ia

playing on his lips. He clicked the mouse on the laptop

d a glance at Brianna, who had a look of nervous, almost gidd

ris, smiling under the Eiffel Tower. At a gala in San Francisco, his arm

hrough me. Was I wrong? Was t

replaced by a moody, atmospheric indie track I'

ith a video. Not a

ents of Cyru

this ap

d of hair behind her ear as they stood on the balcony, the city lights twinkling behind them. Them sha

trip" for him, was a lie. The evidence played out in

nate kiss, right in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the G

ed at the videographer, Marco. His face was a mask of horror

ed violently. I looked down. The ca

y ear, my heart hammering

! Your grandmother...she was watching the livestream...she saw

The one thing I had endured this entire nightmare

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" I shrieked at Cyrus,

do you think you're going? We have guests." H

, dangerous growl I didn't know I possess

of a second. It was enough. I tore free and sprinted out of the apartment, not

lank loop of terror. "UCSF Medical Center

idors to the ICU, my cheap white dress feeling like a shro

s a massive stroke. We're doing everyth

pers. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the pen. Each

g her still, warm hand, whispering apologi

a arrived. Cyrus had arranged his face into a mask of

ng to his arm and sobbing. "This is all my fault

sh. "We should have just let it go! We should have

gid. I turned my head slowly, my eyes lo

e her, his voice a harsh whisper. "Bre

wed on. "Aria is so proud! I knew she'd be devastated if she couldn

le clicked into place with

ival. It wasn

an I had loved and protected. She had orchestrated

bsolute. A perfect, mo

Elena's room flatlined in the background. I looked from Brianna's panicked