LOGINThat night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
The next morning, I woke up to find a text from Lily telling me to check out a link that she had sent me. I groaned, figuring that it was something about some new celebrity wedding trend. Still, I decided that it was best not to ignore her if she thought that it was important enough to text me so ea
“One of the attacks did happen here in the mansion,” I reminded him bluntly. It was at this point that Enrique returned with our sandwiches. Behind him came four other servants, who started to box up the feast and put the food into coolers. Andrew did not speak the entire time the servants were
I awoke, cramped, in what turned out to be the trunk of a car. Even before my captors opened it up, I could smell pine, grass, and fresh forest air. The only woods that I knew of near the city were a few hours to the north—in vampire territory. My body stiffened as my captors opened the trunk. O
My fingers tapped nervously on the arms of my chair when Andrew walked through the door. He smiled at me, but I knew that it was only to calm me down. “Hello, beautiful,” he said as he took his seat opposite me. “How are you doing?” “As well as I can be, given the circumstances.” Andrew’s smil







