I walked out with nothing but one thing – that stupid men’s blazer was somehow still in my arms.

I limped down the sidewalk, sun blazing down overhead, but I still felt ice cold right down to my bones. Fumbling for my phone, I pressed call on a number I knew by heart. "Kendra? Can you come get me?" I asked.

Twenty minutes later, Kendra screeched to a stop right in front of me in her cherry-red sports car.

One look at the white bandage wrapped around my leg and she ripped her sunglasses off, worry written all over her face. "Babe, what the hell happened to you?"

"Kendra, can I crash at your place for a while?" I asked weakly, slumping back against the passenger seat. I told her everything that went down with Michael Hansen, my voice totally flat, like I was just reciting some stranger’s story, not mine.

"That whole Hansen family are a bunch of freaking idiots! And who the hell does Aila think she is, even daring to compare herself to you?!" Kendra’s anger rolled off her in waves, her foot slamming heavier on the gas as she ranted a mile a minute. "If it wasn’t for you, how the hell would Michael even gotten where he is today? Is he just blind and stupid? Or just a shameless asshole who’s never satisfied? All these years, how much have they stolen from you, out in the open and behind your back? The second Aila waltzes back in, you get tossed aside like trash. That family really invented being shameless, I swear."

I answered her totally calm. "Kendra… the perfect life with loving parents and a happy marriage? It just wasn’t ever meant for me."

Kendra’s brow furrowed a little. She remembered my messed up childhood, and a flash of pain crossed her eyes. "Babe, don’t be sad."

"If I know it’s not for me, I don’t have to crave it anymore. I don’t have to be heartbroken over it either," I said softly, letting out a tired breath before closing my eyes. "I’m so worn out. I’m just gonna nap for a minute."

Kendra picked up that something was wrong right away. She pressed a hand to my burning skin and cursed under her breath before slamming on the gas straight for the hospital.

The whole ride there, she ripped the Hansen family a new one – not a single one of them got let off the hook.

Let’s be real, the Hansens were barely scraping by on the wrong side of town once upon a time. Without all my plans and my advice, what shot did Michael ever have at becoming the big shot he is today? They sucked up to me nonstop when I was useful, but the second Aila came back, they couldn’t kick me to the curb fast enough. They traded the real thing for fake, thinking they’d get along just fine without me. We’ll see how that goes.

When my fever finally broke, I woke up in the harsh white glow of a hospital room. The smell of disinfectant hung thick in the air, and I grimaced.

As my head cleared, I automatically scanned the room – and my gaze locked on a familiar silhouette sitting right next to my bed.

My breath caught. I tightened my hand around the blanket, my voice coming out rough and raspy. "Uncle…"

"How you feeling?" Uncle Matthew stood up, pressing the back of his hand to my forehead. When he felt no more fever, he breathed a sigh of relief and handed me a mug of warm coffee. "Still sore or anything?"

I shook my head fast.

"Kendra told me everything," Uncle Matthew said, his face soft with sympathy but tight with anger as he looked at my pale, exhausted face.

He let out a heavy sigh, anger simmering just under the surface. "What are you planning to do now?"

Years ago, when Leona Carpenter fell for Michael Hansen, her family put their foot down hard—their social worlds were nothing alike, and the Carpenters wanted no part of it. But Leona? She was stubborn, dead set on chasing what she thought was true love. She cut off her family, buried her identity as a Carpenter, and dove headfirst into the messy, working-class chaos of the Hansen household.

When her grandfather found out, he was livid. He froze all her bank accounts, cut off every cent of her support, and tried to force her home.

This standoff dragged on for three years. The whole family waited, every single day, for Leona to come to her senses. What did they get instead? News that Michael Hansen had dumped her.

Leona Carpenter was still a Carpenter, for God’s sake. She was the one who walked away from people, not the other way around. The Hansens had some real nerve, thinking they could throw her away like trash and get away with it.

Her uncle, Henry Carpenter, couldn’t let that slide. Not even if he tried.

Leona smiled faintly, her face calm as she looked right at him. "Uncle, haven’t you already got everything sorted out for me already?"

"My real suggestion is that you come back to the family. Your grandfather’s getting on in years, running the empire is wearing him thin. I don’t want the crown, your younger uncle doesn’t either. The job’s yours if you want it. But if you’ve got other plans? Lay 'em on me. I’ve got your back, no matter what you decide," Henry said, soft warmth bleeding into his voice.

That simple, open offer crashed into her like a wave, and all of a sudden Leona couldn’t outrun the ache in her chest—it swallowed her whole.

She thought back to how she’d stormed out all those years ago, turned her back on everyone who loved her just for some deadbeat who never deserved her, and she wanted to scream at how stupid her younger self had been.

She choked back the tears burning her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Uncle."

"You’re my only niece. Who the hell else would I look out for?" Henry gently patted her head, a soft, loving smile on his face. "Take it easy right now. I’ll be back in a few days to check on you."

After he left, Leona wandered over to the window. The sun was blazing bright outside, and she figured a walk wouldn’t kill her.

