“Is she okay?” Luna asked, concerned. She hadn’t heard anything about that. Not on the news or on the Goldspiracy Forums or from Jewel herself. Which was really strange, considering Jewel usually shared everything about her life with Golden Rule. That was the entire point of the app—to truly connect with people who loved her.

Ethan gave her a warm smile and nodded. “Yeah. You know how she is.”

Nicole exhaled into a sigh. “Okay. That makes sense. Since it’s necessary to keep everyone safe, then yeah. I agree,” she said.

“Five for five twice in a row,” Stella said with a taunting laugh. “I wonder what’s next.”

Ethan stared at her for a beat, then said, “Let’s go find out. Walk with me?”

“And you’re offering me your arm?” Stella mock-gasped, and looped her arm through his as he led her away. “What a gentleman.”

“All together now,” Ethan threw over his shoulder as they hurried past the double staircase toward a hallway on the left.

Luna didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed Alex’s hand, running to catch up. He easily matched her pace as they made a right at the corner and walked under one of the many sets of carved triple arches.

“What do you think so far?” Alex whispered to her.

“I hope we get to meet Jewel soon,” she replied. “Like, now kind of soon.”

Ethan and Olive were great, definitely, but they weren’t Jewel.

“What do you think they’re planning?” he asked.

“Too early to say. I’ve only noticed one thing so far, and it might not even be anything,” she said.

Right, Luna? Ethan focused on her a lot too, but now he was walking with Stella. Did that also mean something?

As a group, they rounded one last corner and entered the only room at the end of the hall. Luna’s soft gasp took her by surprise—the pristine and monochromatic White Drawing Room. Jewel had made the infamous Fourth of July Family Fiasco video in there!

Luna recognized the long white couch with the swirly pattern on the left wall, the matching pillows, throw rugs, chairs, and love seats scattered around the room. More chandeliers, mixed-matched and encased in glass, hung from the ceiling by thick silvery-white cords. Not even the fireplace dared to have a speck of soot anywhere near it to ruin the effect, but she knew it had been used before.

“Sit wherever you’d like.”

Luna would never forget that moment, the feeling of her heart seizing and then going still. Dressed in a purple, strapless, and sparkling ball gown, Jewel sat in a high-backed white chair at the head of the room.

Jewel Van Hanen—the undisputed Queen of Golden Rule.

This wasn’t a dream. Luna wasn’t using the app. She wasn’t curled up in bed watching one of Jewel’s videos for the millionth time.