The air in the mansion was thick enough to taste—a mixture of expensive cologne, spilled champagne, and the electric hum of a hundred bodies in motion. Near the grand staircase, hidden behind a towering marble pillar, Amelia, Sophia, and Lila stood like a council of dark queens.
Sophia’s eyes were fixed on the far side of the room where the crowd had momentarily parted, revealing Ethan’s hand resting possessively on the small of Bella’s back. "Look at her," Sophia hissed, her voice trembling with a jagged edge of jealousy. "She’s walking around his house like she belongs here. Like she’s the lady of the manor."
Amelia let out a dry, sharp laugh, her manicured nails tapping rhythmically against her glass. "She’s a guest, Sophia. And guests eventually have to leave. Some just leave with mo
