His Stand-in Bride

under my door, heavy enough to choke me. Someone burst out laughing in the hallway-one of the maids, nervous, too high-pitched. Beyond the win

ras flashing like lightning whenever the gates cracked open. Men with cameras leaned over the iron railings, their br

t trembling, or

ipped down her shoulder, one bare leg stretched against the cushions. In her hand, a champagne glass c

looked untouched, as if the chaos

is tomorrow?" I asked, my vo

oking at me. "Do you

elia. The investors are breathing down Papa's neck. The company's

dutiful. Do you know what this looks like to me? Papa's last desperate trick. Parade his daug

, nails painted scarlet. "Tell me, does

n't have a choice. If you walk away, Papa loses everything. Do y

thing that looked like anger, or maybe freedom. "Maybe I do. Maybe I'm tire

ours, Amelia. Wheth

forward, her robe sliding dangerously low. "Why don'

at burned up my neck

're perfect for him. The obedient daughter. Always will

y hands curl

dn't, Annie. Tell me you wouldn't g

er words pressed into me, sharp as glass.

You really would. You'd walk down th

stranger's mouth on mine, his hands pressing into my hips, the way he made me forget everything for a few

orists had left, the caterers packed away. Only the faint tick of

s half open

. Amelia stood by the window, her robe slipping, pho

. "I can't breathe here another

of her phone glowed, the name flashin

li

art s

tongue after all these years. Felix Perez. The man who once held my hand at parties, who whispered dr

iding me into a future he'd already mapped out. The night I'd overheard him, laughing with friends about the Me

whispering to him

s whitened. I wanted to storm in, to scream at her, to te

skin prickling with dread. The house had gone qu

ght cutting across the floor. Amelia's room was empty. The dress was crumpled on the ch

't try to

lingered, faint and fading, as if

red in the hallway, his shirt half undone, face

s voice hoarse, broken