1. The Beginning

I stared at my reflection in the massive gilded mirror of my walk-in closet, tilting my head as I ran my fingers through my long, platinum blonde hair. It fell in perfect, silky waves down my back. Most girls at Greenwich Academy would kill for this hair. Hell, they’d kill to be me.

Ava Montgomery. Queen of the senior class. Captain of the cheer squad. The girl who could make or break reputations with a single raised eyebrow or a well-timed whisper. I knew exactly what I was; spoiled, beautiful, and a little bit vicious when I needed to be. Boys tripped over themselves for my attention. Girls either wanted to be me or hated me, well I liked it that way.

The annual Montgomery-Caldwell Charity Gala was happening downstairs in our ballroom, the same event my family had hosted every year for as long as I could remember. Crystal chandeliers, live orchestra, expensive champagne, and enough diamonds to blind half of Connecticut. My mother, Elizabeth Montgomery, was probably already gliding around in her custom Dior gown, laughing with her best friend Sophia Caldwell like they were still twenty-year-old sorority sisters.

Sophia Caldwell. Just thinking her name made my stomach tighten, because where Sophia went, her sons were never far behind.

Ethan and Edgar Caldwell.

I closed my eyes for a second, letting the names settle over me, Six years. Six damn years since they left for Europe with their father. I was twelve then ,shy, awkward, braces, and hopelessly in love with two boys who treated me like their favorite little shadow. We had grown up together, our sprawling estates side by side in the most exclusive part of Greenwich. Summers spent swimming in our joint pool, winters building snow forts in the vast backyard that connected our properties. They were my first real friends… and my first real crushes.

God, I had been so stupid back then.

I opened my eyes and looked at myself again. The tight black cocktail dress I chose hugged every curve of my body, the full swell of my breasts, the narrow waist, the roundness of my ass that I knew turned heads. The hem stopped mid-thigh, showing off my long, toned legs. A thin diamond necklace rested right at the hollow of my throat, drawing attention exactly where I wanted it. I looked expensive,exactly the way I wanted the world to see me.

I remembered standing at my bedroom window, watching the moving trucks load their things, my chest aching so badly I thought I would die. Ethan had been the quiet one, always protecting me from bullies at the country club. Edgar had been the one who made me laugh until my sides hurt, the one who snuck me extra cookies from the kitchen when our moms weren’t looking.

And now they were coming back. Mom had casually mentioned it yesterday over breakfast, like it was nothing.

“The twins are returning from London just in time for the gala, darling. Isn’t that wonderful? Sophia is over the moon.”

"Well, that's quite wonderful." The word tasted bitter on my tongue.

I wasn’t the same innocent little girl anymore. I had spent the last six years building personal walls and perfect grades when it suited me, the perfect body from private trainers and yoga, perfect social circle where I ruled with a mix of charm and cruelty, I dated when I felt like it, letting boys touch me, kiss me, sometimes more… but it was always on my terms. I enjoyed the power. The way they looked at me like I was a prize. The way my body responded when a cute guy slid his hand under my skirt in the back of a limo or fingered me in the bathroom at one of the elite parties.

But none of them ever made me feel the way Ethan and Edgar once did.

I turned away from the mirror and walked to my window. The view overlooked the perfectly manicured lawn that stretched toward the Caldwell estate next door. Their mansion was dark tonight. But I knew they were coming tonight. Maybe they were already on their way from the airport.

My heart started beating faster. What would they look like now? At nineteen, they would be men. Tall. Broad-shouldered. their voices deeper, their Hands stronger. I wondered if they still looked identical or if life abroad had carved small differences into their faces. Would Ethan still have that intense, brooding stare that used to make me feel safe and scared at the same time? Would Edgar still flash that playful, wicked grin that made my stomach flip?

A rush of heat spread through my body at the thought.

I pressed my thighs together, feeling a familiar ache building between my legs. My nipples tightened against the thin fabric of my dress. I bit my lower lip, annoyed at myself. Here I was, the queen of Greenwich Academy, getting wet just thinking about two boys who probably didn’t even remember me the same way.

What if they came back and saw the version of me I had become? The girl who let the captain of the lacrosse team finger fuck her in his parents’ pool house last summer, then ignored him the next week like he was nothing. The girl who enjoyed making other girls cry in the bathroom when they looked at me the wrong way.

Would they still want the old Ava? Or would they see the new one. I hated how much that thought hurt.

A soft knock on my door pulled me out of my spiral.

“Ava, sweetheart?” My mother’s voice was polished and expectant. “The first guests are arriving. You need to come down. And fix your lipstick you know how important appearances are tonight.”

“I’m coming,” I replied, my voice steady even though my insides were anything but.

I took one last look in the mirror, adjusting the hem of my dress so it showed just enough thigh to be teasing but not trashy. I practiced my signature smile, the usual one that said “I’m better than you” while still looking angelic. Blonde hair shining, hazel eyes sharp, body on full display.

Perfect.

As I walked down the sweeping marble staircase, the sound of the orchestra and polite laughter floated up to meet me. The ballroom was already filling with Greenwich’s elite men in tailored tuxedos, women dripping in jewels. My father, Richard Montgomery, stood near the bar, shaking hands and talking business like the powerful man he was.

I spotted my mother immediately. She was laughing with Sophia, their arms linked like always. Mrs. Caldwell looked elegant in a deep burgundy gown, her face glowing with obvious excitement.

My pulse quickened as I descended the last steps. I kept my chin high, shoulders back, moving with the confident sway I had perfected over the years. A few boys from school noticed me immediately, their eyes dragging over my body. Tyler, the star quarterback and my supposed ex gave me that hungry look he always did. Normally I would enjoy it, maybe even flirt back just enough to keep him chasing but tonight, I wasn't entertained.

I accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, taking a small sip to calm my nerves. The bubbles tickled my tongue, but they did nothing to settle the butterflies or should say mosquitoes in my belly.

Six years of silence. Occasional updates from my mom — “The twins are doing so well in London… Ethan is top of his class… Edgar made the rugby team…” but never any direct word to me. No calls. No messages. Nothing.

I had convinced myself I hated them for leaving me behind But the truth was messier.

I missed them. I missed the way they made me feel special. I missed the butterflies. And in the quiet moments when I touched myself late at night with fingers sliding between my slick folds, rubbing my swollen clit while imagining stronger hands, deeper voices, harder bodies, it was always their faces I saw. Both of them. Sometimes separately. Sometimes together. The guilt only made the pleasure sharper.

A sudden hush near the entrance made my head snap up. The double doors opened wider.

My breath caught in my throat.

Two tall figures stepped into the ballroom, moving with the kind of natural confidence that made heads turn. Even from across the room, I knew it was them.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Heat flooded my body so fast I felt dizzy. My nipples hardened instantly against the tight fabric of my dress, and a rush of wetness soaked the lace between my thighs.

They were here.

I quickly turned away, pretending to be fascinated by the champagne in my glass, but my mind was already racing.

Oh lord, why do i feel like a toddler who got caught with something bad?.