Hailey
“Carter…”
His name slipped off my tongue, half in shock, half in disbelief. We’d only met once. Just once. He’d been decent then—charming, even. But Damien had loathed him, and if I knew anything about Damien, that hatred hadn’t faded. Not even a little.
Especially not after that incident—Carter had walked into Damien’s office unannounced, right when we were... indecent. In a scandalous position. His smug words, his amused expression—I hadn't exactly warmed to him after that. Didn’t have any intention to do so.
And yet… I didn’t really hate him. I should’ve, maybe. Especially after he’d called me a “toy,” unaware that I was Hailey—Damien Black’s stepsister, not some faceless flirt. Maybe if I’d taken his words to heart, I wouldn’t have let my hopes rise. But mostly, I think I ju
