Page 97 of Fake Fae-Ancée

But I had been alone.

No one had been there with me.

At least that's what I had always thought. My memory had been a blurry fog until just now, a few minutes ago on the dance floor — when it had hit me like a shooting star.

Yuri had been there.

Completely impossible.

He couldn’t have been there. Couldn’t have done what I now know in my bones hehaddone.

He’d saved me.

Wherever I had been gone — he’d grabbed me and pulled me back.

But how…?

"Adorable."

Someone clapped. I froze in my movement. Turned off the water and looked over my shoulder.

Behind me, in her yellow dress, stood the woman who had shoved her tongue down Yuri's throat in the tabloids, clapping that ironic, movie villain slow-motion clap.

"Just adorable." She smiled her porcelain doll smile.

I sighed, stretching my neck left to right that two vertebrae popped. She wasn’t the first hateful bitch to cross my path. I might have been shaken to the core, and maybe my hands were trembling more than I’d liked. But I was still a P.A.S.H. agent, albeit suspended. This, too, was nothing more than just another combat mission.

"How can I be of assistance?" I turned, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

Anastasia raised her skinny eyebrows. "Oh, the kitten has claws."

No idea what she had been expecting. My act as demure arm candy had probably been convincing enough. Yli-Pekkala would be so proud.

"I suggest you get to the point," I said. "The night is short."

Now she frowned. She was probably one of those gently bred daughters who wasn't used to much contradiction.

"Then let's get down to business, honey." She stepped forward. Thank God this ladies' room was of the luxurious and absurdly spacious variety. Two ladies in sweeping ballgowns could easily circle each other and have a knife fight if they wanted to without knocking over any of those decorative vases on the sideboards.

I didn't budge.

"I don’t think we have any business to settle."

"I disagree." Anastasia measured me from top to bottom, as if I were a particularly interesting insect that wasn’t usually allowed at high-society balls. "I have a question for you."

I tilted my head.

"Then let's hear it."

Her mouth curled into a smirk.

"How long is it going to take you to finally sign the divorce papers."

My throat went tight. Everything in me, all cellular activity, all thought, all blood in circulation — stopped.

"Next you'll be asking me how I know about this" Anastasia said, still smirking.

I couldn't even nod. My hands sank down. The ring on my finger suddenly seemed to have doubled its weight, pulling me down.

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