrapping his tuxedo

r," he bark

epping over the glass, stepping o

his shoulder. Her e

wi

ihilation. I was on my knees, bleeding, soaked

eight, pressing me into the grou

back retreat, somethi

hain that had tethered me for years. The

dn't

piece of the broken necklace.

my skin, the metal biting deep, merging t

glass on the floor. My makeup was smeared. M

was

st time in year