Celeste Morgan arrived at the estate just as dusk slid across the sky. She wore the gown Bianca chose. The deep blue hugged her frame. She forced a smile. Every eye in the crowd belonged to someone who could ruin her life.
She moved through clusters of guests with a tray of champagne. She toasted her stepsister's triumph. She played the part of loyal sibling. Inside, she trembled.
Bianca stood on the marble steps, radiant in white silk. Laughter followed her like an echo. Guests flocked to congratulate her. Bianca swept her arm around Celeste's waist and lifted her chin.
"Shine for me tonight," Bianca whispered.
Celeste nodded and sank into the role. She recalled childhood moments when they whispered secrets in the garden. Those days felt distant now.
A burst of fireworks painted the sky. The crowd cheered. Music filled the air. A string quartet switched to an upbeat waltz. Celeste offered her hand to the nearest partner. She glided across the marble floor.
Every note told her to leave. Every face reminded her she did not belong. She focused on Bianca's smile. It held a secret she could not read.
A waiter passed with hors d'oeuvres. Celeste reached for a glass of champagne. She paused. The flute looked foamy. She wondered if someone spiked it. She forced the thought away.
Bianca called to her over the music. Celeste joined her at the edge of the terrace. The city lights glittered below. Cold air brushed her arms. She folded her hands around the glass. The bubbles tickled her throat.
Bianca leaned close. "You've never looked more alive."
Celeste blinked. "Thank you."
Bianca's smile hardened for a fraction of a second. Then she turned and swept back inside. Celeste watched her go. A knot tightened in her stomach.
She took a tentative sip. The champagne burned. She swallowed again. She felt warmth rush through her limbs. She blinked twice. She allowed herself to relax.
Then everything went black.
Celeste woke on a silk sheet. Her cheek burned. She lifted her head. The bed lay beneath a painted ceiling. She recognized the pattern. It matched the suite in the guest wing.
She tasted metal. Her mouth stung. She forced herself to rise. Movement blurred her vision. She touched her throat. Her hands trembled.
Panic hit. She tried to recall how she got there. She scanned the room. No lamp lit. Moonlight peeked through gauzy curtains. The door stood open.
Memory flickered: a hand grabbing her arm. Laughter. Bianca's perfume. A shout. Then nothing.
She pushed off the bed. Her dress felt heavy. She staggered toward the door. The corridor stretched ahead, silent. She heard distant music.
She found a mirror. Her skin glowed pale. Her eyes widened. Bruises bloomed across her arms. A cold dread settled in her chest. She turned away.
She heard footsteps behind her. She froze. A tall figure approached. Celeste could not see the face. The heel of a stiletto clicked against the marble.
"Time to face the truth."
Bianca's voice sliced the air. Celeste's heart jolted. She whirled around, eyes burning.
Bianca stood there in the pale glow. Her white silk dress read like armor. Her lips curved in a smile that chilled Celeste to the bone.
"Did you think I'd let you steal my night?" Bianca asked. She stepped closer. "You are nothing but a shadow. A lie."
Celeste's mind raced. She tried to speak. No sound came.
Bianca reached out and touched Celeste's cheek. Her nails scratched skin. "You belong to me."
She stepped back and winked. "Clean this up." She turned and walked away.
Celeste pressed her hand to her cheek. The scratch burned. She followed Bianca's footprints back to the suite.
The door swung shut behind her. She found her purse on a chaise. Her phone lay nearby. She unlocked it. Messages from friends flashed on the screen: Where are you? You missed the toast. Are you ok?
She tapped them frantically. No response came. She dialed Adrian Castellanos by mistake. His name glowed in the call log. She hung up before it connected.
Every instinct screamed to run. She grabbed her bag and darted down the hall. She reached the grand staircase. She paused, head throbbing.
Footsteps pounded from upstairs. She scurried toward the service exit. The door refused to budge.
A voice crackled through a speaker. "Stay where you are, Miss Morgan."
She froze. The voice belonged to security. She sucked in air and ran back toward the main hall.
The party roared with life. No one noticed her approach. She pressed herself against a column. She tried to calm her breath.
She spotted the host at the center of a circle of guests. Her father.
He raised a glass. "To Bianca. May her reign be long."
The crowd echoed the toast. Bianca beamed.
Celeste's vision blurred. She gripped the column. She clutched her stomach where pain pulsed.
Then Bianca raised her hand and pointed.
"Get her out," Bianca said.
Heads turned. The hush fell like a guillotine. All eyes landed on Celeste.
She lifted her chin. She met her father's gaze. He froze.
A guest rushed forward. Another grabbed her arm. They began to drag her away.
Celeste fought back. She wrenched free. Panic spurred her legs. She ran for the back door.
The music stopped. Silence roared.
Her father's voice called out. "Celeste!"
She skidded through the door into the night. Cold air hit her face. She fled across the lawn.
She heard shouting behind her. She did not look back.
She ran until the lights faded. She slowed. She leaned against a tree. She pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from sobbing.
Her purse lay empty. Her phone was nowhere to be found. Her shake turned into tears.
She whispered to the night. "I'm innocent."
A branch snapped behind her. She spun around. Darkness pressed in.
She clenched her fists. She swallowed bile. Her eyes burned with fury.
She ran again.
She crossed the driveway and dove into the forest's edge. The darkness swallowed her whole.
A single beam of light cut through the trees. A car door slammed. She froze.
Footsteps crunched on leaves. The light grew closer.
She held her breath.
Then a hand grabbed her arm.
She looked up into a stranger's eyes. He lifted the flashlight. His face hardened as he saw her.
Her breath caught.
He whispered, "You shouldn't have come back."