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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

Elodie knew she should stop, that she’d already said enough and this would only dig a deeper hole for herself. But she couldn’t stop herself. For all these years she’d had to keep her feelings of loss and betrayal buried inside, in a little box in the corner of her mind, so that she could put on a happy face and deal with her family and build her career. But there was no reason to hold it all in any longer.

“Let me ask you something: Do you know how your parents met?”

“Of course. They met at a photo shoot. My father was the creative director and my mother was modeling for the company. It was love at first sight.”

Indeed.

“Well, that’s a nice little fairy tale. Sadly, it’s not true. And I know it’s not true because I unwittingly introduced them. They met at our parents’ house when I brought my boyfriend to dinner. And that boyfriend was your father.”

“What are you talking about?” Gemma said.

“Liam Maybrook was my boyfriend first. Your mother stole him from me.”

Gemma paled, then turned a flush so deep pink Elodie was alarmed for a second.

“You’re delusional. That was just a silly gossip item. You just want to justify destroying my mother’s diamond. But you didn’t just rob me. You robbed the whole world. And I know Aunt Celeste will agree.”

That’s exactly how Celeste would see it: Celeste, champion of forgotten treasures, ever mindful of preservation of all kinds. No, Celeste would not be happy about this news.

“Do you want to upset Celeste a week before her wedding? After how good she’s been to you all summer? You’d be hurting her more than hurting me.”

Gemma walked out.

63

She couldn’t get away from Elodie fast enough.

Your mother was the one who was robbed? I don’t think so.

Gemma rushed to Lexington and jumped on the subway to Park Slope. There weren’t any seats and she grabbed on to a metal pole. It was forty-five minutes to Sanjay’s—too much time to relive the childhood memory that was crashing in on her: She was at the Electric Rose party with her parents. Elodie said something to her, something like, “Did you know a thief can hide in plain sight?”

At the time, it had been confusing. Upsetting. She thought her aunt was maybe talking about the diamond ring, the fact that her mother got it. But no: She’d been talking about her father.

How was it possible that the most disturbing gossip item of all happened to be true?