new apartment, it's a bridge between her past life of luxury and her current experiment in normalcy. As she steps through the automatic doors, the fam

self both terrifies and excites her. It's a skill she's never needed before, but one she's determined to master in her

n at the checkout counter catches her attention. A young man, tall, handsome and lanky with a mop of unruly dark hair and bright eyes, is emptying his pockets with in

loser, pretending to examine

oung man is saying, his voice low and stra

," sighs dramatically. "Again, Sam? This is getting old. You

is dejected posture, the way he seems to curl in on himself, that tu

chable – a tone she's perfected over years of charity galas and social

rtling shade of brown – widening in s

one she's used to, but a simple faux leather number she'd picked up at a

ase, but Sam only seems to grow more flustered.

er voice dripping with disdain. "Just let her pay so we ca

to it, a personal affront that seems out of proportion to the situation. As Kingcess glances between Melissa and Sam, she catches

deep shade of crimson. "Look, it's fine. I

ined card. It happened to me just last week – a mix-up with my bank. Please, let me help. Y

life. But the fib seems to work – Sam's posture relaxes slightly, and

ays softly. "Thank you

name still feeling foreign

ank account likely doesn't have enough to cover both Sam's purchases and her own planned kitchen splurge. For a mo

ets theatrically. "I think I left my

a corner. Hidden from view, she pulls out her real phone – the one li

Kingcess. I n

athless but triumphant. She hands over a different card – o

th each beep of the scanner, Kingcess turns to Sam. "So,

s Kingcess smile. "Hardly. I'm just tryi

y how easy it is to tell the truth. "I'm... new

ybe we could be clueless together somet

bout the complex web she's weaving. She's just a girl, talking to a boy, in a shopping mall. I'm I actually

hat," she s

feel Melissa's glare burning into her back. She's made an enemy today, she realizes, but a

mix of emotions swirling in her chest. Excitement at the prospect of seeing Sam again, guilt over her

of the new life she's building, Kingcess can't help but smile. Chapter T