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Oh, and let’s not forget, because she managed once again to make me feel like an ungrateful daughter, I ended up sending her the only money I had left in my bank account. Probably not enough in her eyes, especially since she, and most likely my father too, have convinced themselves I live some luxurious life. And sure, I can’t really complain, I do live in luxury, but none of it is mine.

I live here because Theo is generous enough to let me stay, refusing to take a single penny from me. I live here because I’m Sierra’s friend, and I like to believe I’m a friend to the rest of them, too.

If not for Theo’s kindness, I’d be renting a tiny flat on the outskirts of London. That’s all I could ever afford, and even then it would mean scraping together what little is left after paying off loans that never seem to end.

But anyway, let’s get back to the present. I drank today for one reason—to forget. To bury, at least for a little while, the crushing weight of reality, the kind that always seems to catch up with me no matter how far I try to run.

“Thalia, how about a week-long vacation?” Zayn suddenly asks, his eyes bright with excitement. “We haven’t decided on the destination yet, but definitely somewhere sunny. I can’t take this miserable London rain anymore, I need a break.” He shivers dramatically, his whole body exaggerating just how much he hates the weather.

A vacation? I can barely afford to make it through to my next paycheck, let alone dream of some sunny escape.

“I can’t come on any vacation, Zayn,” I tell him.

The alcohol loosened my tongue, but not enough to reveal the truth. Not to him, not to anyone.

So instead, I add, “Work is insane right now. I can’t leave my events behind, and the others already have their own clients to deal with.”

It’s the best excuse I can come up with on the spot, and at least part of it is true. I do have new projects on my plate, since I’ve managed to wrap up the others, including that wedding that was supposed to be “the event of the year.”

“Come on, Thalia, we don’t want to go without you,” he insists, more serious now. “Figure out a way to get some time off. Work remotely if you have to.”

“Zayn…”

“No, I mean it. You have to come. The whole point is to take Nick and Sierra on a trip without Serena, since our parents are taking her away again on a holiday starting Monday.”

Perfect. Now the guilt kicks in on top of everything else. I do want to go, but there’s no miracle that will drop money into my lap overnight. Even if I asked for an advance on my salary, it wouldn’t be enough to cover the kind of trip they’re imagining.

“I don’t know, Zayn. Believe me, I’d love to go with Sierra, and with all of you, but…”

“By Monday, everything will be ready. One of us will let you know what time to be at the airport. All you have to do is show up,” he cuts me off with a grin. “Oh, and since we finally know you’re not in a relationship with Theo, we’ll make sure you get your own room.” He winks, then pulls me into a hug. “I really have to go, early morning at the office tomorrow.”

He leans back, holding me at arm’s length, his hands resting on my shoulders. “Happy birthday, Thalia.” With a soft kiss on my cheek, he heads for the door.

After midnight, everyone went home. It’s Wednesday, after all, and tomorrow we all have work waiting for us. I took a shower, slipped into my night routine, and tried—truly tried—to sleep.

But no matter how I turn, no matter how many times I close my eyes and will myself to drift off, my thoughts circle back to Ethan. To the way he looked tonight, dressed so casually, so effortlessly attractive.

Sleeping with him didn’t erase the attraction, the desire, it only sharpened them. I want him more now, not less.

I could do what I usually do when I need release, but tonight the idea of touching myself feels empty, inadequate.

I need the real thing.

I rise carefully from bed, every movement measured and quiet. Theo’s room is on the opposite side of the house, I could scream my lungs out and he still wouldn’t hear me, but I move as though silence itself is my ally.

Dressed in a simple silk nightdress, a soft orange that clings delicately to my skin, and wearing a pair of house slippers, I sneak out through the front door.

The cool night air brushes against my bare arms, heightening both my nerves and my resolve. I walk with purpose, my steps quickening, my heart pounding in my throat, each beat echoing the reckless decision I've already made.

I’ve never been inside his home. Since the houses were finished and we all moved in, most nights have been spent at Sierra and Nick’s. Sometimes at the others’, but never Ethan’s. He’s almost always at his apartment in Hartho anyway, not here.

But tonight… tonight he should be here. He came for my birthday.

With my pulse thrumming like a warning drum, I head toward the last mansion on the left.

The property we live on is so wide it feels like a city, each building an island of its own. The main entrance sits far below, where the first two houses stand across from each other—Chris’s on the left and Chase’s on the right. From there, a private road stretches forward, splitting gently into two directions.

On the left side the road passes Ryan’s, then Kai’s, Noah’s, and Ethan’s. On the right, it leads past Aiden’s, Zayn’s, Theo’s and Liam’s, before both sides merge again at a single point—where Colt’s residence stands first, followed by Sierra and Nick’s home.