t, but it echoed in

tened on my arm. "

ice steady. "I didn' t do anyth

rom the stage. "See? She doesn'

eve of her dress, revealing a series of

her arm out for everyone to see. "These are from last n

them for Maria and disgust turning toward me. A cr

ce a mask of blind fury and infatuatio

sation, then let' s treat it seriously. Let' s call campus security. Let' s get the lawyers from Nex

eyes for a heartbeat before

to the audience. "She' s using her family' s power

ed further. They were

drew shoved me hard. "You

second nature. I sidestepped his clumsy push, using his own momentum against him. He stumbled forward, lo

cascading across the polished floor. The chao

p of melting ice, s

ve. The party w

brie

g her way through the crowd, her face a picture of ma

shing to Maria' s side. "What

hter. But my eyes caught a detail she' d forgotten to hide: the discreet but unmist

at me or the mess. He was staring at Debra Chavez, and his face was a canvas of longin

wet, saw me watching them. His humiliation

ing to ki

ice ice-cold. "And see what happens. You k

y mother, even supposedly sick and absent, was more p

the corner of a heavy banquet table. I felt a warm trickl

ly' s security and my mother' s most loyal man, strode in. His face

ht to me, ignori

voice a calm anchor in the st

e stunned partygoers to their gossip and their lies. I was bloodied and dishe

just made a f