The car door opened. We climbed in, breathless.I exhaled hard, heart racing. He looked at me like he wanted to say something, but I spoke first.“You really brought me there on purpose.”“Yes.”“And you really kissed me in front of the entire city.”“Also yes.”The partition clicked as it rose.He
He didn’t tell me where we were going. Not until the car turned onto the long, familiar stretch of brick-paved road and the glowing white sign came into view. My stomach twisted. I recognized the place instantly. It was the upscale restaurant where I had once seen Richard with Elsa, seated in the co
My heart ached. I stepped forward again. "He still loves you. You’re his daughter.""He looks at me like a duty. He looks at you like salvation."She turned away for a moment, arms crossed. Her breath was ragged. When she turned back around, her face was hard again, but I could see the cracks beneat
I found her in the garden.The morning light filtered through the trees in gentle patches, breaking apart over the stone path and scattering gold across the grass. Jenny sat on the edge of the fountain like she had nowhere else to go. She clutched the journal against her chest like it was a weapon a
But logic did nothing to calm the twisting in my gut. I felt exposed. Violated. Like she had peeled away every layer I’d so carefully built. I wrapped my arms around myself, biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. My vision blurred. I didn’t want to cry. Not here, not in front of them."
The room felt like it was holding its breath. A low hum came from the monitor as the security footage played for the fifth time, the blue-tinged screen flickering like it wanted to hide what we already knew. Jenny. Slipping into my room with her familiar practiced grace, her face tight with intentio