Chapter 1The Wicked Game

My best friend and I were a team of two: the beautiful, wicked women of this city's elite.

She was the canary in a gilded cage, kept by Jean Vance, the scion of an old-money dynasty, in his penthouse overlooking the park.

I was the trophy girlfriend to Damian Blackwood, a tech mogul with new money and an insatiable need to show it off.

We pooled the cash they gave us, a seventy-thirty split in her favor.

She said I had terrible taste, that my man wasn't as generous as hers.

I said she had rocks for brains, that her man was all empty promises and charm.

We bickered and fought, but together, we kept every other wannabe, every starlet and model, firmly in her place.

Until the ingenue appeared.

For her, Jean hung up on my best friend, Stella, for the first time ever.

For her, Damian froze all of my credit cards.

Stella and I just looked at each other. We didn't need to say a word.

Ah. The main character had arrived.

…

“I’m sorry, your card has been declined.”

The cashier’s voice was quiet, but it echoed through the hushed boutique.

Every head turned. Eyes, sharp with judgment and barely veiled contempt, drilled into me.

The diamond bracelet, with its six-figure price tag, felt suddenly heavy in my hand.

Just minutes ago, the sales associate had been fawning over me, calling me “Miss Zoe.” Now she’d taken a subtle step back, her posture radiating suspicion.

I placed the bracelet gently back on its velvet tray. My hands were steady.

“My apologies. Let’s try a different one.”

I pulled out another card—not one of the endless black cards Damian had given me. This one was mine.

The transaction went through instantly. I signed the slip, my movements crisp and deliberate.

Stepping out of the mall, the sunlight was blinding.

My phone buzzed. It was Stella.

“My supplementary card just got canceled.”

Her voice was flat, unreadable.

“Mine too,” I said.

A beat of silence on the other end.

“Meet me at the usual place.” A smile crept into Stella’s voice. “Knew you’d be fine. I’ve got your back.”

“See you there.”

I hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of the small apartment we’d bought together with our own squirreled-away money.

Through the window, the massive, imposing logo of Damian’s corporate headquarters flashed by.

I turned my head away, my face a mask of indifference.

The game was on.

Stella was already there when I arrived.

She’d kicked off her four-inch heels and was pacing the hardwood floor barefoot, still dressed in a stunning couture gown from some event.

“Jean stood me up for that girl, Jenny Dallas.”

She grabbed a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge and chugged half of it.

“He had my seat removed from the head table at the charity gala. Just like that. I was the laughingstock of the entire evening.”

I tossed the box with my new bracelet onto the coffee table. The diamonds inside caught the light, scattering cold, hard fire.

“Damian was faster. He went straight for the accounts.”

Stella stopped pacing and looked at me. Our eyes met.

No complaints. No tears.

We knew this was coming. In the story we’d been dropped into, this was our fate. The wicked supporting characters were destined to be crushed under the heel of the main couple, to become nothing more than stepping stones for their epic love story.

“Hah,” Stella laughed first, a raw, sharp sound.

“It’s finally starting.”

I flipped open my laptop and pulled up our private joint account. The balance was a long, beautiful string of numbers.

“We’ve held up our end of the bargain. We’ve been paid in full,” I said. “Now, it’s time to collect some interest.”

Stella leaned over my shoulder, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the screen.

“What’s the plan?”

“Damian is about to launch a massive luxury development project called ‘Azure Vista.’ It’s his golden ticket, the thing that’s meant to wash away the stench of new money and get him a seat at the table with the old-money establishment.” My fingers flew across the keyboard.

“I want to take that golden ticket and shatter it at his feet.”

Damian Blackwood’s birthday gala was the event of the season.

I showed up in a slinky, black slip dress that clung to every curve.

I didn’t have an invitation.

A security guard moved to block my path.

“Miss Zoe, you can’t go in.”

I didn’t even look at him. My gaze swept over the glittering crowd and locked onto Damian.

He was holding court with a group of industry titans, laughing and charming them all. And there, tucked beside him, was Jenny Dallas. She was in a white, gossamer dress, looking as pure and fragile as a water lily.

She saw me. Her eyes widened, and a hand flew to Damian’s sleeve, clutching it as she shrank behind him.

Damian followed her gaze. The moment he saw me, his brow furrowed into a thunderous scowl.

He strode towards me, disgust etched plainly on his handsome face.

“What the hell are you doing here?” His voice was ice.

“Happy birthday, Damian.” I gave him my most dazzling, meaningless smile. “I forgot to give you your present.”

“Get lost.”

“Not so fast.” I pulled a tiny USB drive from my clutch, dangling it in front of him.

“Think of it as one last gift. For old times’ sake.”

Damian’s eyes darkened.