Page 11 of All The Pretty Little Lies

Our eyes meet across the distance, and even in the dim light, I can see the determination etched on his face. Without a word, he approaches the flower-covered trellis on the wall beneath my balcony. With the grace of a cat, he begins to scale the wooden lattice, the fragrant blooms quivering with his ascent.

My heart races as I watch him climb, a mix of exhilaration and worry coursing through my veins. When Oscar finally pulls himself over the balcony railing, I can see he is slightly out of breath, a sheen of sweat glistening on his brow.

“Fuck, that was harder than I thought. That looked easier in movies,” he comments slightly out of breath.

"Oscar," I hiss, glancing nervously at my bedroom door. "What are you doing here?"

He flashes me a roguish grin, reaching into his pocket. "Bringing you this," he says, producing my smartphone. "Figured you might want it back.”

My eyes widened as I take it, my fingers brushing against his, emitting a short electric jolt between us. “Thank you,” I mutter, staring down at it.

“You really shouldn’t thank me, solnishko. I did take it from you,” he smiles down at me. Oscar pauses, studying me for a moment. “You’ve been crying.”

I quickly wipe at my eyes, embarrassed by my show of weakness. "It's nothing," I lie, but Oscar's piercing gaze tells me he doesn't believe me for a second.

He takes a step closer, his voice softening. "It's not nothing. What happened?"

“What hasn’t happened?” I blurt out. “Luca’s fight with your brother, for starters. I have no idea where my brother is, if he’s hurt, or if I’ll see him again before I get shipped off to Russia to become your cousin’s property.”

“Zaire can be a bit of a hot head, and when he finds a chance to goad someone, he takes it. Your brother was an easy target,” he tries to explain. “It’s not an excuse for what happened, but it wasn’t entirely Zaire’s fault either. I have to take the blame for part of it.”

I peer up at him in confusion. “How would it be your fault? You didn’t throw a single punch.”

“I asked Zaire to start it,” he admits casually. “I needed to talk to you alone, and your brother was hovering around you like a fucking moth.”

“You did this?” I hiss as I feel the anger boiling inside of me again. “My brother is gone because of you. I am trapped in this house because of you.The last few days of my freedom are gone because ofyou.”

Oscar's face falls, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes. "I didn't mean for it to go this far," he says, his voice low and urgent. "I just wanted a moment alone with you. I never thought your father would?—"

"Would what?" I snap, cutting him off. "React exactly how he always does? You may not have meant for this to happen, but you should have known better."

I turn away from him, gripping the balcony railing so tightly my knuckles turn white. The cool night air does little to soothe the fire burning inside me.

"Listen," Oscar says, moving to stand beside me. "I know I fucked up. But I'm here now, and I want to help. Tell me what I can do to make this right."

I laugh bitterly. "Unless you can magically undo this arranged marriage and bring my brother back, there's nothing you can do."

Oscar is quiet for a moment, and when he speaks again, his voice is filled with a determined resolve. “My alternative still stands, Vesper. I can get you out of this.”

I turn to face Oscar, my eyes narrowing in disbelief. The moonlight casts shadows across his face, accentuating the sharp angles of his jaw and the intensity in his dark eyes. For a moment, I allow myself to entertain the wild notion that he could actually help me escape this gilded cage.

But reality crashes back like a tidal wave, drowning out that fleeting hope. I shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "And why would you do that, Oscar? What could you possibly gain from helping me?"

I step closer to him, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "My marriage to Dmitri benefits your family. It strengthens the ties between the Petrovs and the Rossis. It expands your influence, your power." I gesture broadly to the opulent gardens below, the sprawling estate that represents just a fraction of our families' combined wealth and influence. "This union is a masterpiece of strategy, crafted by minds far more cunning than ours. And you expect me to believe you'd risk it all for what? Some misplaced sense of chivalry?"

Oscar opens his mouth to speak, but I press on, my words sharp and cutting. "No, I don't believe you. This is just another game, isn't it? Another ploy to manipulate me, to keep me off balance." I pace the length of the balcony. "Perhaps you think if you can gain my trust, you can use me as a pawn in some larger scheme. Is that it?"

I stop and face him again, my green eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and pain. "Or maybe this is just amusement for you. The thrill of playing with fire, of seeing how close you can get to the forbidden fruit without getting burned."

The night air grows heavy around us, thick with tension and unspoken words. In the distance, I hear the faint sound of a car engine, probably one of my father's men patrolling the grounds. It serves as a stark reminder of the invisible bars that surround me.

"You don't understand," Oscar begins, his voice low and urgent. "This isn't about?—"

"No," I cut him off, holding up a hand. "I understand perfectly. I've been raised in this world, Oscar. I know how it works. Every move, every word, every seemingly kind gesture is calculated. There are no selfless acts here, only carefully disguised self-interest."

I turn away from him, gazing out over the moonlit gardens. The roses my mother so lovingly tended now seem to mock me with their beauty, their freedom to bloom and wither as nature intended. "Your offer of help is either a lie or a trap. Either way, I can't afford to believe you."

The silence stretches between us, filled with the soft chirping of crickets and the distant rustle of leaves. When I finally turn back to Oscar, I school my features into a mask of cold indifference, the one I've perfected over years of navigating this treacherous world.

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