Page 95 of Divine Obsession

I released a heavy breath, getting up. “Alright. You ready to go?”

“I just need a second before coming to see everyone.”

“Okay.” I stood and smoothed out my dress, giving her a soft smile and a tight sister hug. “You look beautiful, Carmen.”

“Thank you, Lia. You do, too.” Her smile was small. I understood her nerves with the huge party on the other side of the door.

Though, as I left her room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was in factnotokay about tonight.

The party was in full swing, the buzz of conversation and the soft strains of classical music weaving through the warm glow of the ballroom in the Moretti penthouse. Carmen was radiant, her laughter carrying softly over the music as she moved from one group of guests to another. She was the perfect hostess, her smile lighting up the room.

I stood near the grand staircase, watching her with pride. “She looks happy.”

Kali was beside me, scrolling through her phone with the kind of distracted attention that only she could pull off at an event like this. She glanced up, her lips curving into a small smile. “She really does.”

“Have you seen Trevor?” I asked casually, though my heart was already beating a little faster. He was supposed to be guarding Kali but he was nowhere in sight. Hadn’t been since he left my room at the beginning of the night.

“He already left,” Kali replied distractedly. “Something to do with the Dynasty, I think.”

“Everything okay?”

“Probably just one of Dad’s errands or whatever. You know how it is.”

I nodded slowly, forcing a smile as she turned back to the party. But the unease was already there, curling in my chest like smoke.I was hoping we might leave the party together.But Trevor had his responsibilities with the Su Family. I knew that.Of course.

Shaking my head, I turned my focus back to the party. I wasn’t going to ruin Carmen’s night by overthinking.

By the time the cake was brought out, my unease had started to fade. The birthday girl was glowing as everyone gathered around to sing to her, and her joy was impossible not to share.

Carmen was leaving for Milan in the morning to study abroad, and it’d be a long time before I saw my sister again. I laughed and danced with her, letting myself get swept up in the moment.

But every now and then, I felt the emptiness where Trevor’s presence should’ve been. And that strange, heavy feeling never quite left my chest.

Chapter 23

Present

I hadn’t spoken to Trevor in a week.

He hadn’t answered any of my calls or replied to my texts.

I wasn’t sure how to feel, since I was feelingeverything.

Upset. Mad.He’d definitely pay for that later.

But most of all? Worried. He’d left to take care of a job for the Dynasty.What if something had gone wrong?

The familiar hum of conversation brought me back. The afternoon sun filtered through the wide windows of the SoHo cafe, casting a soft glow over the minimalist interiors and rows of potted plants.

Kali sat across from me, effortlessly chic as always.

I stirred my matcha latte absently. I should’ve been enjoying our catch-up, but my heart was somewhere else; with someone who’d been frustratingly absent from my life for the past week.

“So,” I started after our last conversation topic ended. “Where’s Trevor?”

“Oh.” Kali sighed like she’d forgotten to tell me. “He left for Tokyo last week.”

I blinked, caught completely off guard. “Tokyo?”

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