ng was wrong the moment Mar

lasses caught the light like tiny diamonds, and New York's best doctors moved through the shadows like well-dressed sh

against my ear, but his words felt like ice. "Tonight is

got tighter. A warnin

good wives do. Even when th

y-a fancy conversation I'd never learned to join. These people knew m

body turned to stone as I recognized those voices, the same ones that had whispered behind

it anymore. I was already somewhere else, already plannin

new-was that this moment would change every

into something stronge

essed against mine, not knowing t

he warmth of his kiss and the ice-cold truth that this moment-this beautiful, p

eone laughed. "She actu

en flinch. His hands stayed gentle on my face while his fri

rtbeat. And in that split second, I saw something flicker the

va

rough the crowd like

to draw attention. Success stuck to her like expensive perfume-exciting and impossible to ignore. Even now,

ldn't I

enough for show, cold enough to remind me exactly w

I managed, hating how

es had found Marcus, and something hungry flick

rent. Richer. Like she was tasting something

'd never heard before. Interested. Alive. "Congrat

well have d

ough mine with sisterly love that felt m

ur heels echoed against marble floors that had seen centuries of secrets. The o

s frozen forever in captivity, stolen from everything she'd ever known.

ne made my skin cra

ng against concrete. "Oh, please.

as slippin

shifts at that cute bookshop café to scrape together money for your extra income?" Her voic

my face so fast I tho

second job from everyone who mattered. I'd told it all to Marcus duri

Sophia traced one finger along the marble go

you talk

ry tilted

ve one. Tell me-did you never wonder about Marcus's monthly business trips to

o, no

joy?" Sophia's hand moved to her throat, where an identical piece caught the light l

uckles went white. The truth crashed ove

arlton. The same suite where you honeymooned, actually." Her v

re ly

m

r hand like magic. One s

in what was clearly a hotel room. Both wearing the neckl

nearly

glittered with mean joy. "But don't worry-I've been taking excellent care of his needs. In

romise. Every night I'd felt loved and

l beautiful?" Sophia leaned closer, her voice dropping to an intimate whisper. "I wore i

t. The one that had made me f

oing to

rriage showed itself as an elaborate lie, something else stirr

ew. Now the pret