Celebrity Playboy

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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TESSA'S ROOM

The blast of music shook the thin walls of the little apartment.

Inside her room, Tessa's hips moved with practiced rhythm, her bare feet sliding over the worn carpet. Her favorite group.The Rock Girls was on full volume, and Cathryn's raspy, powerful voice filled the space.

We rise, we burn, we're diamonds in the storm _ No chains can hold us, we'll rewrite the norm Step back-watch us light the night in gold This is our story, fierce and bold...

Tessa sang along word-for-word, clutching her hairbrush like a microphone, eyes closed as she imagined blinding stage lights and roaring crowds. In her head, she was a Rock Girl. confident, unstoppable, the kind of woman who didn't second-guess herself.

The chorus swelled, and she spun in place, sweat dotting her forehead, heart pounding with the beat.

"Tessa!" her mom's voice suddenly cut through the music like a cymbal crash. "Turn that down before someone calls the landlord!"

Tessa groaned but hit pause, the silence feeling almost wrong. "It's Rock Girls, Mom. You don't turn that down."

"You wanna get us kicked out?" Mrs. Cristin appeared in the doorway, a hand on her hip, the other clutching her purse.

"At least use your earphones. Not the whole block needs to hear your concert."

"Fine, l've heard you." Tessa eyed the handbag. "You heading out?"

"Yeah. And while l'm gone, no loud music. Clean up and study, Tessa. College isn't gonna pass itself."

"Yes, ma'am," she said, drawing the words out with mock obedience. "And... don't forget my snack on the way back."

Her mom shook her head with a small smile before leaving.

The front door clicked shut, and Tessa stood in the middle of her room, brushing damp hair from her face.

For a moment, the room felt too quiet.

She glanced at the paused song on her phone.

A small grin tugged at her lips.

Maybe... just one more play. She muttered as she turned on the song and began dancing again.

HAMPTON-STYLE VILLA | LIVING ROOM

Cathryn sat cross-legged on the cream sofa, her phone in hand, while Caroline and Sabrina lounged nearby.

"Shit! Hardin is so f***ing hot," Caroline said, eyes glued to the livestream playing on her tablet.

Cathryn's glare was instant-cold, sharp.

Sabrina, sensing the tension, spoke up. "Uh... so, Cathryn, what's up with you and Hardin?"

"We're dating," Cathryn said flatly, as if daring anyone to question her.

"Oh my god! You're serious?" Sabrina gasped.

Cathryn smirked. "Tomorrow night is the Crimson Kiss concert. I'm gonna go up to him and kiss him on stage."

"The crowd will go insane," Sabrina chuckled.

"I'm so famished right now," Caroline muttered.

"Then go cook and stop disturbing my ears," Cathryn hissed.

"Whatever," Caroline said, heading toward the kitchen.

"Ouu... my baby," Cathryn cooed under her breath as she turned back to Hardin on the screen.

From the kitchen, Caroline's voice carried: "Hardin is for everyone, girl."

"F*** you," Cathryn shot back without looking away.

Sabrina sighed. "You two still haven't settled your issues.

You'd better make up."

"Caroline is the one pissing me off," Cathryn said coolly.

"That's between you two. But honestly, we need to start attending classes-we've missed too many. I'm so stressed, and we've got a concert soon. That college is exhausting." Sabrina rubbed her temples.

"I'm only going to that God-forsaken college if Hardin's in class. I don't care about learning. I'm already living my dream," Cathryn replied.

"I just hope Hardin doesn't play you. You know he's a playboy-and he doesn't resist anything in a skirt," Sabrina warned.

Cathryn's lips curled into a smug smile. "I'm not letting any girl near him. He's mine. Mine alone. We're a perfect match from heaven."

Sabrina gave a small laugh. "Is it the Hardin White I know?

Thousands of girls throw themselves at him. But since you say you're dating, no problem."

"You're already spoiling my mood, Sabrina. I'm hot as f*** and Hardin can't resist me. I'm a 10 out of 10."

"Alright, ma'am," Sabrina replied dryly.

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