Unspoken Sin

sharp and accusing - like a presence of its own, whispering all the things no one dared say out loud

-out backpack. The air smelled like lavender and expensive perfume - the kind of scent that clu

as always. Veronica flinched, though it wasn't really fear anymore - m

school," she replied q

brushing her dark hair with practiced strokes. Her makeup was fl

o look cheap?" Charlotte's eyes finally me

at her uniform. "It's

lows. You look like you're invit

n a stain on her mother's carefully curated life. A reminder of a m

ng. Anything. But the words lo

ight," Charlotte said, standing.

trepreneur whose money fixed Charlotte's broken reputati

eronica aske

ear after boarding school. Don't speak

cou

d to leave. But Charlotte

his family. You're a shadow. Stay i

maybe it was the way her heart had started to harden without her realiz

ehind her and walked down th

large enough for a bed and a desk. The walls were off-white, the ceilin

aring at the ceiling. Her heartbeat drumme

chool the entire time she'd lived here. She'd never seen a picture. Never asked. A

and tried to imagi

she stopp

t im

't

hed marble floors gleamed. The dining room table had never looked more perfect - g

with the grace of someone donating scraps to the poor. It fit we

ays. Raymond was already there, laughing loudly into his phone, swirling wine in a gla

nt door

rything

ightly at the ends. Olive skin. Sharp cheekbones. A jaw that looked like it was cut from stone. His

forgot to

aid, rising. "You

ne dimple barely visible. "Of

icked towar

u must

felt heavier. Something

otte said, her voice clipped and tight

ected lightly, wrapping an a

gaze l

voice low. "Well

odded

he way he said her name - like it tasted

, steering it toward safe topics and polishing over anything remotely unco

onsta

obvi

n against her skin, like someone had drawn a

t once. And instead of looking

d down im

, she slipped ou

neath the withered trees, her arms wrapped around herself. Eve

footsteps

t here?" Aiden's vo

dark hoodie now, hands in his po

," she said

d. And for a moment, there was

im. An

e you were re

inked.

about you. Like you're

a didn'

k ghosts are more alive than

eath c

dictive smile that felt like an

to walk away, he added,

Veronica cou

ing his words over and over. Every glance. Ever

g. A conversa

embled when she

ing inside her

hing

hing

en's name writ