Alan

Saturday morning’s meeting hadn’t just gone badly—it had been a complete disaster. Dragging a man out of a warm bed on his day off was never a good idea, no matter how important the issue was. The new employees were turning into one problem after another, and apparently even weekends weren’t off-limits anymore.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, cutting through the mess of thoughts in my head.

"Rinat, did you get her name?" I asked without wasting a second. As if work wasn’t enough of a headache, now I had personal problems too. All because I’d been an idiot who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

"Alan, come on, we all have... needs. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I sat outside that damn room the whole time—"

"Spare me the details. Just tell me you got her name and address. She told you when you drove her home, didn’t she?" I snapped. I needed to get rid of the guilt that had been hanging over me since morning.

"She took off. The second I stepped away for a minute. Then security came over with some list of the escorts who got into the club last night, and I lost her."

"You’ve got to be kidding me." I shut my eyes for a second and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Then find her. How do you lose one girl? One? Tell security to pull the camera footage. Find her friends. Get me her name and address."

"You disappeared without a word. Maybe now you’ll finally tell me why you care so much?"

"She was a virgin." The words came out flat, like a sentence being handed down. I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. "I don’t think she belonged there. I think she was just with her friends."

"I think you’re wrong, my friend. I talked to that redhead—Kriss, I think her name was. She said they came to make money. And I paid her in advance, exactly the way she asked. Said it was to 'reserve a spot.'"

"Then find the redhead too. What kind of club lets girls like that in?"

"Then maybe you should explain why your mystery girl walked into the place without an ID. You’d have to be pretty damn sure of yourself to do that."

"She wasn’t drinking. If there had been anything suspicious, the bartender would’ve checked. She didn’t smell like alcohol either." I rubbed a hand over my face. "Doesn’t matter. I’m counting on you. Find her and bring her to me. The last thing I need right now is a scandal—especially when I’m about to announce my engagement."

"We’ll handle it. Your blonde will be delivered to you soon enough."

***

Kriss wasn’t answering her phone, and I had no idea where else to look for her.

The obvious place would’ve been her apartment. She was probably lying in bed with the world’s worst hangover. But she wasn’t there either. According to her bratty little sister, she’d gone to the mall.

By then, the need for revenge had dulled a little. Mostly because I had no clue what I was actually going to do once I found her. I’d stormed out of the house fueled by anger and adrenaline, without thinking any of it through. I probably should’ve stayed home and slept for another few hours. My whole body still hurt after last night.

I wandered past one glossy storefront after another, then stopped in the middle of the mall and swore under my breath. Acting on impulse had been stupid. Kriss would get what she deserved. I just needed to stop charging in blindly.

I was about to leave when I spotted a familiar figure stepping into one of the most expensive boutiques in the entire mall.

For a second, I thought I had to be mistaken. There was no way that was Kriss.

But the closer I got, the more certain I became.

It was her.

And there was no way in hell she could afford anything in a place like that.

So what was she doing there?

I slipped quietly inside and ducked behind a display of shoes, peering around it at my target.

Kristina wandered between the racks of designer clothes like she belonged there, casually flipping through dresses she had no intention of paying for.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked from behind me.

I turned and found myself face-to-face with an impeccably dressed sales associate. Apparently, I didn’t exactly look like I belonged there either. I had no makeup on, my hair was twisted into a messy bun, and I was wearing denim shorts and an old T-shirt.

"I’m fine. Worry about your own customers," I muttered. Too much attention was the last thing I needed.

Meanwhile, Kristina disappeared into a fitting room.

I tried to move closer, but the same saleswoman stepped into my path again.

"This is a luxury boutique, and if you’re not planning to buy anything, I’m going to have to ask you to—"

I yanked the first thing I saw off a rack, shoved it into her arms, then dug a few bills out of my pocket.

"Great. I’m buying it. Now please leave me alone."

The woman pasted on a tight smile and headed toward the register.

The second she was gone, I slipped behind a display of handbags and kept watching.

A minute later, Kriss stepped out of the fitting room in a gorgeous evening dress and slowly turned in front of the mirror.

Well, look at you.

And where exactly do you think you’re going dressed like that?

"Can I help you?"

