A'S

asing into the day. Just a slap of cold reality and the ec

l snug around my body, steam curlin

it w

dres

e bed like it

n; deep, ric

ooked, not quite real. He liste

lor but

w in my stomach. Not though excitement. No

like this for

Za

ntable.." h

"Be what I wa

as soft and stupidly expensive. And yet

hat I sig

make them pay. Zane. Sibil. I carved th

ho

e a baby you nev

yal so deep it rots yo

it might disappear. The mirror caught me in it

atleast

noise filling the silence in my head. My reflect

the role well. But this time, I

, peel back everything Zane th

just another pawn...a

the headlines would

lways kno

d no hesitation or warmth to it. The door creaked open, and in walke

Her bun looked like it was spun from tens

e type of energy that scared in

breathing schedule and if caffeine were a person, it

terile, and lacking any unnecessary syll

urse

any kind of "assisting", but I nodded anyway, mostly out of curiosit

ke it was a fragile national treasure i

styled down, makeup bold but tastef

an wouldn't dare mi

the emotion of a tax audit. Her fingers were quick and precise, l

pproachable but untouchable," she conti

me?" I cut in,

not used to being interr

foreign flavor I hadn't decided to like yet. "Who's

to play the game, yo

ct access to the full guest list, but I know it's a Callahan-hos

Call

ir sh

omething in me folde

is steel version of myself, my chest tightened with the kind of

s enough to make the polished surface I

maybe he'd just see her again-th

orming too fast to hide. My

ou've survived worse,

ht in the mirror. This version of me wore emer

d her fingers c

alright?"

dded

ning my role, naming expectations and

't listeni

oise, just another layer of static

imal, just the way I liked it. I've never been one

I didn't audition for. I didn't need to be a

ecision ov

long corridor, her voice flat and factual as s

conds behind Kane, nodding at specific board members, avoiding eye

hallway monitor who to

stopped

up and me

golden light from the massive chandelier above him. Dress

it

I felt nauseous and

back-but I felt it in my wh

dn't b

ed slightly. "

er than I expected. "Wh

ldn't wear white and I agreed. I didn't

urse

an like him wear the color of ghosts and innocence an

could burst, I blinked-and suddenly

marble floors

y curled on t

somewhere between my

o fast, I couldn't stop it

it wasn't wh

ed out, probably to steady me. But the moment h

a

rised, but did

said curtly, r

ath came in short, shallow waves. My vision blurred just enough to make everyt

the audaci

he said, like it was some clever o

hed harder. I wanted to throw it at him, drench that smug suit, then he'd go change.

y spine and sm

ike nothing had happene

edcool and contained, just en

sometimes. The air-" I waved a

care less, I wasn't trying

me. "Professionalism suits you," he

re in the face, t

Callahan" I said, calm as