room fell d

cold, empty gaz

taught me to be forgiving. To be graceful. So tell m

color drained from her face. "What... what are you

Because Juston just texted me. He planned the menu with Kayden. Kayden specifi

ze. They slowly turned their h

the stairs, freezing halfway

old me out!" Kayden yelled, gripping the banister. "I just wanted to scare you! Y

her mouth with her hands.

den's own mouth killed whatever tiny, patheti

father. Warren wou

ted. It wasn't a ques

standing up. "You're fine now, aren't

ed up. My heart stopped in the ambulance. If the paramedic

ed down at the floor, hiding

ly to her father. The man who

, Warren," Adela said, dr

up, his eyes narrowi

she had suppressed for half a decade. "I received an early acceptan

ons, Kara's hand twitc

rren. "The next morning, it was gone. You told me the sch

inting his finger at her. "They

that morning. When it vanished, you blamed the school. But a week later, I found a corner of the gold-embos

in the room

d. "I told you, this family does not need a glorified seamstress! Your talent is not

r portfolio was amateur garbage. You should be

ster, please. Dad did it to protect you. Your real

shared her blood, and the adopte

ffocated her dreams, mocked her talent, and covered up her attemp

ela's chest su

ied for twenty-two years evaporated, leavi

l anger anymore. She didn't feel s

and," Adel