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What hurts more than Elder Matthew’s words is the realization that Alaric just wrecked my chest with an invisible sledgehammer. Twice. That bastard hurt me twice.

The first time, I was naive and didn’t see it coming.

The second time? I didn’t see it coming either. But am I still naive?

I chuckle painfully, my shaking hands latching onto the cold balcony railing that overlooks the garden below. I try to focus on a tree beneath me so the hot tears won’t choke my throat and leave me a sobbing mess.

But even that fails.

Tears escape my eyes. One tear turns into three, and two minutes later, I’m full-on sobbing, cursing myself. I’m also cursing the bastard who stood there while everyone around us looked at me like I was nothing but a home wrecker. And I’m cursing my stupid, foolish heart.

Of course, Alaric Hells has a Luna out there waiting for him. What did I think? That I was special?

That just because he handed me his card, bought me clothes, and put a big damn stone around my neck, I was the only woman in his life?

Goddess, of course he has another woman and I’m the other woman.

Laughter and clinking glasses echo behind me. Everyone’s moved on with the party. I don’t know whether to be grateful or furious that I now have to go back in there and find an exit.

I wipe at my tears with the back of my hand. All I can think of is that I should never have kissed him. I should never have let myself get tangled up with him the moment I found out he was my boss.

I should never have come here.

“Having fun alone?” a voice cuts through my thoughts.

I sigh, hating how bad my night is turning out to be.

Leaning against the wall with two glasses of champagne and that same smug, arrogant smirk, Julian looks at me like he’s suddenly grown a heart.

“I’m not in the mood for—”

“I came here to apologize, peaches—I mean, Lila. Whatever happened the other day...fuck, I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m sorry for hurting you last week. And sorry for the, uh, cheating. Six years ago.”

He sounds genuine.

And yet his words feel like dust because, honestly? I don’t care.

I say nothing. I don’t want to. Not to him.

“Drink? How about we toast to forgiveness?”

I look at the champagne. Then at him. No amount of champagne would make me forgive this man, and maybe he gets it, because he still continues to speak.

“Come on, Lila. You look like you need it.”

I’m humiliated. Shattered. There’s a ballroom full of people who will chew me up the second I walk through that door.

I should have run when I heard Elder Matthew’s words, but my shattered heart couldn’t even tell the difference between an exit and an entrance when I fled from Alaric, so I wound up here.

So yeah, I take the glass from Julian.

I down the champagne in one go. The fizzy liquid tastes wrong. Like ash. Like betrayal and foolish hope.

“How could I have been so stupid?”

Julian takes a sip from his glass, ignoring my jabbering mess of emotions. His tone shifts.

“So, after my uncle went all caveman on me last week, I asked around, peaches.”