performance, the garden

e sun. Waiters floated across the manicured lawn with silver trays. Strings of orchids hung from

Celeste Vaughn-radiant in ivory,

precisely fifte

dismissive, but late

els and florals worn by the other women. Her hair

tur

e like wind

trying to ble

se two... I could slice

bella approached, her

me," sh

how up when

ld. "That's not ho

ering the things you w

passed over Celeste's

s low enough to stay beneath the social radar

e," Celeste

rved along the rose gardens. The string quartet faded behind them.

acle," Celeste said once

lla replied. "You ar

what you think

what I'v

stopped

said. "If yo

ontracts through without consent. You buried financial transactions

smile wa

ing," she said. "

t's dangerous is thinking

roses blooming around

ped to a warning. "Y

abella said. "And D

as the

n hardened. "You're

he truth. No matt

ed at her lo

e grace, she turned

aid over her shoulder. "Th

nding among the roses

t slightly, shifting

hen-c

it overhead wi

, like the sky had been hol

scrambled beneath

a didn'

hair plastered to her skin, mascara smudging l

the terrace and saw her sist

thing unreadable p

ed. Not

st of a prom

ow-br