LOGINHe leans forward, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial, deeply unsettling whisper as he stares directly into my green contact lenses. "In fact... you don't have to be a maid at all, Candy. I can make all of this manual labor disappear with a single phone call. If you can just agree to be my pri
"Look, Naomi, if Dennise catches you in here, she’s going to—" The distinct, heavy sound of the deadbolt locking echoes through the quiet kitchen. My entire body goes completely rigid. My instincts scream at me, a cold shock of adrenaline instantly shooting straight to my fingertips. That isn't th
I smooth down the front of my oversized, scratchy maid uniform, my fingers tracing the small bruise on my chest from where Caroline's finger violently ripped my dress open at the cemetery yesterday. My skin still feels raw from the humiliation, my eyes are burning from crying all night over Owen, a
The striking, facial structure. Sydney is an absolute, undeniable replica of the woman in the vintage photograph—Tobias’s mother. The almost psychotic protectiveness Tobias has shown toward Sydney from the very first moment he met her. The massive financial safety nets he threw under her, the fact
Before I can even open my mouth to apologize for breaking into his house, Tobias speaks. His voice is incredibly quiet, completely devoid of its usual sharp authority, yet it carries a heavy, haunting weight that pins me right to the carpet. "For years..." he murmurs, his finger continuing its slow
I stand frozen on the gravel path, the engine of Sydney’s departing car roaring in my ears. I watch the taillights of her vehicle bounce over the cemetery threshold, disappearing completely from sight, and with every inch of distance she puts between us, my heart shatters into a million jagged, irre
Oh... fuck. That’s the only thought that manages to claw its way through the white noise of my panic as I look up at the gallery. Tobias Moore is leaning over the railing, staring down at me with complete disgust. I’m standing in a pile of crushed flowers, my chest heaving, and for a second, I fee
I gasp, leaning closer. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It’s not just the stones; it’s the history. It feels like it’s vibrating with the glamour and the tragedy of the woman who wore it. "Oh my god," I breathe. "It’s perfect." "I agree," he nods, watching my reflection in the gl
How do you know you've been fully integrated into high society? Well, when you get invited to an auction where the starting bid is more than your entire childhood home. I stand in the middle of a hall that smells like crisp bank notes and the kind of perfume that costs a month’s rent per spritz. I
Okay, so I know this is all confusing, and honestly, so am I. I’m currently gripping the steering wheel of my car tight enough to leave indentations in the leather. My mind is trying to put pieces together, but fuck, this memory gap won't let me. I want to get to the bottom of my accident, but no







