“Your favorite,” Rosa replies with exaggerated cheer. The second Evie’s gone, the mood in the room drops ten degrees.
Gracie’s glare could cut glass. “We aren’t best friends, Lucilla. I was your friend. You weren’t mine. A best friend doesn’t screw the other’s man.”
“Damnnn,” Tasha blurts out.
“Oh my,” Saaha gasps, fiddling with the end of her braid.
Lucilla doesn’t miss a beat. “Ooh, low blow, Gracie. Still bitter, huh? But I didn’t drag him into my bed; he came willingly. Guess you couldn’t keep him satisfied. My body gave him what yours lost.”
“Da fuck,” Tasha mutters, and Saaha gasp in disbelief. Gracie’s face goes slack with pain, her eyes filling with tears as her breathing turns shallow.
Tasha and Saaha rise together like synchronized guards. After the club, I learned that Saaha’s personality is similar to Tasha’s. Things are about to be bad for Lucilla. At this moment, I don’t like her. Throwing a Gracie’s heartbreak in her face that is a real low blow. I want nothing more than to let this situation play out. The universe knows she’s earned it. But Evie doesn’t deserve to watch her mom get stomped, and this is my home. I stand, walk over to Lucilla, and drag her skanky, half-drunken ass to the elevator before she can mouth off again.
“Leave. Now.”
“What?” She asks. Lucilla has no clue how close she is to getting her throat punched.
“You heard me. Get the fuck out.”
“Fuck you, Princess.” Her voice shifts from bitter to ugly. “Just wait. Your time is coming. You don’t command me; you’re beneath me.” Her eyes lock on mine, unblinking, and for a second, I swear I see venom twisted there andthen it’s gone, replaced by the ghost of a smile. The elevator doors close behind her with a ding far too cheerful for the tension she’s left behind.
“She’s gonna end up on Dateline,” Tasha mutters.
“Or behind bars,” Saaha adds with a scoff.
We all stare at the closed doors. That woman’s a loaded gun with a loose safety.
Fifty-Five
“No matter how far you run from the past, it always knows your address.” Aria Boschett.
As Johnny and I walk toward the tall glass building of J&G Accounting in Boston, my thoughts drift to Cyan. At my desk, I spot a purple sticky note on my monitor. My heart skips a beat.
Meet me alone at 10:45 in Copy Room E.
A rush of panic seizes my chest. With trembling fingers, I yank the note off and stuff it into the nearest folder. Ethan is like a pimple you think you’ve popped, until it flares back up. I glance at Johnny and pray he hasn’t noticed. Luckily, he’s too busy glaring at his phone. Today, I’ll end it. No more intimidation and no more veiled threats. Not Ethan’s, nor his FBI buddies. No more. No means no. Tasha warned me not to meet him alone—she isn’t wrong, but I can handle this. I’ll tell her everything later, and I’ll let Cyan know tonight. No more delays, secrets, or lies. I just hope it won’t unravel everything we’ve built. Ten minutes before the meeting, I grab a folder and stand up. Johnny is still mid-rant in a virtual meeting, but he notices me.
“Johnny, I’m just heading to the copy room. Don’t stop what you’re doing.”
“Hold on.” He mutes his call, turns off his camera, and gives me a look. “No can do, Aria. Cyan’s orders, remember?”Shit.My fingers tighten around the folder.
“Look, the copy room is right across the hall. One way in, one way out. You’ll still have eyes on me the whole time.”
He hesitates. “That meeting looks important, Johnny.” I soften my voice. “I’m not a child. You guys turn this building into a secure fortress. I’m just making some copies.”
Johnny sighs and rakes a hand through his hair. “Fine. But I’m watching.”
“Thanks.” I flash him a breezy smile and slip into the hallway.
In the copy room, there’s no sign of Ethan, yet. Olivia, Simon’s new assistant, is feeding documents into a machine. I move to another copier and start making my copies. Moments later, Olivia’s phone buzzes. She glances at the screen, then looks over at me.
“Here,” she says. “It’s for you.” My stomach clenches. She looks familiar, but I can’t remember meeting her before. As I take the phone, Olivia’s eyes flicker toward the door for a split second.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Aria,” Ethan’s voice slithers through the line. “Congratulations are in order. I hear you’re about to be wed.” I don’t let him finish.
“Ethan, like I said when we parted ways, I have nothing for you.”
