ure returned, the lounge d

to his arm like a designer han

iliar and loved, t

ud enough to turn heads. "Ava. Didn't expect to see yo

high-pitched, a

ffened b

the place," Ava s

e reeked of expensive cologne and arrogance. "P

ched. "S

veryone. "She was obsessed with me. Couldn't let g

wn with disdain. "Some peo

bling debts she' d quietly helped manage. She' d poured her own money, money her family didn'

reater financial means, how she' d downplayed her backgro

ecause her grandfather, Arthur, was subtly pulling strings, w

th the day she planned to propose. The day Ethan' s so

some distant Hamilton branch, calling her a gol

ike shards of gl

true," Ava said, her voice t

han scoffed. "Alwa