That story has been easy to repeat.
Easy to believe.
Until this evening.
Because the moment Anya walked into the estate unannounced, something inside me reacted with a violent surge of anger and jealousy I wasn’t prepared for.
The feeling is ugly.
Possessive.
And worst of all, it makes no sense.
We’re at one of the Rusnak estates in the city for another gathering. I’ve already learned that these events are rarely just social occasions. They’re power meetings disguised with champagne, music, and expensive clothing.
It’s my second time attending something like this.
This time I’m doing much more socializing.
Our extended family is here, and the wives, as always, are wonderful. Warm, witty, and far more welcoming than I expected from women married to Rusnak men. I’m especially happy to see Raelyn. We text each other every day since I have a phone now, but it’s not the same.
We’ve abandoned the men to their quiet conversations and moved out to the terrace.
Music drifts through the open doors from inside.
Elara brought champagne.
Vivian insisted on dancing.
The evening air is cool, the city lights glittering in the distance, and for a while I almost manage to forget the strange world I’ve been thrown into.
Then she arrives.
Anya.
I notice her the moment she steps onto the terrace.
She’s wearing a fitted black dress that clings to her body like it was sewn directly onto her skin. Her hair falls in sleek waves down her back, and her smile is bright as she greets people around her.
By now, I know something very clearly.
I do not like her.
At all.
But seeing her here does something worse than simple irritation.
A hot wave of jealousy crashes through me so suddenly that it makes my stomach tighten.
Especially because I know she used to be involved with my husband.
The thought makes my jaw clench.
I step away from the group and lean against the terrace railing, wrapping my fingers around the cool steel.
From here, I can see everything.
Anya moves easily through the crowd, laughing, touching arms, greeting people like she belongs here.
