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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?

“Gemma,” Aunt Elodie said in a loud whisper, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you find it interesting that with all this security, a thief can still hide in plain sight?”

What?

“Oh, give it a rest, Elodie,” her mother said.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Confused, Gemma looked between her mother and her aunt. Her stomach tensed, and that feeling came over her again—the sense of something terribly wrong.

“Gemma, go over there and stand with Grandma,” her mother said.

“Why?” She didn’t want to leave her side.

“Please just do it,” her mother said, a rare flash of annoyance in her voice.

Biting her lip, she dutifully walked to the other end of the podium. What just happened?

She blinked back tears, then told herself she had no reason to be upset. Looking out at the crowd, she knew she was lucky to be exactly where she was in that moment. Everyone wanted to be a Pavlin, to have beautiful things and be surrounded by love. So what if her aunt Elodie and her mother didn’t get along? It wasn’t the end of the world.

But something deep down told her that it could be.

2

New York City, Fifteen Years Later

Gemma was the only student at graduation without some kind of family. She’d considered not even attending, but she’d been looking forward to the awards ceremony for a long time. And so, wearing her blue cap and gown, she took her aisle seat in the third row.

The auditorium was warm, teetering on the brink of overheating. Air-conditioning vents wheezed loudly, as if they hadn’t been intended for a room filled to capacity.

She looked across the aisle at her classmate Mae Yang.

Did you bring it? she mouthed.

Mae interned at New York magazine, and Gemma needed to borrow a press pass—the only way she was going to sneak into the Pavlin & Co centennial celebration tomorrow night. A party she hadn’t been invited to.

The dean took to the stage. “Welcome, graduates, friends, and family . . .”

She slumped back in her seat, urging herself to stay in the moment—no matter how imperfect. Directly behind her, her best friend—and former boyfriend—Sanjay squeezed her shoulder. He leaned forward.

“Thanks again for the extra tickets,” he said.

“No problem,” she said. It was the least she could do for him. She’d give anything to have his trust again.