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“From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate”

~ Socrates

My twin brother was h the ballroo the flow of the crowd People whispered as I passed them Rumors spread across the room like smoke in the wind The Devil’s Creek elite offered fake sazesabout me

“That’s Alexandrea Wellington,” a blonde wo at me out of the corner of her eye

“She’s beautiful,” another woman commented “But I heard she’s crazy like her mother”

My cheeks flushed with heat I considered correcting her but held ue Pops had coached me before the party, warnedossiped

The Salvatores hosted their annual Midsuht’s Dreaious coastal co the founding families, it required hter for one night

An hour ago, randfather had disappeared fro Aiden and randne with her snotty friends, but I kept my distance She made it clear she hated me I didn’t know anyone in town, nor did I care to know any of them

My brother pounded shots of Patrón as hestupid rich fucks with no vision Aiden said that about anyone who gave him shit for his street art, a hobby frowned upon by thehiot separated from Aiden

“She’ll probably run like herlocks over her shoulder “The Salvatore h to make an heir”

A pretty blonde in her late forties tipped her head back and laughed “If she’s anything like herday”

I craned my ear to listen, but the loud orchestra ? An heir? What the hell was she talking about?

Head down, I tugged on my carnival mask and pushed my way toward the ballroom entrance My narandfather had kept hteen years, why he’d waited to introduce me to his friends

Men gawked at me, while women studied me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain I knehen I wasn’t wanted somewhere, a lesson I had learned from my shitty parents So I slipped out of the roo tiled hallway

Expensive paintings donned the elaborate walls, everything froer, and I couldn’t help but study theh voices echoed and traveled withfarther away as I approached the back of the estate I ascended the long staircase, and though I knew not to pry, I needed to find my brother

All night I’d drea back to Wellington Manor Neither of us could stand our grandparents dressing us up like dolls, all for the sake of showing us off to their friends I was onmore than to strip off my heels and feel the sand between my toes

As I tiptoed down the corridor, a chill rolled down my spine I was barely dressed, the tulle skirt of randmother had insisted I meet the Salvatore brothers in this ridiculous outfit I looked like a perfectly wrapped present for the But they’d just stared at me as our families made the introductions

Midway down the hallway, a flash of light seeped out froh to see a tall, muscular man rip off his suit jacket He had black hair, tanned skin, and a black and gold masquerade mask rested on his forehead I watched as he stripped off his shirt and dropped the white oxford on the floor with a silk tie My mouth fell open as I stared in disbelief at dozens of scars on his back

A gasp ripped from my throat, and he spun around, nostrils flared Luca Salvatore was the oldest of Arlo’s boys, heir to billions, and only a few years older than eous creature I had ever seen in my life