Page 18 of Lush

This was just another game, and I was gonna play it.

I’d learned one thing from watching her all these years: people’s fears made them weak.

And she feared Dante. I didn’t know all the details, but I didn’t need to.

She wanted me to get close to Dante? I would…but for myself.

I barely had time to shove the photograph into the drawer when a knock came. The door swung open, and there stood Noelle.

“I came as soon as I could,” she said, her warmth filling the room. “Why is there a party going on?”

Erik’s calls weren’t my only lifeline. Noelle had been my best friend since we were kids and she sat next to me in elementary school, talking to me like we were old friends. She’d been the best friend I could have ever asked for. She called. She’d listen to me rant, cry, and lament. She gave me money when I first needed it. She never turned her back on me. She’d been more of a sister than my actual ones.

“I half expected to find you on a plane back to Paris by now.”

Unsure of how to start, I deflected, glancing at her gown. “Is this a first for you?”

“What? This little old thing?” Noelle’s rich, tawny-brown complexion deepened.

Noelle was biracial—Black and white—but that’s all she knew. Adopted by the McKenzies, she’d grown from thescrawny kid struggling to find her place to the beautiful woman in front of me. The dress shimmered, iridescent green sequins catching the light as if they were made for a spotlight. The surplice neckline emphasized her shoulders, the fitted bodice hugged her curves perfectly, and that thigh-high slit? It was bold—seductive in a way.

“Erik must be losing his mind,” I said.

“If he is, it’s his problem, not mine.”

I saw through their act. Erik’s distance made sense to me. Mama had planned his future. He stayed away from Noelle to avoid the mess when Mama’s arranged marriages happened.

“I’m staying out of it.”

Noelle ran a hand over her gown. “Good call. So, good news, right? C’mon, tell me.”

“Uh, well…” The scent of roses couldn’t hide the tension hanging in the air. “The party downstairs is my engagement party.”

“Engagement!”

“Yeah, can you believe it?” I tried to keep the edge out of my voice, but the bitterness slipped through.

“Who are you marrying?”

“Reese.”

Her hand flew to her mouth to stop a gasp, and she stumbled back and sat on the edge of my bed. “You’re marryingReese? Um, this is, uh… Have you spoken with him since…”

“Not since that night.” The night I’d let him take the fall without a second thought. “Mama made it clear that if I don’t marry Reese, I won’t get my inheritance. She sabotaged everything for me in Paris.”

Noelle’s face lit up, determined. “Alright then. We’re going to fix this. This is just a problem to solve.”

Her words helped, but also made things worse. A part of me wanted to say fuck it and walk away. But there was always that voice in my head, the one I’ve been trained to listen to.Duty. Legacy.

But if I was going to escape that voice, I needed ten million dollars. That was the price of freedom. That was what I needed to start my gallery.

A sharp knock shattered the silence, followed by the door opening.

My younger sister Serena. I hadn’t expected her, but here she was, just like before—impossible to ignore, impossible to love or hate completely. She was twenty-eight now. Dark, velvety skin, flawless as ever, her bob sharp. Always so poised, so damn certain.

“Everyone’s waiting for you downstairs.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words never came. She never had to wrestle with herself when it came to Mama; she knew exactly what would please her, and she’d give it without hesitation.

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