alise said, her eyes

e hem of the crimson gown. The silk clung to every

dangerous. The soft, approachable girl from her past life was go

n a pale pink, and she had spent the whole night trailing after Greggory

ocus. A rustle of paper,

e door. A thick manila envelope had been pu

frowning. "I'll get

gave a sudden, violent thump against her ribs. She crossed the

Just her name, printed in a s

ingers closed around a glossy r

nished fro

bodies flush against each other. Alta's arm was wrapped around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at his nap

mbled. But it wasn't g

, electric

ut ever seeing the knife coming. But now, the evidence was sitting right i

to over. Blank. No

to the hallway. The long corridor was empty, the ant

uit-indistinguishable from the event security staff-slipped th

A sympathetic guest, a rival, or maybe the universe

walked to the vanity, pulling open the bottom drawer. Sh

them a chance to spin a lie, to explain it away. She needed to destroy t

elvet box. "The diam

ace, then shook her head. She pointed to the heavy

ace was aggressive. It was loud. I

t her collarbone, the deep red matching her dress. Tonight, every eye

uartet drifted up from the floo

or. "Miss Knowles?" Eddy's v

he boiling rage down into the pit of h

thought struck her-words could be denied, but sounds could not. She grabbed the small, metallic device, slippi

stood there, his suit perfect

idn't reach her eyes. It wa

alance. He had never seen her look lik

ady," s

music grew louder with every step. She paused at the top of t

er of the room. A wicked idea began to form in her mind, takin

ed her hand on the railing,