Chapter 8

I turned and walked out of the estate.

And that was when Julian — who'd been conspicuously absent — came rushing after me.

"Hazel! Think about the engagement again. Even if you drag it out to the party, the Sterlings are going to break it off..."

I paused, studying the face of the brother who shared my blood.

Then I gave him a cold little smile.

"Really? Then let's see."

Ridiculous.

My mother and Julian had both poured their love into Sienna because she vaguely resembled me.

They'd never once realized that the reason Sienna looked like me was because she shared blood with someone else in the Harringtons.

The night stretched on. I walked for a long time.

I didn't even notice Damien's car pulling up alongside me.

"Get in."

Blunt as always.

"Damien..."

I climbed in obediently, noticed the car was headed back toward campus, and hesitated.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yeah."

"If I went after someone — hit back at someone who's been hurting me — would you back me?"

"Yeah."

"What if their last name is Sterling?"

"Fine by me."

Something welled up behind my eyes.

Adrian came strutting into the office with a designer engagement gown, presenting it in front of the whole company. The craftsmanship drew gasps.

"Next weekend, my and Hazel's engagement party. Everyone, you have to come."

He smiled warmly. I met it with my own smile, the picture of flustered gratitude, and accepted the gown.

Back home, I went over the dress inch by inch all night. Tucked away in an inner seam, I found a deliberately weakened thread.

In the deep chill of the night, I gripped the encrypted USB drive Damien had had couriered over a few days earlier, and let out a long breath.

This was my first appearance as the true Harrington heiress in front of Ashford's old-money elite.

A stunning dusty-blue evening gown. Hair loose around my shoulders. Silver stilettos.

When Adrian and I walked into the ballroom together — him in a sharp tuxedo — my eyes caught on Damien, already seated. He seemed to falter for a second.

I'd conveniently "lost" the red gown I was supposed to wear.

When I'd been picking the replacement, I'd remembered one thing: Damien liked dusty blue.

Adrian looked distracted beside me, eyes darting toward Sienna over and over.

I pretended not to notice.

This engagement wasn't just about him and me. It was another reinforcement of the long-standing alliance between the Sterlings and the Harringtons that went back to the old men themselves.

Which was why only the real heiress could satisfy the terms. Adrian, the idiot, never understood that.

When Alistair Sterling stepped up to the dais to formally announce the engagement, Adrian abruptly stood up.

"I'm not agreeing to this engagement!"

In the cavernous ballroom, his voice cut clean through.

"Grandfather. Ladies and gentlemen. I'm here today to break off the engagement to Hazel."

On the dais, Alistair froze, then went crimson with rage.

"Adrian! What the hell are you saying?"

But Adrian was unstoppable. He pulled out Sienna's forged psychiatric evaluation and photos of me "working alone late at night in the office."

"Sienna is also a Harrington daughter. And Sienna — kind, sweet Sienna — is the one I love. Not a woman who bullied her as a child and stole confidential documents as an adult!"

"During her internship at my company, Hazel secretly smuggled out classified files!"

"Years ago, she tormented Sienna until Sienna was diagnosed with depression! Why do you think the Harringtons' beloved lost daughter got sent away?"

"Grandfather, is this really the kind of woman you want marrying into the Sterlings? Do you want her dragging our name down?"

"She spent years in an orphanage. She never learned manners, honor, shame — none of it! How could she possibly belong in the Sterlings?"

"Shut your damn mouth!"

Alistair was shaking with rage.

"Ha."

A bored, amused laugh rang out.

Damien.

"You've been doing an awful lot of talking. The Harringtons aren't deaf, and they're not mute. Why don't we hear what they say?"

Every eye in the room turned on my parents and Julian — three stunned, uncertain faces.

They clearly hadn't known Adrian was going to break the engagement like this.

But they composed themselves in seconds.

Julian stared in disbelief, first at Adrian, then at Sienna, and then chose silence.

My mother stared at Sienna for a long, deliberate moment. Then, as if coming to a decision, she spoke calmly.

"...It's true. If Hazel committed something this serious at Sterling Ventures, we won't cover for her."

The room erupted.

"Is Hazel really like that?"

"Well, she was raised rough — who knows how she turned out..."

"Even her own mother admits it. I'd say it's pretty much confirmed..."

I stood there in the buzz of gossip and let my eyes close.

It didn't hurt anymore. I wasn't sad.