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“I’ve got nothing on what you’ve had to go through...”

“Don’t do that joking dismissive thing you do,” she replies. “How are you, Jolie?”

I roll my eyes dramatically.

“Where do I even start? It’s been a week from hell, and it ain’t even over yet.”

“Oh, really?”

“You’re going to find it wild what’s happened to me.”

“Wild?”

“Yeah. I’ve been going crazy needing someone to talk to about it. I’m so happy I finally can say something.”

“This sounds juicy...”

“Hey!”

It’s Elise. She’s popped out of nowhere, dressed in a lovely dress.

Both Sylvie and I hug her.

Elise is such a compassionate and loyal soul. Her emerald-green eyes only enhance her sweetness.

“What are you guys talking about?” Elise queries as she joins us at the standing table.

“Jolie was about to reveal her week from hell. Apparently, it’s been wild.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. Spill the gossip, Jolie.”

I definitely don’t want a word of this leaking out to Clement, but I think of Fabien back at the penthouse, and of how gloomily he glared at me. How he sulked. How he made me feel small.

Screw him.

“You promise not to say any of this to Clement?” I ask Elise seriously.

Sylvie’s eyes light up. She’s hooked.

“What do you mean?”

“Please promise. Not a word.”

“I won’t,” Elise frowns. “Whatever is said between us tonight stays between us. I swear.”

“Well, Fabien’s got his final initiation task from the Castaways.”

“Oh, no,” Elise sighs.

She has reason to be worried. Elise was Clement’s impossible task.

“And what is his task?” Sylvie asks me. “And how do you know about it?”

“That’s the thing. He has to spend a week with the one woman who broke his heart when they were teenagers. AKA the one woman he hates most in the world.”

“Who’s that?”

Sylvie knows. She must surely know.