LEAH

    I swallow hard, my hands trembling so badly I have to clutch them behind my

    back.

    "No," I say, my voice cracking. "Of course not! Alex, you know me..."

    "Do I?" he asks, tilting his head, his green eyes unreadable.

    The assistant stands frozen behind the counter, the dress draped over her arm like a dead body.

    I force a smile, blinking fast to hide the sting in my eyes.

    "I''ll just... call Daddy," I say quickly. "He''ll transfer the money right now. It''s no big deal."

    Alex chuckles a low, dangerous sound that makes my blood turn to ice.

    Is he testing me?

    "Of course," he responds, "Call Daddy."

    His words areced with mockery, but I ignore it.

    I''m sure it''s a test.

    One I''m not going to lose!

    I''vee too close to the goal to let it slip off my hands.

    I yank my phone out of my purse so fast it almost flies across the room.

    Dialing my father''s number, I press it to my ear, forcing a smile at Alex.

    He watches me, hands still shoved casually into his pockets, like he''s enjoying every second of my slow public death.

    A part of me is upset. How can he humiliate me this way? Even when I''ve

    portrayed a picture of how rich we are, he still wants proof?

    Fine!

    The phone rings.

    And rings.

    And rings.

    Finally, it goes to voicemail.

    Iugh it off and redial, panic wing at my throat.

    No answer.

    No answer.

    No answer.

    I want to scream.

    Alex raises an eyebrow, his silence louder than any insult.

    "I...I think he''s in a meeting," I say, lowering the phone, my hand shaking. "You know how busy he is."

    Alex hums thoughtfully.

    "It''s not that I don''t have money!" I blurt out. "It''s just arge... eh..I''ll just swipe."

    I pull out a card I shouldn''t even be having, but Dad''spany will understand

    that the money wille back ten times more when I''m Mrs. King!

    The payment goes through, and the dress is packed in the back.

    "Do you have a refund policy?" I whisper the question to one of the assistants.

    She nods with a smile, "Yes ma''am, as long as it''s still in perfect shape, we refund."

    I nod and walk outside to join Alex.

    "I''m so excited!"

    "I''m even more excited than you are." He responds as he starts the ignition, and my heart jumps.

    Alexander is excited to marry me?

    We drive through the city, the dress packed carefully in the back as I imagine how beautiful I''ll look that day.

    I can''t stop smiling.

    Alex said he''s excited.

    Excited.

    The word rings in my head over and over until it starts to sound like a luby.

    Maybe all those years weren''t for nothing. Maybe, finally, he''s seeing me the way I deserve.

    The café he pulls up to is one of those artsy little ces Athena used to drag him

    to.

    I grind my teeth at the memory of how my heart used to boil when I saw the

    pictures Henry sent me.

    But I ster on a dazzling smile. That''s now in the past.

    That bitch is dead to him now.

    Just like Sloane will be soon enough if she keeps looking at me this way!

    Alex strides inside like he owns the world -because he does and I trait after him, my hips swaying, letting every woman in the café see that he''s mine now.

    At a corner table, Sloane sits like the self-righteous little guard dog she is.

    The second she spots me, her face sours.

    Good.

    Rot in your bitterness, you witch.

    I squeeze Alex''s arm, shing a sugar-sweet smile.

    "Hey, Sloane!" I chirp loud enough for the whole ce to hear.

    Sloane doesn''t even acknowledge me. Her eyes are glued to Alex, her face twisted in disgust.

    "This is ridiculous," she spits, loud enough to make people turn and stare. "You don''t just wake up and decide the wedding is this weekend."

    Wait....

    What?

    The wedding is this weekend?

    Oh my God!

    "Damn it Sloane. Now you''ve ruined the surprise." Alex says as he takes a sit and

    I join him.

    "What? She doesn''t know?" Sloane raises an eyebrow.

    "She only knows the wedding is in motion but i haven''t told her it''s this weekend."

    Alex turns to me, "Is it too soon?"

    "No!... I mean, no. It''s perfect."

    Sloane lets out a breathlessugh, full of venom and sarcasm.

    Then she leans back in her chair, looking at Alex like he''s lost his mind.

    "I won''t betray Athena by helping n her enemy''s wedding," she says coldly.

    "Well I''m sure you know you have no choice. Leah, tell her what your dream wedding is. She will make it happen."

    Sloane''s jaw clenches at that. Her eyes flick to me like I''m some disease she can''t scrub off the floor and I hold back a smile.

    "I actually have some pinned photos."

    I whip out my phone with a bright, fake smile, tapping into my hidden wedding

    album titled "Mrs. King".

    I''ve had it ready for years.

    Dreams.

    ns.

    Sloane leans in reluctantly, like the very air around me is toxic.

    Good.

    Choke on it, darling.

    "I was thinking something yo

    I scroll through the pictures slowly, savoring every second of her difort.

    coo, turning the phone to her.

    "Golden

    Vol.ne

    tones...white roses...maybe

    a cathedral setting. Nothing shy. Just... breathtaking

    Sloane doesn''t even look at the screen.

    She''s too busy ring at Alex.

    "You can''t be serious," she hisses under her breath, but Alex only shrugs as he

    stands and says,

    "I have to make a call."

    Now that it''s just us...

    I can''t stop the smug grin that creeps onto my lips.

    “So," I continue brightly, as if Sloane''s death re is apliment, "I was thinking I''d walk down the aisle to that song Athena loved. You know the one she always wanted for her wedding?"

    I bat myshes innocently.

    Sloane stiffens, hatred bleeding from her pores.

    I sip my coffee slowly, letting the bitterness coat my tongue.

    "You''re disgusting," Sloane says quietly, almost too low for anyone else to hear.

    But I hear it.

    Oh, I hear it loud and clear.

    And it''s delicious.

    I lean closer, smiling so sweetly it must burn her skin.

    "And you''re irrelevant," I whisper back. "You''ll be lucky if I let you scrub the floors

    after the wedding."

    Her hand curls into a fist under the table.

    I almost moan from the satisfaction.

    "Oh, and another thing. I want the wedding to be streamed live and broadcasted

    on all the TV stations! My wedding will be the event of the year!"