The Jilted Heiress: Too Late For Regret

injury, but a thick, syrupy heat coiling in her stomach and spreadin

smell. Stale champagne, cheap cologne

, a sign of wealth she hadn't felt in years. A man stood silhouetted against the glitt

st. "Finally awake, little bird? Don't wor

pieces. The class trip. The celebratory drink Ivy Sterlin

s. A memory not from this life, but the one before. The shove from a

ame one horrifying truth: she was being served up, a h

closer. "Ivy said you wer

nd became a shard of ice. The drug wanted to drag

ade her breath hitch, her eyes wide with a manufactured terror.

ed, her voice a perfect imi

with its cowering prey. He was enjoyin

e locked on the heavy, brass lamp on th

nto the foot of the bed. He reached for

ntion was focused d

e lamp's plug. She ripped it from the wall socket. In the same fluid movement,

weapon, whipped

ange in her demeanor, the wire was aro

lance. She crossed her hands, pulling the cord taut in opposite directions. It wasn't about strangulation; that was too slow,

ke. His hands flew up to claw at the wire, but her grip was like iron. S

es weakened

ived of oxygen, he collapsed o

ound the cord and shoved his dead weight off th

forehead was slick with sweat. She braced herself against the headboard,

ded to

, her wallet, everything. This was a carefully orch

down his pockets. Nothing but a cheap lighter, a cru

Voices from the hal

ole thing?" It was Ivy Ste

against the wall, in the dark space between the

lied, "Yes, Ivy. She finished the whole glas

ade gets his fun, and Gisele gets what she deserves for trying to steal Chase from me. And you? You

rried away d

angle of jealousy, blackmail, and

ould hear the faint tapping of fingers on a phone screen. She

min

the waves of drug-induced nausea. She couldn't leave. Not y

o Wade. His belt. The heavy, silv

d vicious, bloo

nsteadiness in her legs. She picked up the leather belt. Th

ion blurred at the edges. She bit the inside of her cheek, hard. The

, listening to Ivy's self-satisfi

s about to be

For this life, and for the last. The Gisele Kent they thought t

ing else entirely. Some

just getti