Page 107 of Goldsin

Something feels off. Even Victoria’s party didn’t make me this uncomfortable ... this uncertain. Like I just unknowingly walked into a party I don’t belong at.

I should find Valentine or Julian right away. I don’t think walking around the place alone is a good idea.

I nibble on my lower lip as I glance around the room again. I don’t think I’ll be able to spot Julian in a sea of masked people ...

At least it’s pretty obvious who I am. He’ll soon come for me.

I fill my fidgeting hands with a glass of sparkling wine and stroll aimlessly deeper inside. Everyone seems to be divided into groups of their designated mask. Heads turn my way, and I give a sweet smile at whoever hides behind them.

I’m sipping from my almost empty glass when a giggling reaches my ears. It doesn’t take long for me to find the source. A group of girls, bare of masks, isn’t hard to miss. Maybe they could help me make sense of this weird night.

My glossy lips stretch to the side as I approach them with the friendliest smile. “Hey there.”

Their heads snap toward me.

“I’m Aurelia,” I greet them before gesturing toward our bare faces with a light chuckle. “Seems we’re the only ones without masks here, huh? Any idea why?”

One of them snorts, placing a hand over her mouth to prevent a laugh. The one closer to me steps forward,her chocolate eyes narrowing as they fall down my body and back up.

“You think you’re cute?” She crosses her arms over her bursting cleavage. “You may have that whole pure-girl act going on, but I can see how used and trashy you really are. No guy here will want you, and if you try to steal our men ... well, I’ll personally make sure you pay for it.”

My lips part, words forming, but she flips her long hair and leaves. The others follow right behind her, and I watch them saunter away, at a loss for words.

I gulp down the remaining contents of my glass and hunt for some more. I’ll need a lot to drink if I want to survive the night.

It takes me a while to find something else to drink. The tables only hold empty glasses by the time I reach them, and there may be a lot of staff members scurrying around the place, but they’re all dressed in black, with matching masks covering their faces, so under the dim lights they’re easy to miss as they blend in seamlessly with the surroundings.

Pulling out my phone, I scroll down my contacts list until Julian’s name appears. He still didn’t find me, and staying alone in this place gives me the creeps.

Clicking on his name, I let it ring until it reaches voice mail, over and over again.

Why is he not answering his phone?

I dial again.

No answer.

My finger hovers over his name, but I refrain from clickingit again.

“Thank you all for being here.”

The voice booms through the room, its crudeness calling everyone to fall silent, the chatter and clinking of glasses stopping instantly. Everyone turns their attention toward the man wearing a gold fox mask, standing on a makeshift stage at the far end of the room, where the big windows showcasing the starlit city once were.

The stale smell of cigar intensifies, burning my nostrils, and my breathing shallows at the same moment as something clicks into place and I start to remember.

“I ran so fast. My hair was slapping at my face, and he was right behind me, his gold mask with black holes for eyes grating at my deepest, most carnal self.”My mother’s words flood my mind.“Catch me. Catch me and do with me what you will.”

The messy handwriting inked on the very first pages of her diary comes crashing down on me. I remember those were the only moments she seemed happy. Anytime I read those pages, it felt like her soul would appear in front of my eyes with the brightest of smiles as she recalled the time she left home and found herself here.

Oh, how I ache to tell her to never set foot in this house.

To run. Far, far away.

“Rule number one,” the man wearing the gold mask—Lucian—states. “No unmasking until the end of the night.”

Her words accompany his.

“The moment his teeth sank into me I knew I was losing myself. But gosh, how exhilarating it felt to finallyhave someone treat me with hands that dealt with need instead of politeness.”

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