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Chapter Thirty: The Ashes on the Runway
publish date:
2026-07-23 00:06:10
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nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Ripple Effect
It took me exactly three minutes after getting back to the loft to do something incredibly impulsive. I was sitting on my bed, still wrapped in the lingering warmth of the afternoon, staring at the heavy silver-plated guitar and high heel keychain resting in my palm. The handwritten note from Dom was open beside me on the duvet. It was so personal, so effortlessly him, and my heart was doing that stupid, erratic flutter again. I wanted to show it off. Not because of our deal, or Malik, or the Ashford gossip mills—but because for the first time in a long time, someone had made me feel seen. I grabbed my phone, snapped a quick, aesthetically blurry photo of the silver keychain resting against the black velvet of the box, letting the corner of Dom’s hand-drawn note with his neat, architectural handwriting peek into the frame. I posted it to my close friends' story with a single caption: He gets me. Her last name is Vance. Everyone on campus knows Kelsey Vance, the girl who had
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Double Life
The celebratory banner was made of pink construction paper and crude, hand-cut gold glitter letters that spelt out: KELS IS THE NEW BLACK. The moment I pushed the door to the loft open, Chris and Bianca blew party horns—the cheap, plastic kind that sounded like dying birds—and threw a handful of metallic confetti straight into my face. "She’s back!" Chris yelled, leaping off the kitchen island. "Tell us everything! Did they gasp when you walked in? Did they ask who designed the custom collar adjustment on the trench? Because I am ready to accept my styling credit and my royalty check." Bianca slid a glass of sparkling apple cider into my hand, her eyes sparkling with pure, unadulterated excitement. "We set up a whole spread. We have the mini pizzas, the garlic knots, everything. Come on, sit! Give us the play-by-play!" My throat felt like it was coated in sand. I looked at the banner. I looked at the mini pizzas. I looked at Chris, whose fingers were still stained with the
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty-Six: The Cost of a Dream
The headquarters of Lumen Studios was a brutalist masterpiece of poured concrete, towering steel beams, and floor-to-ceiling glass that overlooked the industrial skyline of the city. It didn't scream fashion; it screamed power. When Dom’s Jeep pulled up to the security gate, my palms were sweating so much I was terrified I’d slip right out of my seat. "Hey," Dom said softly, putting the Jeep in park. He turned in his seat, his blue eyes dropping to take in my outfit. Chris had outdone himself. I was wearing the vintage, oversized leather trench coat, belted tightly at the waist to create a sharp, dramatic silhouette, paired with chunky, square-toed boots. Bianca had kept my makeup incredibly fresh—dewy skin, a sharp wing of brown liner, and a soft, blurred nude lip. I looked like I belonged on a mood board in this very building. Dom stared at me, his gaze slow and heavy. For a second, he didn't even breathe. "You look..." He cleared his throat, a faint, rare trace of color
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty-Five: The Master Plan and the Messy Room
"Oh my god! Oh my god, Chris, look at this!" I practically took down the doorframe to the living room, waving my phone in the air like a madwoman. Bianca was in the middle of masking her face with a bright green avocado paste, and Chris was draped over the sofa, dramatic as always, sketching in a notebook. "Kelsey, if this is about another TikTok meme of you and the chocolate fountain, I am going to throw myself off the balcony," Chris groaned, not even looking up. "Lumen Studios," I gasped, holding the phone directly in front of his face. "Read. The. Screen." Chris squinted at the blue checkmark, his eyes scanning the message. Within three seconds, his sketching pencil clattered to the floor. He sat up so fast I thought he was going to pull a muscle. "No," he whispered, his jaw dropping. "Lumen? The Lumen? The ones who did the utility-cargo drop that sold out in four minutes last fall?" "Yes!" I squealed, jumping up and down on the hardwood floor. "They want to intervie
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty-Four: The Quiet After the Storm
My bedroom in our new loft was the only space that felt completely finished. Chris and Bianca had helped me drag in my massive white vanity, the faux-fur rug, the towering gold-framed mirror, and the sheer, dramatic pink curtains that pooled on the hardwood floor. It looked like a high-fashion sanctuary—a pastel-pink dream designed to shield me from the harshness of the outside world.But tonight, the room felt too big. Too quiet.I was curled up on the center of my mattress, buried under a mountain of plush blankets. And despite everything—despite the runway second-place victory, despite the glorious satisfaction of kissing Dom in front of the entire campus, and despite the fact that I knew I deserved so much better—I was wearing Malik’s oversized, faded gray varsity hoodie.It was pathetic. I knew it.If this were a movie, the strong, independent protagonist would have burned the hoodie the second she found out about the betrayal. But in real life? Detaching yourself from your
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty-Three: The Aftermath and the Agreement
The bell above the coffee shop door chimed with a cheerful little ring as we walked out, but the atmosphere inside that café remained entirely dead. I could feel the burning weight of fifty pairs of eyes boring into my back, but I didn't care. My lips were still tingling. My heart was a frantic, wild thing, beating so hard against my ribs I was sure Dom could feel it through the heavy wool of his coat. Dom didn't say a single word. He kept his large, warm hand wrapped securely around my waist, guiding me smoothly through the double doors, down the concrete steps, and straight toward his Jeep parked on the curb. The second the passenger door clicked shut behind me, the bubble popped. I slumped back against the leather seat, burying my face in my hands. "Oh my god. Oh my god, I actually did that. I am insane. I have officially lost my mind." The driver’s side door opened, and Dom slid in. He didn't start the engine. He just sat there in the quiet cabin of the Jeep. I slowly
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