A beat passed. Something shifted in the air.

And then Spencer smiled back.

“Nope. I don’t think so. If there’s a new donor, it’s all down to you and your brilliance.”

He offered me his arm and I took it. We made our way back inside, where I excused myself and went upstairs to touch up my makeup.

It felt nice to be alone. To be away from everyone. Even if it was for just a moment.

I smoothed back my hair and gave it a spritz of hair spray.

Then I took out my phone and texted Mike.

I need to know who Zoe Bassett is. Let me know as soon as you find anything.

It took a liar to know a liar, that was for sure. And it took a liar to know when the other liar’s mask was starting to slip.

25

KAAVI

Three Days before the Wedding

I dreamed that I was standing in the grand ballroom of the Mount Lavinia Hotel. The large chandelier sparkled down, bathing me in light as I stood in front of a full-length mirror. I was alone, but I was in my Hayley Paige wedding dress. My hair hung down in loose curls. My makeup was simple, except for a bold red lip—the color of blood.

I was a vision. Completely stunning. It was a pity that I was alone. Someone else ought to see me looking this good, or it’d be such a waste. I turned around, admiring myself, when I noticed a small spot on the hem of my dress. I was bending down to look at it, when I noticed another spot, and another, and another. Little red droplets were starting to splatter on me, as I looked around, trying not to scream in frustration, trying to figure out where they were coming from.

And suddenly, there he was—a body. Dead. Stone-cold. Purple lips and gray skin. Reaching for me. Choking me, while I spluttered blood. I could smell him. Rotten fish and maggots and the rusty metal of blood.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see. My dress weighed a million pounds and held me in place—giving him full control. Letting him have his way. Letting him win.

I opened my mouth to scream, but blood leaked out of my throat. It ran down in rivulets, soaking my dress, which only grew heavier. This was the end; I just knew it.

So when I was woken up by screaming, I thought it was my own. I sat up in bed confused. No, the screams were definitely coming from downstairs.

I rolled out of bed and pulled on a robe, rushing to find out what the commotion was.

It was my mother, I realized halfway down the stairs. Oh fuck me. Don’t tell me I almost broke my neck getting down here because of one of her little episodes. The hotel probably ran out of caviar or something ridiculous like that.