That evening, Elena sat at her desk with her Constitutional Law textbook open in front of her, the words blurring into meaninglessness. She’d been staring at the same paragraph for ten minutes, her pen unmoving in her hand.Her phone buzzed.FaceTime: Chloe.Elena’s stomach tightened.She reached up, tugged her sweater collar higher, and crossed the room to check her reflection in the mirror. Pale. Eyes too bright. Lips still faintly swollen, though she’d told herself that was her imagination.She inhaled once, steadying herself, and accepted the call.“Hey, Chlo,” she said, forcing warmth into her voice.Chloe’s face filled the screen, upside down at first before she adjusted the phone. She was sprawled dramatically across one of the cream sofas at the Vance estate, hair loose, legs dangling over the armrest.“Oh my God, Elena,” Chloe laughed. “You look… glowing. Or exhausted. I honestly can’t tell which.”Elena smiled weakly. “Law school chic.”Chloe squinted. “Wait. No. Stop.”Her
Last Updated : 2026-01-28 Read more