he ghost of Garnet's kiss burned on her lips. She pressed

phone in her pocket, the metal case cool against her palm-heavier than the Patek Philippe box she'd th

ed past Kenneth's number without a second glance, her nail scraping the screen where his name used to sit. The contact list was shorter than she

Diandra's name, h

greed was a script she'd memorized years ago: the fake worry, the immediate yes

into the mask of gentle concern s

e pressing record in Kenneth's hotel suite. The mask slid into

into her tone. "I'm so sorry about last nigh

e dripped with

ou okay? Kenneth and

i

light. "Listen, let's go shopping for your en

pick a cheaper spot-she knew Diandra would pick the most

A thrill of greed

sted, before immediately agreeing. Th

The smile on he

text to Garnet's pre-programmed number: Shopping. 2pm. Madison.

through Giselle's, chattering away. A s

em. Giselle had to fight the urge to pull away, to scrub the smell off her skin. Instead, she let the shudd

itted from one exorbitant gown

ing in front of a mirro

still have that picture of us from the

tracted. She unlocked her

he sales associate across the room, making sure no one was watching. The transfer took ten seconds, but it felt like ten minutes. She deleted

ndra and Kenneth. Screenshots of bank transfers. And a forwarded

ish

and tapped Airdrop. A silent, invisible transfer. It took less than ten second

he said, he

had done the math in her head the second Diandra pulled the third gown off the rack. She'

s associate, a polishe

ing care of all of thi

ace. "Oh, no, we'll be paying separately," she s

's smil

talking about? You sa

a shopping trip. I didn't say I'd pay for your entire wardrobe. We're be

smile tightened. Other shoppers began to glance

ng, "What the hell are you doing

free, her voice just

You always do this, Diandra. You

satisfaction of the trap snapping shut