er." "Slut." "How could you?" The faces of our friends, people I'

eated me with cool civility, slapped me hard across the face. The s

father said, his voice a low gro

d to my denials. No one cared. They drove me back to the estate, but not to the ma

sson," Liam' s father snarled before slamm

ed up on the bed, shivering, the echoes of the party still ringing in my ears. The lie was so per

urned. It was Liam. His

" he demanded, his v

my own voice hollow. "

g into my flesh like talons. "Don' t you dare lie to me. I saw

t herself

d me out of the pool house and toward the main swimm

of your filth," he said,

esitate. He

ling me under. I wasn't a strong swimmer. Panic clawed at my throat. I broke the surfa

er and moonlight. In the depths of the pool, I saw flashes of my other life, of the hospital bed

ought. I scratched. I kicked my way to th

ith rage anymore, but with a cold, detached

b. I was sinking, and this time, I didn't have the stren

as one of the estate' s security guards. Liam must have signaled him. He laid me o

ession unreadable. "See what

espond. The world t

our main house. My clothes were chan

a slight fever," he said, as if discussing the weat

. Just a vast,

apologize," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Y

. He was the judge, jury, and execu

nd sense of loss, not for him, but for the woman I had b

" I wh

smoothing the hair back from my forehead. A gesture that onc

do as you' re told, and every

sure his property was not permanently damaged. While he was out of the room, I palmed the pills. I swapped them with the simple a

wing of the estate where Chloe was "recovering." She was prop

her here," she said, her voice weak but her

said, his hand on my back, pushing

But I thought of Noah. I thought of the long game. I sl

," I said, the wor

my favorite necklace, the diamond one you gave me? It feels so heavy now.

n' t even blink. "Of course

a stunning, ostentatious diamond neckla

er, Liam," C

diamonds around my neck. A

obedience seemed to unnerve Liam. He expected tears. He expected a fight. My quiet compliance was s