ella spoke in

ng her throat. "As soon as I finish dealing with this mess, I'll come straight

lied softly. "I'll be

of Arabella's restraint crumbled, and

daughter ha

her. Worse, she had made her aging parents suffer alongside her, leaving them t

remained silent, making n

Three years under the Wright family's suffocating roo

ease it today, something

console, pulled out two tissues, and pas

fore Arabella's choked

d the wetness from her cheeks a

y trace of fragility had vanished fro

ow. "Doesn't your cousin Clayton run a

That's right! He handles several of the biggest influencers out there. Ever

's tone. "The Wrights have given me plenty over the years. It's

der it

Amanda grabbed her phone and cal

est accounts. Yeah-I've go

ilence settled

d the glass, Lumina Tech Tower pierced the skyline,

een so blind

uietly endure another insult or l

t had piled up into a debt-and Arabella intend

bell

d staring silently at the distant tower, she immediately

talk. "We're going out tonight! We'll take the finest seat at Nightfall Bar, surround ourselves with a d

window. A dry laugh slipped out as she shoo

r. "What? Why? Don't tell me you'

hed as she questioned. "Amanda, remember

ttle guy. What does he

faintly. "Greyson isn't

me near. He'd wag his tail and lick my hand. Greyson, though? All he ever does is sink his teeth into me for some oth

iend for a beat before

paring him to a dog

this time, and the last knot of worr

r that her best friend

lla she remembered had finall

.

finally slept without

d the bandages covering the infected scrapes on her hand and knees, and

o waste what little s

ing for her wou

er, the furious clatter o

disheveled. Three laptops sat open before her as she t

ook who's talking! You're the vicious one, and your entire account is trash! Go ahe

hadows ringed her eyes. She pried them open, fumbled for her

he blurted out, "S

ied from the bedroom-only to stop dead t

oman stood a

ted lines, the thigh-high slit revealing a pair of long, gra

own, and three-inch black heels with unm

sh her beauty. If anything, they gave her polished appearance a battle-scarred edge. There was

ed. "Holy crap! Gir

rew the Wrights! And screw that bastard! Here's to putting every last o

's lips as she wrapped her a

y take that

g today, the life ahead o