Chapter 2

Adrian called right away. I declined, so he sent me a string of voice messages.

"Selena, are you done making a scene?

"It's all arranged. Tomorrow night, you're going as Luca's date and doing everything on the schedule with him.

"If anything goes wrong, you'll make more than just me look bad."

He'd put me up as a chip on the betting table. What did his pride have to do with me now?

There was a file in the chat spelling out tomorrow night's schedule.

One: Link arms and finish a drink together.

Two: Exchange cheek kisses.

Three: Share the first dance.

The group chat lit up again.

"Who put the first dance on there? Aren't they scared she'll step on Luca and break his foot?"

"Luca linking arms for a drink with her? That's like drinking with a pig."

Luca, the one they'd been going on about, sent just two words. "Shut up."

I was about to close the group chat when my friend Mia Lawson's video call popped up.

She was furious.

"Selena, does Adrian think he's already the Don? That he can use everyone around him as a gambling chip?"

I froze for a second.

"How did you know?"

"Someone posted your old photos and screenshots of the group chat on the families' private forum. Now everyone's piling on."

Mia looked ready to explode.

"I've already got the username of whoever spread those photos. He'd better think hard about who he's messing with."

Seeing her so angry on my behalf finally made me smile, but she was still fuming.

"Why don't you just post a picture of how you look now and let those jerks see for themselves?"

"No."

I went to the closet and picked out the burgundy satin gown.

"What would a photo prove? When they see me tomorrow night, they'll know exactly what they did."

Mia understood what I was planning.

"So you're still going to the Bellini family's gala?"

"Of course. Backing out now would just hand them my bet money."

Mia shrieked, "Then go! Make all those gossips who hide behind their family names see the truth!"

After we hung up, someone knocked on my door.

My mother came in, her eyes landing on the gown by the bed.

"Going to a party tomorrow?"

"Mm-hmm."

She waited a moment before asking, "Are you going to meet that boy you've been talking to online?"

I didn't answer.

For the past year, I'd made losing weight my whole life to please Adrian.

I didn't dare eat a single full meal. Even on nights when hunger kept me awake, I only let myself drink water.

I went from nearly 200 pounds to 150, then leveled off at around 100.

My mother had supported me through it all. She'd seen me secretly wiping away tears in front of the mirror.

She knew how long I'd prepared for tomorrow, but she only came over and stroked my hair.

"You don't need anyone's approval. Don't push yourself too hard just to make someone regret it."

After the door closed, I ducked my head and scrubbed at my eyes.

My phone lit up.

It was a message from Luca.

He hadn't responded to anyone. His notice to the group read, "Delete all private photos of her."

The chat, so noisy a moment ago, went silent.

Then he tagged me. "If you're not happy about this, I can cancel the whole gala."

Adrian rushed to smooth things over. "Come on, Luca, it's not that serious. It's just a joke between young people."

Luca replied, "It is."

I looked at that short message and opened his profile for the first time.

It was completely blank. There wasn't even a photo.

Still, something about him felt familiar.

As if we'd met before, though I couldn't remember where.