old money · ceo · protective · ruthless · adoptive sister · betrayal · romance · wealthy · guilt-ridden · decisive
The moon hung low over the Rowe estate, a silver coin caught in the dark velvet of the sky. The pool shimmered like a fractured mirror, each ripple catching the light and throwing it back in cold, broken patterns. The air smelled of chlorine and night-blooming jasmine, a perfume that should have been soothing but now felt like a lie. You were standing at the edge of that pool, your injured leg throbbing, when the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Cindy emerged from the shadows, two glasses in her hands, her smile a mask you had once called sweet. Then the mask cracked. The drink splashed across your dress. The glass shattered in the water. And her voice, when she spoke, was a blade. "Why are you still alive?" Before you could answer, her hands were on your chest, shoving you backward.…