Mag-log in[Hannah]“What the—” I gasp, staring at the clock and then at the dozen designer dresses waiting for me in the hall. “What’s happening?”Mom looks just as confused as I am. “I don’t know.”I rub my eyes and try to get the sleep out of my brain. Not only because it’s dead in the night, but also because the sheer luxury of it all is making me feel like I’m in a dream.My eyes hurt. My brain hurts even more.But this is not a dream. The top-branded handbags and priceless jewelry sets in front of me right now aren’t a dream either.It is all real. All mine.I speed-walk to the latest Prada bag that’s on the coffee table. But I have barely touched it when my gaze slips to the Chanel bag next to it, then to the Louis Vuitton, then to the Gucci, th
[Nora]“Go fuck yourself!” I scream and watch as the bouncers drag a very annoying and very drunk man out of the club.How dare he flirt with me?And not just that. He chose to impress me with nothing but cheap cologne, a greasy smile, and the promise of a good fuck that I’m sure he wouldn’t have been able to deliver even if he were sober.Asshole.I take a deep breath, trying to calm the rage simmering inside me.It’s been a long night. The kind of night that makes you question all your life choices. The kind of night that makes you want to burn the whole world down and dance in the ashes.I’m about to go back inside, to lose myself in the thumping bass and flashing lights, when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, a string of curses ready on my lips, but then I see the name on the screen.I answer right away. “What?”“Someone seems to be in a bad mood. Should I call back later?”It’s Anthony. One of my cousins.“Nah. It’s fine. You tell me, why did you call? Anything importa
[Hannah]“Are you sure about this?” I ask Mom, looking up at the most expensive property in the entire Raventon.The Starlight. The place where old money goes to die, and new money goes to show off. It’s a gaudy monstrosity of glass and steel, a monument to excess and opulence. I can’t believe the Gordons bought this whole building just for Elara.Why does she get to have all the good things? What has she done to deserve it?She is nothing. A nobody. A pathetic little tramp who got lucky. That’s it. It should be me. It should always be me on top of the world. Not her.“Don’t worry,” Mom says, paying for the cab. Once she’s done, she turns to face the building too. “I have already handled the paperwork. They wouldn’t find a thing. All you have to do is keep your head high and walk inside with the same confidence as always.”Confidence.I smile to myself, eyeing the glass entrance and then at the gold bracelet in my hand. “Don’t worry, Mom. Confidence is something I’ll never run out of.
[Beatrice]I’m pacing in the living room when the doors open and a young man walks in, striding lazily inside as if he has all the time in the world.He might. But I don’t.I turn around almost instantly, facing him. “What? What did you find?”The man sighs, and I notice how he doesn’t even bother to look me in the eye when he speaks. He’s not intimidated by me, but he doesn’t respect me either. I can feel it. See it.He takes it upon himself to make himself comfortable on the couch, sprawling like he owns the place.He does. But I own him, and he knows that.He smirks. “Who would have thought that someone like Hannah Graham would be able to turn the tables like this?”My heart drops; my eyes narrow. “Does that mean she was telling the truth?”But how could that be? How could that pathetic, good-for-nothing spoiled heiress of the fallen Graham family be someone of that kind of status? An heiress of the Gordon family? It’s absurd. It’s an insult to the Gordons. An insult to me.I rush
I freeze.“What?” Does that mean he didn’t like it?“Because if you wear this,” he continues, his hands slowly sliding up my sides, his fingers tracing the curve of my ribs, “I won’t be able to keep my hands off you. And I don’t think a public brawl would be a good look for us, do you?”He’s teasing me. The bastard is teasing me.I lean back against him, my head resting on his shoulder, my body melting into his.“Is that so?” I murmur, a slow, confident smile spreading across my face. “Aren’t you too confident for someone who used underhanded tactics just to make me marry you?”I hear him take a sharp breath. “You know?”“You thought I wouldn’t?” I ask, my fingers gently tracing the strong line of his jaw. “Have you ever thought that you might not be as sneaky as you think you are?”He closes his eyes, leaning into my touch. “If you know this much, then you should also know why I did it.”“I do,” I say softly. “But that doesn’t make it right.”“No,” he agrees. “It doesn’t. But I’m not
[Elara]“Damn, Elara!” Nora gasps, eyes wide and round enough to make them look like they are about to pop out of her skull.They don’t. But the thought does little to fade the pinkishness that has taken over my cheeks.“What?” I say, trying to play it cool, but failing miserably. “It’s just a dress.”Nora snorts, her lips twisting into a wry smile. “Yeah. Keep saying that to yourself.”I look at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress is a stunning, deep red, the color of a fine wine. It’s simple, elegant, and devastatingly effective. The fabric is a soft, flowing silk that drapes over my body like a second skin, the cowl neckline dipping just low enough to be alluring, but not so low that it’s trashy. The skirt is a cascade of soft, ruffled layers that float around my ankles, giving me an almost ethereal, goddess-like quality. But the real showstopper is the slit that runs up the side, stopping just mid-thigh, revealing a long, slender expanse of my leg with every step I
[Damon]Sometimes I wonder how my life would have been if Hannah hadn’t run away on the day of our wedding. If she were my wife. If this morning were just like any other day—instead of me feeling guilty as hell for sleeping with her.I don’t know how to describe this feeling in my chest. It’s as he
[Elara]When I walk inside Cora’s ward, I find her already waking up.She looks confused at first, her gaze darting around the room—until her eyes land on me. Then, relief floods her tiny face.“Mommy,” she whispers, her voice so small and fragile it shatters me completely.“Hey, sweetheart.” I rush
[Elara]“Come on, I’ll show you to your room,” says Nora, already dragging me away from the couch and heading for the grand staircase. “You too, Cora.” She picks her up on the way, squeezing her cheeks. “I have personally designed your room. It took a while, but I think it turned out great.”“Reall
[Elara]The drive to the mansion isn’t a long one.Barely ten minutes have passed when the cars start circling the roundabout and pulling up in the grand driveway.“Mommy, this place is so huuuuuge,” Cora gasps, her hands pressed against the window, her face glued to the glass. Then, as if struck b







