ed photo of her and Adrian in bed, wrapped in si

Eclipse necklace,

ng the phone, re-reading and reading again the message, hoping- praying- it would change. But the ultimatum remained.

e public, Adrian would lose everything. And she... she would be nothing. A scandal like this

t the weight of the lie accumulating, suffocating her. She wanted to confess. She must. But what if he didn't believe her? What if

party was in full swing-glittering gowns, expensive champagne, men in tailored suits speaking in hushed tones of money, power, the kind of thin

ination. Seconds, that's all it would take. In and out, she could do it before anyone kne

The velvet case rested there

chain of the necklace seari

alarm

ood co

, their voices cutting, their eyes slicing through her. And then Adrian bur

rch

nds down her skirt and searches through her bag. And there it

nce was

as unreadable, but his eyes burned with

that would set her free now. The photo, the threat of them mat

deeper than any pain. "Get ou

htened. "Adri

ance between them yawned like an et

ness, the result of her choice coming crash

lo

The expensive dress clung to her skin, damp from the cold of the night air. Sh

aybe Adrian would listen to her. May

urned

she knocked on the door. Silence. Then, the click

eyes burned with something she had never seen

I-please, jus

steel. He stepped aside and let her in, but no sooner was sh

ve a choice,

h like a caged animal, raking a hand through his hair. "Yo

threatened to ruin everything. I

his lips. "So instead,

etched for him, but he took a step back

hed. "Was any

"Yes," she whispered. "All the

oice was now rough, anger giving way

uldn't

an drew a bitter breath, raking his ha

d down her fa

G

ed, her numb fingers on the doorknob, and walked ou

t the only one who had ever see

downfall. The chilly night air bit at her, but nothing more than the hollow in her hear