Page 21 of Vendetta Vows

People have always underestimated my patience. My willingness to play the long game. But I've survived this far by knowing when to strike and when to wait.

And for Aurora, I'm willing to wait.

7

AURORA

My keysjangle against the lock as my shaking hands struggle to find the keyhole. Finally, the door swings open and I practically fall inside our apartment, slamming it shut behind me as if I could lock out the nightmare I've just escaped.

"Hannah?" My voice cracks as I call out, though the dark apartment tells me what I need to know. Thank god she's still at the party.

I bolt to the bathroom, clicking the door shut and pressing my back against it as my chest heaves. The air won't come. I slide down to the floor, knees to my chest, fingers pressed against my temples.

"Breathe. Just breathe," I whisper to myself, but the panic is overwhelming.

Flashes of light. Cell phones. Photos. My face, captured forever in digital permanence.

By Sienna fucking Voss!

My fingers are already moving to my phone before my breathing steadies. I open Instagram first, my thumb trembling as I type "Sienna Voss" in the search bar. Her million-plus-follower profile shows up, and my stomach drops.

There I am. Staring in terror at her. And the caption:Ruslan Dragunov moves on quickly, doesn't he? Who is his new fling?

There are already over three hundred comments speculating wildly.

"OMG it's Ruslan Dragunov's new girl!" reads one comment. "Do we know who it is that made Sienna Voss lose her shit?" asks another.

My phone slips from my grip and clatters to the floor. A sob tears from my throat as I curl into myself.

Seven years of hiding. Seven years of being invisible. Seven years of looking over my shoulder. Seven years of being a ghost.

All gone in an instant because I couldn't keep my fucking self in check.

Kristofer will see these.

He'll know I'm alive.

He'll know where I am.

He'll know that Jamie Fields isn't dead.

I step outside the bathroom on wobbly legs, my mind racing with scenarios of how quickly I need to pack, where I can go, how much cash I have hidden?—

The front door clicks and swings open.

I scream, my body instinctively backing against the wall as adrenaline surges through me.

"Whoa! It's just me!" Hannah stands frozen in the doorway, keys dangling from her fingers. Her lips curl into a mischievous smile, eyes dancing with expectation. "Well, well, well. Didn't expect you home so?—"

The smile vanishes the moment she truly sees me: mascara streaking down my cheeks, hair wild, and body trembling.

"Aurora?" She drops her purse and rushes to my side. "What happened? What did he do to you?" Her hands hover over my shoulders, afraid to touch me. "Did that bastard hurt you? I'll call the cops right now."

"NO!" I scream, lunging forward to grab her wrist as she reaches for her phone. "No police. Please, Hannah. No police."

Her eyes widen, the concern deepening to genuine fear. "You're scaring me. What happened?"

"I fucked up," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I really fucked up."

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