The question came again.

This time, I lost it.

"If you want to help me get revenge, then sure. Otherwise, stop asking me stupid questions. I’m not buying anything else."

Kriss disappeared back into the fitting room, and I turned toward the latest annoyance.

Then froze.

That wasn’t the same saleswoman.

This time, it was a man.

Tall. Broad shoulders. Ridiculously attractive.

I glanced around to make sure he was actually talking to me.

"You work here?"

"In a manner of speaking." He smiled, and a dimple appeared in his cheek. "Now tell me—what’s all this about revenge?"

"I..." I started, then ducked down when I heard my former friend call for someone from inside the fitting room. "Well... it’s just..."

"Let me guess. That pretty little thing over there did something awful to you?" he asked, leaning casually against the display.

"Something awful?" I let out a bitter laugh. "That’s one way to put it. Because of her, I lost something that meant everything to me. And now I want payback."

"I see." There was something amused in his voice as he glanced toward the fitting room. "You know, you’re too young to spend your life chasing revenge. It never feels as good as people think."

"Maybe not for other people. But for me, it will." My voice came out sharper than I meant it to. "Because otherwise I’ll have to keep pretending I’m okay when I’m not. What she did... I can’t forgive it."

The words spilled out before I could stop them. I didn’t even know why I was telling a complete stranger any of this. Maybe because he didn’t know me. Maybe because there was no risk in it.

"You think it’ll make you feel better?" he asked.

"I know it will."

His eyes sparkled.

Then he crooked a finger at one of the sales associates and leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

She nodded and disappeared into the back.

A few seconds later, he looked at me again.

"I’d be very interested to hear what that girl did to you," he said lightly. "Other than trying to steal several sets of very expensive lingerie from this store."

My mouth dropped open.

Two security guards appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Kristina by the arms, and started dragging her toward the back room.

"You can’t do this! I’m filing a complaint! Let go of me!" she screamed.

Then the door slammed shut behind her.

"Well?" the stranger asked, flashing me a smug smile. "It’s a small start, but it has to feel pretty good, right?"

It felt even better than I’d imagined.

A laugh burst out of me before I could stop it, bright and shaky and completely real. My eyes filled with tears—part relief, part satisfaction.

No, it wasn’t enough to ruin that bitch the way she deserved.

But it was a beginning.

"My name is Boris. And here's your purchase and your change."

The man in front of me had somehow managed to turn an awful day into something almost bearable. For the first time in what felt like forever, I actually wanted to smile again. Maybe there were still good people left in the world. I'd spent so long obsessing over certain people that I'd stopped noticing everyone else.

"Thank you," I said, taking the bag and the money from him. "I'm Zoe. And you have no idea how much better I feel right now. But that girl isn't getting off with nothing more than a shoplifting fine."

"Then I'm guessing what she did was a lot worse than fighting over the same guy," he said.

Heat rushed to my face, and I dropped my gaze.

I had never been this flustered around a man before, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself, so I just nodded.

"Well, have a good day, Zoe."

He flashed me one last heart-stopping smile and stepped aside. I threw one last look toward the door my former friend had disappeared through, then headed outside.

My phone rang in my pocket, and I stopped in surprise when I saw the name on the screen.

Kriss.

Well, would you look at that. So she'd had her phone with her the whole time and had been ignoring my calls on purpose. And now suddenly she remembered I existed?

She probably needed something.

Deal with your own mess, Kriss. I always have to deal with mine.

I got home a little after noon and, unfortunately, found the whole family there.

Mom was in the living room, drinking tea and talking to one of her friends on the phone. Dad was in his office, loudly complaining about his useless employees. And Valeri was in the kitchen making sandwiches.

I headed straight for her.

"What time did you get home, Zoe?" my sister asked, narrowing her eyes.

She looked different today. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes were shining, and she looked ridiculously happy.

Apparently meeting her fiancé had gone very, very well.

"Right before sunrise," I said quickly, already trying to think of a way to change the subject.

On the way home, I'd taken a better look at what I'd bought, and it turned out to be a cute blouse exactly in Valeri's style. I set the bag down on the table and smiled.

"This is for you. A little present. So? How did it go with your fiancé?"

