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
“I don’t know his name, but he’s Crystal’s personal bodyguard.” “Personal bodyguard? Why does she need one of those? Did something happen?” “I don’t know, but Crystal hasn’t been to work in a couple days. She was gone to see a client a couple days ago, but she took a personal day yesterday. I th
My jaw dropped open. How could the tabloid have even gotten this picture? Andrew and I were completely alone— Then I remembered my neighbor, the supposed “Alpha King fan” who had spied on us with his phone out just before Andrew called him out. The man must have gotten a picture of us hugging an
I wasn’t sure how to respond, but I knew I had to do so quickly. “A friend gave it to me,” I said. “A friend gave you a ring?” Andrew asked skeptically. He flipped the box open. “A very nice engagement ring, at that.” Heat flooded my cheeks. “I…the friend proposed to me,” I murmured. “The
I couldn’t go to work that day. Whatever drug Bob and Lisa had used, it kept me incapacitated with a hangover worse than any alcohol I had ever consumed. The shock of finding the letter opener had dulled the effects at first, but after that died down, I could not even get out of bed, except to vomit







