Anne's POV The morning had a different significance today. When I came down for breakfast, my mother was already running late, which isn't exactly surprising but always a little shocking. Mom and Dad had gone to a party last night and came home late, which was also to be expected. My grandmothers
Jason's POV I was sitting in this VIP café, a place that exuded sophistication and privacy, waiting for Gideon Bathory. His name evoked memories I would like to forget, but were indelibly marked in my history with Laura. In our years of trial—dark and tortuous years when we were divorced—Gideon was
Zoey POV I was having one of those days you wish you could erase from your memory, one of those you'd rather never have lived. It all started with the ugly fight I had with Chad, which ended with him taking Max to the police station. That night, Chad shouldn't have come back home, but he did, and h
Lindsay POV "Mommy, are you going to bring me chocolate when you get off work today?" my boy asked me over the phone. I gave a little laugh, loving to hear his voice on the other end of the line. "Yes, my love. Mommy will bring you a giant chocolate," I replied. "Yay! That way I can save some for
"I really feel sorry for this unsettling situation," I commented, not knowing what to think. Laura nodded and then rubbed her face as if trying to shake off that bad feeling. "But enough of that. I have something for you." She handed me a stack of documents with trembling hands. "We have a new dire
Lindsay's POV Seeing my ex-husband there in front of me, as the new director of Hextec, and not only that, but assigning me to be his assistant, was a shock. My heart almost stopped when I realized that my new boss would be Gideon. He had a look that seemed to apologize, but there was also a deter
Lindsay POV I was boiling with anger. Each step I took in Laura's office seemed to echo my frustration. How could she have done this to me? "What the hell was that? What is Gideon Bathory doing here?" It was true that I was screaming somewhat hysterically, but no one could blame me for anything si
Laura POV I was lying on the dark blue sofa in my office, feeling every nerve in my body tense as if it were about to snap. Sunlight streamed through the windows, but it couldn't dispel the darkness of the day unfolding. The morning had started with Zoey's dismissal, leaving a bitter taste of betra
Laura POV “I love the outfit you chose to wear today. You’re absolutely stunning, my love,” I said, praising my daughter while gently caressing her arm. This weekend had been tough for Annie. She’d had the freshman ball on Friday night, and today, Sunday, she had to accompany me to this brunch at L
Annie POV That night, we fell asleep curled up together, still reveling in each other’s bodies. It was simply impossible to describe. A mix of longing, nostalgia, and satisfaction at having him there again, feeling his body under my fingers, his kisses, his gaze, running my hand through his silky
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s
I swallowed hard, Caleb’s words coming back to haunt me. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’ve gone too far?” He’d said that at the mall, and I’d hung up on him, but now they echoed in my head. Annie had hurt me, yes. The fight in the dorm, the way she called me fake, like I was trash she