Apparently, that was exactly what she'd been waiting for.

Valeri looked inside the bag and blinked in surprise.

"You bought me clothes? From this store?" She glanced at the logo on the bag. "Zoe, this must've cost a fortune."

"I just wanted to make you happy."

She immediately handed me half her sandwich, and I practically inhaled it while she started talking.

"I'd seen his pictures in newspapers before, but in real life..." She sighed dreamily. "He's completely different. He's such a gentleman. Polite, kind, attentive. And..." She nodded toward the windowsill.

An enormous bouquet stood there in a vase, so beautiful it barely looked real.

"He gave me those flowers. And he invited me to his country house next weekend so we can get to know each other better. I asked if you could come too, and he said yes."

"Oh no, Valeri," I said around a mouthful of sandwich. "He wants to be alone with you. Talk to you. Maybe drag you off into a bedroom somewhere. I'm not going. I refuse to be the third wheel."

A piece of ham fell out of my sandwich and landed in my lap.

Without even thinking, I grabbed it and stuffed it back into my mouth.

Valeri gave me a look.

"You're coming with me. Otherwise I'll tell Mom and Dad you secretly applied to literature school and refused to study law and finance."

I snorted and glared at her.

Low blow.

"And why do you even need me there? I'll just be in the way."

"Girls."

Mom walked into the kitchen.

She set her cup in the sink and looked at us. I had to admit, she looked incredible. Fresh, beautiful, glowing.

Of course, that was mostly thanks to countless surgeries and expensive treatments. Over the years, she'd changed so much it was hard to tell what she had originally looked like. Valeri was the female version of Dad. As for me... maybe I looked like Mom used to, before she'd remade herself completely.

"Your father and I are flying to the United Arab Emirates tonight for work, so we won't be back until the end of the week. If anything happens, call us. I'll transfer money to Valeri's account."

We both nodded.

Mom stepped away a second later when her phone started ringing again.

The second she was gone, I looked at Valeri.

She understood immediately.

"Check your account," she said. "I sent you your half half an hour ago."

I pulled out my phone and saw the notification.

Perfect.

Unfortunately, Mom came back at exactly the wrong moment.

"Zoe, did you deliver the documents?"

I froze.

Beside me, Valeri looked way too interested in my answer. I grabbed her wrist before she could betray me.

"Of course, Mom. Everything's fine. I already got accepted."

"The only thing I worry about," Mom said coldly, "is whether you'll embarrass this family one day. Valeri, keep an eye on your sister."

Then she walked out.

I lowered my head.

"I'll go with you," I muttered. "Just please don't tell them. You know they'll make me study whatever they want."

"I won't," Valeri promised with a smile. "As long as you keep your word. You'll see, Zoe. You're going to like him. Alan is exactly what a perfect man should be."

"I believe you," I said.

After I finished eating, I went upstairs to my room.

I was exhausted. My whole body felt heavy, and even though I never slept during the day, this time I gave up and crawled into bed.

What had happened in the store had given me a strange kind of peace.

Then Kriss ruined it.

My phone buzzed over and over with messages from her.

Please call me back.

I'm in such a horrible situation.

I'm so miserable.

This is so unfair.

And finally:

Help me, Zoe. We're friends.

The worst part was realizing there was something ugly inside me. Something mean. Something that had probably always been there.

Because after getting a taste of revenge, I wanted more.

Kriss dreamed of landing a rich boyfriend. That was the only reason she'd dragged me around with her all this time.

She was such an idiot.

Why would any rich, spoiled guy want a liar and manipulator like her?

I wanted something completely different.

I wanted to fall in love with an ordinary guy. Someone funny. Someone I chose for myself.

He didn't need to be rich.

A life like Valeri's was the last thing I wanted. The truth was, she'd never really been given a choice. Our parents had picked a fiancé for her, and somehow she'd gotten lucky enough to fall for him at first sight.

But me?

It was suddenly painfully obvious that I hadn't managed to save myself for the man who was supposed to be my first.

Curling up under the blanket, I pressed a hand against my stomach, and all the warmth inside me disappeared.

I thought about that bastard.

About what he had done to me.

And I swore that I would never, ever get involved with a man like him again.