Aila Ellis leaned against the hospital pergola, wrapped in a soft knit sweater, and watched Leona where she sat in the shade of an old oak.

Even in a scratchy, one-size-fits-all hospital gown, Leona’s natural, innate elegance turned every head nearby. It was impossible to miss.

Her beauty wasn’t that cutesy, innocent kind that faded fast. It was bold, it took your breath away, and even a split-second glance was enough to stick with you forever.

"Who would’ve thought we’d run into each other this soon?" A purring voice came from behind Leona, who spun around to face her. One look at Aila, and her face went ice cold, her eyes sharp as shards of glass.

Aila held Leona’s gaze, a smug, victorious little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Leona Carpenter. Long time no see."

Leona’s eyes darkened, a cold chill rolling off her in waves. "You’re really persistent, aren’t you, Miss Ellis."

Aila brushed the dig off like it was nothing, and kept going. "Sometimes I actually feel bad for you, Miss Carpenter. How many years do you expect a girl to waste on a man who never even loved her?"

Out of nowhere, tears welled up in Aila’s eyes. She reached out and grabbed Leona’s arm, sniffling. "Leona, this is all my fault. I’m so sorry for everything I did… please just forgive me…"

"Don’t you dare touch me!" Leona frowned, yanking her arm away in disgust.

She didn’t even pull that hard, but Aila went flying backward like she’d been shoved, overacting every step of the stumble.

Leona was still blinking in confusion at this little performance when a thunderous roar cut through the air from right behind her. "Leona Carpenter! What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

Oh. It clicked instantly. Aila’s little act wasn’t some random outburst. She’d planned this.

But hey—if Aila went to all this trouble to put on a show? Leona would be a fool not to let the drama play out just how she wanted it to.

When Aila Ellis stumbled, Leona Carpenter’s quick reflexes snagged her arm before she could fall. Aila stared up at her, completely stunned.

"If you’re gonna put on an act, at least make it look real," Leona whispered—soft, but sharp with frost. "If you can’t pull it off, I guess I can help you out."

Aila’s heart skipped a beat. She twisted to meet Leona’s gaze, and all she saw back was cold, unreadable glint. A cold wave of dread crashed over her.

The hospital garden was lined with carefully placed decorative stones, laid out to look calm and peaceful. Leona knew exactly what would happen the second she let go of Aila’s arm. And she didn’t even hesitate.

A dull thud rang out as Aila’s head cracked against one of the stones. A nasty lump bloomed instantly on her pale forehead, making her look even more delicate and helpless than she already did.

The whole thing happened in the blink of an eye. Aila was too shocked to move, and even Michael Hansen was caught so off guard he reacted a beat too slow.

When Michael finally pieced together what just happened, he rounded on Leona with a furious glare. "Leona, do you have any idea what you just did?"

Leona gave a lazy little shrug, playing it totally cool. "Oops. My bad…"

"You…!" Michael stared at her unapologetic face, realizing she didn’t feel a single ounce of guilt or remorse.

"Don’t believe me?" Leona taunted, catching the scorn in Michael’s eyes and twisting her lips into a mocking smirk. "It’s so funny, huh? Aila apologizes and you automatically buy it was an accident, but when it comes to me, suddenly you’re suspicious. Guess my acting just isn’t up to your standards, huh?"

Aila brushed a gentle hand against her forehead, pressing lightly to the thick swelling. A sharp, throbbing pain split through her skull, unrelenting. She glowered at Leona, resentment burning in her eyes, and forced herself not to snap back.

For Aila, who made her living off her looks, this was devastating. She never saw Leona coming—never thought she’d go this far.

Leona paid no mind to the hatred in her stare, amusement flickering cold in her eyes. "Aila Ellis, you’d better stay far away from me from now on. Next time, it won’t be something this minor."

Michael caught the warning immediately, stepping fast between them, his gaze dark and locked hard on Leona. "Leona, this is completely irrational!"

Leona lifted a brow casually, her mouth tugging into a icy smile. "If I’m irrational, just stay away from me. I don’t have patience for other people’s mess, and anything I throw away? I think it’s disgusting."

"You!" Michael’s face went tight, his fists clenched at his sides. "If you got a problem with me, take it out on me. Leave Aila out of this."

"You really think this little thing is worth fighting over?" Leona shot back, voice thick with disdain, her eyes dripping sarcasm. "You think an awful lot of yourself, don’t you?"

Michael’s brow furrowed as he held her stare, his voice low and dangerous. "You can hate me all you want, but I won’t let you hurt Aila."

He bent down, lifted Aila gently into his arms, and threw one last cold glare at Leona before walking away.

Leona stood her ground, watching Michael leave. The tears she’d been holding back for so long finally spilled over, tracing hot paths down her cheeks.

Three years of giving up everything for nothing. She’d turned her back on her whole family just for him, and all she got out of it was heartbreak. But from the second she decided to cut him loose for good, she’d never planned to look back.

Leona slowly closed her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to stop them, the tears kept falling. They were proof that this love she’d carried had been her ruin all along.

"You okay?"

A deep, calm voice spoke up right beside her.