The champagne flute trembles in my hand as I stare at the man standing beside my best friend, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. This can't be happening. This absolutely cannot be happening. "Maya!" Sophie squeals, rushing toward me with outstretched arms, her engagement ring catching the light from the crystal chandeliers. "You made it! I was so worried you'd miss the party." I force my lips into what I hope resembles a smile, but my eyes keep drifting to him. Ethan. The man whose name I'd moaned three months ago in a hotel room downtown. The man whose hands had explored every inch of my body. The man who'd left before sunrise without so much as a note. The man who is apparently marrying my childhood best friend. "I wouldn't miss this for the world," I manage, my voice surprisingly steady despite the earthquake happening inside my chest. Sophie pulls back, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness I'm about to destroy just by existing. "Come meet Ethan! Babe, this is Maya—the friend I've been telling you about. We've known each other since we were six." He extends his hand, and for a moment, I see a flicker of recognition in those dark eyes. The same eyes that had looked at me with raw hunger as he'd pressed me against the hotel room wall. "Pleasure to meet you, Maya." His voice is smooth, controlled. Nothing like the ragged breathing I remember. I take his hand. His grip is firm, professional, but I feel the slight tremor. He remembers. Of course he remembers. "Likewise," I say, pulling away quickly before Sophie notices my fingers are shaking. "Ethan's family owns Sterling Enterprises," Sophie gushes, completely oblivious to the tension crackling between us. "Can you believe it? I'm marrying into one of the wealthiest families in the state!" "How... fortunate," I murmur. An older woman approaches, her designer dress probably worth more than my car. She has Ethan's sharp features and calculating eyes. "You must be Sophie's little friend. I'm Victoria Sterling, Ethan's mother." The way she says "little friend" makes me feel like an insect under a microscope. "Maya Richardson. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Sterling." "Hmm." She looks me up and down with barely concealed disdain. "Sophie, dear, the Vanderbilts just arrived. We should greet them." She practically drags Sophie away, leaving me alone with Ethan. The silence stretches between us like a live wire. "We need to talk," he says quietly, his jaw tight. "I don't think that's a good idea." "Maya—" "Don't." I cut him off, my voice sharper than intended. "You're marrying my best friend. There's nothing to talk about." "You don't understand—" "Maya!" Sophie's voice calls from across the room. "Come meet Ethan's brother!" I walk away without looking back, but I can feel Ethan's eyes burning into my spine. This weekend is going to be absolute hell. The party continues around me in a blur of expensive champagne and fake smiles. I make small talk with Sophie's relatives, dodge questions about my own love life, and avoid Ethan like my life depends on it. But in a house this size, filled with this many people, collisions are inevitable. I find a quiet balcony overlooking the manicured gardens, desperate for air that doesn't smell like lies and expensive perfume. The door opens behind me. "I told you—" I turn, expecting Ethan. Instead, a man who could be his twin stands there, drink in hand and a knowing smirk on his face. "You must be Maya," he says. "I'm Marcus. Ethan's brother." He steps closer, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "And I know exactly who you are."