The sun was high over Adventure Land, gleaming off the metallic rails of rides that screeched, twisted, and spun through the air. Maya and Sophie stood rooted before one of the most dangerous rides in the park -- a colossal roller coaster that towered above everything else. The steel giant rattled as it shot down the tracks, sending passengers screaming, their arms flailing.
When the carts finally screeched to a halt, people stumbled off -- some laughing hysterically, others puking into bins placed conveniently nearby, a few clutching the railing like they'd seen death itself.
Maya smirked. Sophie smirked.
At the same time, with identical mischievous grins, they said, "Interesting."
Immediately, they turned to each other, staring like they'd just discovered a rival they didn't know they had.
Sophie broke the silence first. "First to scream…" she tilted her head toward Maya with a devilish smirk, "…takes a ride on the teacups."
Maya's brows shot up. "The teacups? Really? The baby ride?"
Sophie grinned wider. "Exactly."
Maya chuckled, crossing her arms. "Deal."
And just like that, they climbed onto the roller coaster.
At first, both girls sat stiff as the ride began its slow crawl upward, arms folded, faces composed, determined not to give the other the satisfaction. Around them, strangers gripped their seats, some already screaming before the drop.
Then the ride plunged.
The wind tore past their faces. The cart twisted, flipped, and plummeted, the steel shaking with a deafening roar. Sophie's hands gripped the bars so tightly her knuckles turned white. Maya's hair whipped around, and her teeth clenched. Both of them trembled, their lips twitching as they tried to hold it in.
"Don't. You. Dare," Maya muttered through her teeth.
"I'm...not...screaming..." Sophie's voice cracked.
Another drop hit. The ride spun them upside down.
They both screamed.
Loud.
So loud half the ride turned their heads.
Then, somehow, in between shrieks, Sophie's hand found Maya's, and Maya didn't pull away. Their screams turned into laughter as the ride looped and swerved until it finally slammed to a stop.
Panting, they stumbled off. Sophie immediately pointed at her. "You screamed first!"
"No, you screamed first!" Maya shot back, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Everyone heard you!"
"I was laughing!"
"That was not a laugh, it was a full-on wail!"
"Shut up, it was a laugh!"
People passing by stared at them bickering as though they'd known each other for years.
"Fine," Sophie said finally, crossing her arms. "We settle this. Archery. Whoever gets the best prize wins."
Maya narrowed her eyes. "You're on."
Minutes later, both were standing at the archery game stall. Maya released her first arrow. It missed the target completely and thudded into the fence. Sophie bit back a laugh, then tried herself -- only for hers to soar so high it nearly landed in another stall.
They both stared at their empty boards.
"This game is rigged," Maya muttered.
"Obviously rigged," Sophie agreed. "Nobody could win this."
They both turned to the carny, who looked very much like he'd seen this before.
"Next game," Maya declared.
And so began a string of competitions.
At ring toss, Maya's ring landed perfectly on the bottle neck. Sophie gawked.
"No way, no way, rematch!"
Next stall, water gun race. Sophie's jet blasted the target flawlessly, sending the clown to the top in record time. Maya's water splashed everywhere except the bullseye.
"Rematch!" Maya barked, glaring.
Then came darts, balloon popping, whack-a-mole. Each time, one of them won, the other lost, and the demand was always the same -- "Rematch!" -- until their arms ached from playing, and they were both weighed down by cheap prizes that neither admitted were terrible.
By the time they stumbled toward the next stall, both were laughing so hard they could barely walk straight.
---
Meanwhile, at Logan's apartment --
Brielle's nails grazed dangerously close to the painting, her sharp eyes never leaving Logan.
"Where were you?" she asked again, her voice calm but edged like a blade.
"I went to meet my cousin," Logan said evenly, though tension ran through his jaw. "Got stranded in traffic."
Brielle's laugh was cold, humorless. "You have no cousin." Her nails pressed harder against the canvas, threatening to tear.
He took a sharp step forward. "It's my distant cousin. My mom's sister's son."
Her head tilted, disbelief etched across her face. "Your mom doesn't have a sister."
"She did." His fists clenched at his sides. "She died when I was three. You can ask my mom if you don't believe me."
Silence stretched as Brielle studied him. Finally, she pulled the painting away from danger and set it on the bed. His chest lifted slightly, a short breath of relief escaping him.
"You better not be lying to me," she said, stepping closer. Her tone was softer now, but heavy with threat. "You know I hate lies."
"It's not a lie." His eyes held hers, unflinching.
For a moment, she just stared. Then, softly but firmly, she said, "We're already together. You should get over Maya."
Logan's gaze hardened. "You and I both know it's nothing but a fake relationship. An arrangement by our parents."
Brielle's lips curved into a faint smile, but there was no humor in it. "What if I don't want it to be fake anymore? Yes, it was arranged by our parents, but that doesn't mean we have to keep pretending."
His fists clenched tighter. "I'll only ever love one person."
Her smile faded. "And yet you broke her. Hurt her. Humiliated her. For me."
She turned away, her heels sharp against the floor as she headed for the door.
"Remember our agreement," he said coldly behind her. "You stay out of my life, I stay out of yours."
Her hand paused on the doorknob. She glanced back once, her eyes sharp.
"Agreements," she said slowly, "are meant to be broken."
Then she walked out, leaving silence behind her.
---
Elsewhere, Evelyn's back slammed softly against the wall as Sebastian pushed her into the dim room, his lips devouring hers hungrily. She gasped against him, but quickly returned the kiss with equal fire, the brown folder falling forgotten to the floor. His arms tightened around her waist, hers tangling in his hair as their bodies pressed together with a desperation long denied.
His shirt was ripped halfway off by the time she tugged it down, leaving him bare-chested. He tore her blouse open, leaving her in just her bra and pants, her skin flushed beneath his rough kisses.
He scooped her up, laying her across the bed, his eyes burning as he crawled over her.
"I've waited too long for this," Sebastian growled, voice thick with hunger.
Her moan answered him as he yanked away the last barrier of her bra, his mouth tracing lower. She arched beneath him, breathless, gasping his name as he thrust into her, each movement pulling a deeper moan from her lips until he silenced her with another searing kiss.
---
At the Cross family estate, Damien pushed open the heavy doors of the grand study.
The patriarch sat near the fireplace, a glass of dark liquor swirling in his hand. His eyes, sharp despite his age, lifted when his son entered.
"You called for me," Damien said quietly, stepping inside.
The old man gestured to the chair opposite him.
"Sit."
The air thickened with tension as Damien obeyed, the firelight flickering shadows across the room.