LOGIN"Owen... you need to cut yourself some slack," she says gently, reaching up to lightly brush her thumb against my cheekbone. "You don't have to be the invincible counselor right now. You just lost your mom, honey. I know how much she meant to you. I know how much you loved her, and I know how hard y
I watch Sydney walk away from me, her spine perfectly straight, her head held high like a queen marching out of a ruined kingdom. Her words—sharp, icy, and dripping with disgust that makes my skin crawl—still echo in the quiet space of the dining room. "While you're busy playing love and playing h
My heart drops into my shoes, a sickening wave of nausea swirling in my stomach. He sharply pulls away after a beat, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders, his face a mix of shock and discomfort. "Camille, what are you doing here? How did you even get past the gates?" "Oh, Owen, I came the sec
I lean in across the dark wood, my jaw tight, waiting for the genius to drop some mind-blowing corporate strategy. Owen slides his glass entirely out of the way, his eyes tracking mine with a sudden, sharp intensity. "The first thing we need to do," he says, leaning his forearms on the table, "is p
I don't wait to hear another word. A blinding, white-hot rush of pure adrenaline and rage explodes in my chest. Before I even realize what I’m doing, my arm whips forward. I throw my phone across the bedroom with every ounce of strength I have left. It hits the far drywall with a sickening smack,
I sit on the edge of the mattress, the silence of my locked bedroom pressing in from all sides. My scalp still burns from where I was aggressively pulling at the tangles earlier, but I barely care. I slowly run a hand through my hair, letting out a long breath that shudders against my teeth. The r
The cold, metallic bite of the handcuffs is a sensation I never thought I’d feel, especially not while grieving. The police officers are surprisingly firm as they lead me through the hospital corridors, their hands like vices on my upper arms. I keep twisting my head back, my eyes searching for Ow
I gasp in shock, the sound echoing through the sterile white room like a gunshot. I’m staring at Georgia, and for a second, I can’t even breathe. She’s lying. She’s lying with the kind of practiced, effortless grace that makes my skin crawl. I have never—not once, not in all my time in that house—
Then, it happens. A piercing scream from one of the maids. "What was that?" Caroline gasps, her face going pale. I’m already on my feet, heart racing—not with fear, but with the thrill of a plan coming together. "It sounded like it came from Grandmother’s room! Hurry!" I follow Caroline as she
I watch from the floor-to-ceiling windows as Deckard’s taillights vanish down the driveway, the engine's roar fading into the quiet of the estate. Riley is still wailing in my arms, a messy, snotty symphony of toddler distress. I’ve finally managed to get his nose to stop bleeding—thankfully, it’s







