Chapter 6

Applause roared all around her, but Nora couldn’t move.

She should’ve known better than to expect anything. Damien had already made his choice—loud and clear.

Hadley was the flawless, one-in-a-million gem.

And she?

Just a defective imitation no one wanted.

The warm summer breeze brushed against her bare shoulders, but Nora shivered. Her eyes burned. She dug her nails into her palm, forcing the tears to stay put.

Just five more days.

Five more days until she could leave this place for good.

Kane would be waiting.

Her hand instinctively brushed the lone blue button stitched onto her drees—just one, slightly mismatched from the rest.

It had fallen from Kane’s shirt years ago when they were teenagers.

A memory, a comfort—small, but real.

Across the ballroom, Damien and Hadley finished their first dance, their steps perfectly in sync, like they’d been made for each other.

Cheers erupted again.

Someone even shouted that they should get together already. Most of the guests didn’t even know Damien was married. And those who did? Well, it was easier to pretend Hadley and Damien were the better fit.

Nora, the legal wife, stood in the shadows—overlooked, forgotten. She pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Kane. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, typing a message... then deleting it. Then typing again. Then nothing.

A moment later, a message popped up from him: a single question mark.

Nora gave a faint smile, finally about to reply.

But Hadley appeared beside her, all bright eyes and sickening sweetness.

“Big sis, what’s making you smile like that?” Hadley asked coyly. “I thought you’d be upset seeing me dance with Damien.”

Nora’s face froze. “Not at all. You two danced well.”

Hadley, still clinging to Damien’s arm, handed Nora a small, ribbon-tied box.

“Damien said you don’t like crowded events like this,” she said sweetly, “so he asked me to dance in your place. I figured you might be upset, so I baked cookies just for you.”

Damien swirled his wine, watching them lazily. “Who were you messaging just now?” he asked. “And why aren’t you eating? Hadley spent all afternoon on those. Burned her hands, too. Is that how a sister repays kindness—by tossing it aside?”

Nora forced a smile. “Just work. Nothing important.”

She picked up a cookie and took a bite.

Seconds later, her throat began to close.

She coughed, then reached for a glass of water—then another. But the itch wouldn’t go away. Her throat swelled tighter, her stomach churned. Breathing became harder with every second.

Peanuts.

There were peanuts in the cookies.

And Hadley knew she was deathly allergic.

Even the tiniest amount could send Nora’s body spiraling—hives, nausea, dizziness, her voice shutting down and worst of all: anaphylactic shock.

And that’s exactly what was happening.

She stumbled toward Damien, her voice already cracking, “Peanuts… the cookies…”

Damien stepped back from her with a frown, irritated. “If you’re going to throw up, do it in the bathroom. Do you realize where we at?”

His tone was cold—public image more important than her life.

Nora’s vision blurred. Her lungs burned. She clutched her throat and staggered outside, barely making it past the ballroom doors.

She collapsed against the balcony railing, trying to call for help.

But no sound came out.

Her phone buzzed in her hand. It was Kane. Again.

She fumbled with the screen, fingers shaking, desperately trying to press "Answer"—

Before she could, someone snatched the phone from her hand.

She turned, just in time to see it sailing off the cliffside.

And disappearing into the darkness.