ng but a cold, heavy exhaustion in her bones. She walked alone along the gravel path, trying to fo

er near the rose

by three of her wealthy, perfectly manicured socialite

k at this," Kia said loudly to her friends. "Did you buy that skirt at a d

ted into high-pitch

gh-school bullying. She kept her face completely blank and ste

thrust her arm out and shove

ing deep into a patch of muddy soil near the sprinklers. Mud splat

e. "I forgot fakes don't have good balance. You'r

shoe out of the mud. She looked up, her eyes locking onto Kia's. Her gaze was so col

u're already dirty, go to the kitchen. Tell Maria to bring our

ok off Kia's face. But Gregory's threat from the hallway echoed in her mind. I can thr

turned her back on them, keeping her spine

arble. Maria, the head housekeeper, was barking orders at two maids. Wh

r tea on the patio,

pushed a massive, ornate silver tray toward Andrea. It was load

aria said, her tone dripping with disrespec

a deliberate humiliation. A test to see

e weight was immense. The veins on the back of her hands popped against her pale

uddenly stepped directly into her path, he

tray tilte

tray from crashing to the floor. She managed to level it, but a

poured directly over

it the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted copper, ref

ounce of apology in her voice. "That bone china

ook at Maria. She carried the heavy tray out to the patio and

tray and wrinkled her nose. "What t

dre

d through the ai

oze. Andrea

o. He held a crystal glass of whiskey in one hand. His face was a mas

egory's voice was dangerously quiet, yet it carried across th

gory, I just... she tri

a. He ignored the terrified socialites. He walked straight to Andrea. He looked at h

to Andrea. "Go upstairs and change. You look pathetic. Genevra woul

regory turned his back on Andrea and walked back into the house, le

skin, then up at Gregory's retreating back. Her chest tightened with a confusing, suffocating pressure. H