Their expressions shift from concern to wariness.
Daisy reaches for my hand. “Whatever it is, we’re here for you,” she says softly. I wonder if she suspects what I’ll say, considering she knew about our almost kiss.
I take a deep breath. “Hunter and I... we’re together. Romantically. It started before the masquerade ball, before the kidnapping.”
The silence that follows feels suffocating. Grace’s eyebrows shoot up, Chloe’s mouth falls open, and Daisy squeezes my hand tighter.
“But he was engaged to Olivia,” Grace finally says.
“I know. That’s why I said don’t judge me until I explain.” I stare down at the table. “It was wrong. I betrayed my sister. But the engagement was a business arrangement set up by my step-dad. It wasn’t real.”
“Does Liv know about you two?” Chloe asks.
I nod. “When we were held captive together, I finally told her everything. I couldn’t keep lying to her, especially in that situation.” My throat tightens remembering our cell. “She was upset, but not because of Hunter. She was angry that I hadn’t been honest with her.”
“So she didn’t care about Hunter?” Daisy asks.
“No, because—” I push my hair behind my ear, “—she’d been seeing Ari Carter. Hunter’s friend. They’d been together about the same time.”
“Ari Carter?” Grace asks, clearly shocked. “The guy who’s always at those charity events?”
I nod. “Hunter and I weren’t the only ones with secrets.”
“So this whole time, you were with Hunter, and Liv was with Ari, while everyone thought Hunter and Liv were engaged?” Chloe summarizes, her eyes wide.
“Yes. And now Jax has Liv.” I blink back tears. “I’m terrified for them. And I feel responsible. If I hadn’t gotten involved with Hunter...” My voice trails off, the weight of guilt pressing down.
Daisy shakes her head firmly. “Aurora, you can’t blame yourself.”
“Then this probably still would have happened, because this enemy wanted to hurt him, right?” I admit, twisting a napkin between my fingers. “Jax was already watching Hunter. He might have taken Olivia anyway, just because she was Hunter’s fiancée.”
No one speaks for a long moment. The café bustles around us, people living normal lives, ordering coffee, laughing about weekend plans. The contrast with our reality feels surreal.
Chloe clears her throat. “So... does Hunter have, like, a team of super hot Jason Bourne types looking for Liv? Because that would explain Muscles McGee over there.” She tilts her head subtly toward Marcus.
The unexpected comment startles a laugh out of me. “Something like that.”
“I knew rich people had their secrets, but this is some next-level shit,” Grace says, attempting a smile. “Like, what’s next? Does Ari have a secret lair? Does Daisy’s crush have a double life as an international spy?”
Daisy blushes furiously. “I don’t have a crush.”
“You absolutely do,” Chloe counters, momentarily slipping into our normal banter. “You’ve been stalking Penn’s Instagram for months.”
For a fleeting moment, it feels like before—the four of us sharing secrets, teasing each other. Then reality crashes back.
“Fuck,” Chloe whispers, her smile fading. “I can’t believe Liv is kidnapped by a psycho right now.”
“I know,” Grace murmurs, reaching for my hand.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Daisy adds, eyes glistening.
I look at my friends’ troubled faces and realize I need to give us all a moment of normalcy—something that doesn’t involvekidnapping or secret relationships or life-threatening danger. Even if it feels forced, we need this.
“Let’s talk about something else,” I say, straightening in my seat. “I’ve been locked away from the world. What’s been happening with you all? What did I miss? Please—I need to hear about normal life.”
They exchange uncertain glances, clearly caught off guard by the shift.
“It feels wrong to talk about our boring lives when Liv is...” Grace trails off, but I shake my head.
