Chapter 3

"Lost your nerve already? Thought you had it all figured out."

Kellan's tone was ice-cold, mocking.

"Or maybe reality's finally sinking in—you fucked up."

"Stop it, Kellan." Aria's voice had that sugary quality that made my skin crawl. She gave his sleeve a gentle tug, those doe eyes locked on me. "Sister's probably still processing the whole Kai situation..."

Past-life me would've taken the bait. I'd have grabbed her by the collar, screamed in her face, demanded answers. And everyone would've watched me unravel like some unhinged reality TV star.

Not this time.

"My choice. My life. Stay out of it."

The old Avery Sterling—the one who broke down, who begged, who believed their lies—she was gone. What stood here now was someone who'd already died once.

Aria's smile faltered. I could see it—the flicker of confusion when her script didn't work.

"Sister..." Her hand fluttered to her chest, a delicate cough escaping her lips, shoulders quivering just enough. "Why are you looking at me like that? I know you think I overshadow you, but we're twins. I've never tried to compete with you..."

"Performance over yet?"

Her face drained of color.

Then Aria herself—lunging forward like she'd been shoved, crashing down hard against the marble.

"Sister!" Her wail cut through the hall. "I get it—you're pissed I have Kellan—but you can't just attack me!"

Kellan's expression went from cold to murderous in a heartbeat. He closed the distance between us, a wall of fury and muscle.

"I never touched her."

"Bullshit." His hand clamped around my wrist like a vice. "Everyone knows you've been seething with jealousy for years."

He bent down, scooping Aria up with theatrical gentleness, his voice cracking with manufactured anguish. "She's your goddamn sister! Your twin! You shared a womb, for Christ's sake!"

Blood before everything. That was the golden rule in our world. Everyone knew the Sterling twins were a disaster waiting to happen, but you didn't publicly maim your own flesh and blood. Not if you wanted to survive in this circle.

Aria's head popped up over Kellan's shoulder, and there it was—that sly little grin aimed straight at me.

Same expression. Same setup. Just like before.

"You threw yourself at me for years, and I barely noticed you existed. Aria? She's the real deal."

"Don't talk about sister that way..." Aria's voice went all breathy and wounded, fingers clutching weakly at Kellan's jacket. "She's just... she's..."

Her defense cut deeper than any insult: "Sister always believed you'd pick her. We grew up together. She loved you. Of course she's hurting..."

Whispered poison beat a screaming match every time.

Right on cue, the gossip machine fired up.

"Avery's been bitter about Aria stealing the spotlight since they were kids..."

"She lords that 'eldest daughter' title over everyone..."

"Imagine hating your own twin that much. Psychotic..."

Kellan snatched a champagne flute from a passing server's tray and hurled it at my head. Crystal exploded against the wall behind me, glittering shards raining down like deadly confetti.

His voice dropped to a lethal whisper: "Watch your step, Avery Sterling."

"Touch Aria again, and I'll personally make sure every socialite, every board member, every trust fund brat in this city knows what kind of monster the Sterling family raised."