now belonged to Dalia. She found her new room in the basemen

ss. Dalia had gone through her thin

la's favorite sketchbook, the one filled with de

la with her late mother was to

ven her for her sixteenth birthday was

l. He had even smiled, a strange, satisfied look

that almost everything she owned had been a gift from Kason. Her clothes

only the essentials, things she had bought with

"Aunt May, can I stay

rt. What's wrong?" Her aunt's

he divorce, but Kason had refused. He had

her aunt said, a hint of confusion in her voic

ily friend, a tradition. Isabela did

son. She didn't want to e

on her plan. She wa

she had mentioned wanting to study abroa

going anywhere. You belong here, with me." The look

a feeling she had dismissed as ove

k after that, his presence a

d out about her plan to

ior. If he loved Dalia, why did h

on her phone, breaking

article. Kason had given

al Clarifies Relationship with Step

ept that her stepbrother was in love with someone else. It was filled

of vitriol. They called her a h

blurred w

ded. All this tim

again. It was a m

iling coyly at the camera. In the background, Kason was

leave her lungs. It

, imagine them together in

t again, her voice frantic. "Isabel

oarse whisper. "Please, don't tell anyone I'm

As she walked down the hall, she saw him. Kason and Dalia were si

o slip past

abe

stopped

cern. "Where were you last night? I was w

onsumed in a strange, heavy silence. Isabel

n her plate, trying

hone rang, shat

u're getting married? No w

happiness. "Of course, I'll be t

ley Payne. The man her father wanted