Chapter 3

When Ethan came back into the bridal suite, he reeked of cigarette smoke.

He looked at me and composed himself with visible effort.

"Why are you standing here all by yourself?" He came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.

In the mirror, I could see us both.

He was tall and handsome with deep-set eyes, every inch the polished New York power broker. I wore a pure white wedding dress, my face so pale it looked lifeless.

"I'm a little dizzy," I said.

Ethan bent down and kissed the top of my head. The kiss was gentle, almost coaxing, though he didn't seem to realize it.

"The ceremony's simple. You walk down the aisle, we say our vows, we exchange rings, and then you can come back here and rest. If you're tired at the reception tonight, I'll have someone take you home to the estate early."

As he talked, he took a black velvet box out of his pocket.

It opened with a click.

Inside was a flawless pink diamond ring that glinted coldly under the chandelier.

"This was flown in from Geneva yesterday." He took my left hand and slid the huge diamond onto my ring finger. "The band from our engagement was too plain. Mrs. Green should wear the very best."

The ring was a little big. It hung loose on my finger.

He'd used Celina's ring size, the one he'd had measured four years ago. Celina played the cello, so her knuckles were thicker than mine.

I looked down at the ring sliding around my finger. "It's the wrong size."

Ethan paused, and something flickered in his eyes. Then he wrapped my hand in his as if nothing were wrong. "We'll have a jeweler fix it later. Just wear it for the ceremony."

"Okay." I didn't argue.

Just then, Tessa hurried in. "Mr. Green, the priest is ready and all the guests are seated. The elder Mr. Green wants you to go wait at the altar."

Ethan nodded.

He turned to me like he wanted to say something. His lips moved, but in the end, all he did was straighten my veil. "Wait outside the doors until the music starts. Aria, you look beautiful today."

Then he turned and walked out quickly.

The second the door shut, I took the pink diamond off my finger.

The cold band slipped easily off my finger. I tossed it into the trash can beside me, and the heavy diamond landed among the used tissues with a soft thud.

From the lining of my wide skirt, I pulled out a thin key card and my passport.

Jenna came in, saw my bare hand, and stopped. "Mrs. Green, your ring..."

"I put it back in the box so I wouldn't lose it." I stood up like nothing was wrong. "I'm going to the restroom to fix my skirt."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll only be two minutes."

I gathered up my skirt and slipped out through the side door at the back of the suite.

The alley behind the church led to a quiet one-way street. The rain had turned the pavement into a black mirror.

The wind was cold. It cut right through the thin lace of my dress and stung my skin.

An ordinary black Toyota sat at the curb with its hazards on.

The window rolled down, and there was Chloe Bennett, my best friend from college.

"Aria! Hurry!" Chloe pushed the door open and threw a big black cashmere coat over my shoulders.

I ducked into the passenger seat, pulled off my elaborate veil, and tossed it into the back.

"Is everything in the trunk?" I asked.

"All of it. The two big suitcases you shipped yesterday evening are already on a cargo flight to Heathrow, and your papers and laptop are in your bag." Chloe hit the gas, nervously watching the rearview mirror. "Every security guard at St. Patrick's works for the Green family. If they catch us..."

"They won't." I pulled down the sun visor and looked at myself in its mirror.

My bridal makeup was flawless but heavy, like a mask painted onto my face.

I pulled out a makeup wipe and scrubbed off my lipstick and eyeshadow.

The wipe came away bright red.

"Celina just posted again," Chloe said, handing me her phone. "Look."

I took it.

Celina had posted a photo.

She was in a long off-white cashmere dress, standing at the floor-to-ceiling window of the Fifth Avenue apartment with a glass of red wine in her hand.

Behind her was Manhattan, veiled in rain.

The caption read, "Four years, and he still keeps my favorite wine. It's raining so hard. Is someone coming over to close my window?"

It had been posted two minutes earlier.

Right then, the deep, solemn sound of the pipe organ drifted faintly from the direction of the church.

The Wedding March rang out across the whole block.

The groom was already at the altar, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle and into his arms.

Too bad I was never going to be at the end of that aisle.