Chapter 2

Nina.

Hearing him say my name still threw me.

Friends?

I laughed under my breath.

Five years ago, after Yuna framed me and I broke down crying, I asked him to grab a drink so I could explain.

"So now you're the victim? I'm with Yuna right now, comforting her. I don't have time for your lies."

The boy I'd grown up with had left me behind.

Before Miguel, I'd already known Shawn saw me as more than a friend.

Every Christmas and Easter, he gave the other society girls the same gifts.

Mine was different every year.

Handmade.

Because neither of us cared about jewelry or price tags.

Even the way he said my name was different.

With everyone else, he was polite and distant. Miss this. Miss that.

But with me, it was always just "Nina."

Back then, I was too young to know what to do with his feelings.

By the time I figured out mine, Miguel was already in the picture.

I still remembered the day Shawn caught Miguel and me kissing.

He drank himself into the hospital with a stomach bleed.

For a long time, I felt guilty. I kept wondering how to make us friends again.

Turns out, I didn't have to.

Because Yuna came back.

At first, Shawn hated Yuna even more than I did. He thought she'd stolen everything from me.

But after Yuna set me up again and again, he went from defending me, to staying quiet, to telling me to let it go.

"Yuna had it rough out there. You've had this life for years. It's time you let her have a turn."

That was it.

The last place I had to put all that hurt was gone.

After that, I just stared at the ceiling and let the tears slide down my face.

"Nina." His voice softened. "When you ran out on the wedding, I thought you were just being dramatic. But then..."

"But then I disappeared for five years," I said. "You've lived with that for five years, so keep living with it. Pretend I'm dead. You're good at it.

"You threw away more than ten years of friendship like it meant nothing. So call today an accident. Or some old dream.

"All I want is a quiet life with my daughter. I won't bother you, the Newells, or Miguel. You're all in my past."

I turned and walked away.

Shawn came after me, but the elevator doors slid shut first.

I still heard him curse under his breath.

I wasn't going anywhere.

Now that I was back in Hawthorne Bay, we'd run into each other again.

No need for him to panic.

***

On the drive home, Gigi curled up in my arms.

"Mommy, that guy was scary."

I smiled.

"Who was scarier? Him or Wyatt?"

"Him, obviously." Gigi didn't hesitate. "Wyatt was always nice to me."

Wyatt's name still made my eyes sting.

Before I got out, I wiped them fast and passed Gigi to Amy.

"Keep an eye on her until the banquet."

I'd made a name for myself overseas, but in Hawthorne Bay, I was still nobody.

One of my clients wanted to help me get settled, so he invited me to a private banquet packed with the city's elite.

Networking went better than expected. Plenty of people asked for my card.

Then a man walked over, champagne in hand.

Long, sharp fingers held out a business card.

"Harrold Newell. Newell family heir."

I went rigid.

I looked up and met his red-rimmed eyes.

The next second, he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the garden.

He held up the card I'd just given someone else.

"Wynna Walker? Do you hate our family that much? Enough to run for five years? Enough to change your name?"

"Yes. I hate you all."

I met his eyes, calm.

"But that's not the only reason I changed it."

"Then why? Or did you marry someone and take his last name?"

"I don't owe you an explanation."

Harrold stared at me, his hand shaking around the card.

A second later, his voice softened.

"You can't be doing that well. Not if you're handing out business cards at some banquet. I'm your brother. Listen to me. Come home. Be a Newell again. We won't hold the wedding thing against you anymore."

My brother.

Right.

I let out a bitter laugh.

Before Yuna came back, my father favored me.

I beat Harrold at almost everything.

He hated it. I knew he did.

So at family events, I always talked him up.

I even gave up spots in private competitions so he could win.

I'd seen those rich kids tear him apart.

A girl beat him. He couldn't even hold onto his place as heir.

But Harrold worked hard.

I wanted him to be happy.

Instead, my sacrifices just gave them more to laugh about.

Yuna's praise was what made him feel seen.

Five years ago, all he had for me was sarcasm and disgust.

Now he was standing here acting like this.

Too bad.

I wasn't the Nina who needed them to protect me anymore.

I had my own career.

And I had people to protect.

Gigi.

And the thousands of victims I'd fought for over the years.

When I didn't answer, Harrold got even more desperate.

"This firm is nowhere near Newell Corp in size. You're a lawyer. You know how to weigh your options. Besides, you never cared about law before. Walking away should be easy."

"No."

I turned to leave.

To my surprise, he followed.

In his rush, he knocked over a wineglass.

Wine splashed all over him, but he didn't even look down. He just grabbed my wrist harder.

"Come home with me."

I went quiet for a second.

Then I turned and handed his business card back.

"Mr. Newell, after tonight, I have no interest in knowing you. Let go."

Harrold froze.

"You... what did you say?"

"I said I don't want to know you."

"But we're family. You were my sister for over twenty years."

I gave a quiet laugh.

"Careful, Mr. Newell. Your real sister might not like hearing that."

"If you need proof, I'll take a DNA test. But my daughter's waiting for me. If you need me again, talk to my assistant."

Then I peeled his fingers off my wrist, one at a time, and walked out.

Behind me, his voice caught.

"...Daughter?"

He rushed back into the ballroom.

But I was already gone through the back exit.