erfect face, cold and beautiful, as her

bs. The cheap motel room smelled of stale cigarettes and regret, exactly like th

on the nightst

ere are you? Daddy' s dinner is tonight,

word w

me, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, to "win over" his daughter wa

an Thorne, her charming, venomous cousin, her secret lover, st

y Vance security, then a quiet, co

this

Can't make it, Seraphina. Feeling sick. You

ate, wild swing to

t be silly. It' s you Daddy wants t

I ha

old life, my old hopes, behind. I needed to disappear before the Vances fou

ded t

aced, replaying the horrors, the betrayal. Seraphina, who I' d loved since we wer

rry her, was never about love or merit. It

eel of their fists, the cold click of

be the one to navigate the Senator' s expec

ld afford. As the bus pulled away from the city lights, a small, f

., my face flashed across the small TV screen mounted in the corner. "Ethan Miller, pers

od ran

ian. They woul

nd eyes, glanced from the screen to me

enty on the co

ter. Not the police, but Vance family security

s Vance requests

' t a r

Straight to the Vance estate, a sprawling

er, Julian smirking by her side. She l

dripping with false sweetness. "You ha

with malice. "Thought you could just disap

nything," I said, my

ng around her waist. "He was probably planning

er eyes. "Julian was so distraught

accusation. It wa

ing directly at her. "I ju

said, her voice dropping to a possessive whisper.

an, a silent communicati

with my jaw, sending a shockwave of pain thr

scaring Serap

bbed my arms,

. "Julian, darling, be careful. Don' t mark

he'd always despised me, considered

s smile. "Just a little remi

tomach. Air rushed from my lu

I knew. There was no flicker of the girl I remember

She had chosen Julian, ch

and they were already tightening the strands. The past I tr

out, looking at her. "I put Julian with you that nig

ile playing on her lips. "Happy? Oh, Eth

f ice. "It was never about happi

e icy despair spreading through my chest. She

n anymore. This was about he

r favorite t