{Thea}
The Uber slowed to a stop in front of a house that looked like it belonged on the cover of a glossy magazine. We'd wound our way into the Marina District, with its all shimmering bay views and manicured streets. It was the kind of place where people with money who wanted to be seen lived.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I slid a hand into my purse, fished out the little mirror, and studied my face one last time. My black hair fell over my shoulders on the brand new black dress I had bought that hugged every inch of my body in a… dare I say… scandalous way. And my fiery red lipstick matched my heels
"Here's your stop," the driver said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
"Keep the change." I forced a smile and handed him cash. The door clicked shut behind me, and cool evening air swept over my skin.
Curts' house stared right back at me—white stucco walls, tall arched windows, black iron balconies dripping with climbing vines—it was simply magnificent. Curtis had successfully planted himself in the city's most enviable district, like a king in his glittering fortress.
My stomach twisted. I pressed a hand against it, whispering to myself, "You can do this, Thea. For Liam."
But no matter how many times I tried to compel myself, every step toward the front door felt like walking on shards of glass, and my heart thudded wildly in my chest.
I rang the bell before my courage could falter, and the door opened slowly. I was expecting to see Curtis, but instead, it was Raymond; the doorman I'd hired years ago, back when Curtis and I lived in the old house.
His eyes widened the second he saw me, and then his face hardened. "Miss Thea," he said stiffly.
Before I could step forward, he began shutting the door. I shoved back against the heavy wood, slipping through the gap before it closed.
"Raymond, wait!" My voice cracked. "Please, just let me in. I only need to see him one last time."
His jaw tightened. "I'm sorry, Miss Thea, I can't. Mr. Blackwood is hosting a dinner party tonight and frankly, you shouldn't be here."
"Dinner party?" My chest hollowed out.
The ink on our divorce was barely dry, and he was already parading Jennifer through soirées like she was some goddamn prize.
"Raymond…" I softened my tone into a more desperate "Do you remember who got you the job at our house? Who always made sure Curtis kept you on staff when he wanted to replace you with someone else from his firm? I've always treated you well, haven't I?"
His eyes flickered with guilt, and I could tell he was already breaking.
"Please," I begged. "I wouldn't ask if it weren't life or death. My brother is in grave danger, and Curtis is the only one who can help. Just five minutes, that's all I ask."
He shook his head slowly. "I'll lose my job."
My throat burned. "Is this how far my bravado can carry me? Stopped at the door before I could even get a chance to speak to Curtis."
"But…" His voice lowered to a whisper. "If I were to take my break early, and if you happened to walk in while I wasn't watching… well, I couldn't stop you then, could I?"
Relief crashed through me almost immediately. "Thank you," I whispered, squeezing his hand before slipping past him.
The inside of the house was sleek and polished to an obscene degree. Marble floors, gilded frames on the walls, and the faint smell of imported lilies. It was sterile perfection at its best, absolutely nothing like the warm chaos of the home Curtis and I once shared.
Voices drifted down the corridor, and so I followed them until I got to a pair of tall double doors. With trembling hands, I pushed open the doors and walked right in.
A long banquet table stretched across the hall, glittering with crystal glassware and plates rimmed in gold. The room immediately fell silent, and faces I knew turned toward me as I scanned each of them, noting the surprise in their eyes.
Michael Blackwood—Curtis's father. He'd never looked at me as anything more than a girl who latched onto his son. A man who carried the arrogance of generations like a birthright.
Beside him, Curtis's mother, Laura, sat as pristine as the diamonds at her throat, the same woman who always pursed her lips whenever I walked into a room, as if I'd tracked mud across her Persian rugs.
On the left was Grace, Curtis's aunt, who had once smiled warmly at me during parties, but it was no secret that she loved gossip more than God. Her husband and grown children whispered beside her, eyes flicking over me in a way that told me that I would end up as tonight's scandal.
And at the other end was Jacob, Curtis's younger brother. A smug, lazy, and far too entitled brat that never once had to do a thing for himself.
Curtis's grandparents, Joshua and Elizabeth, were also present, but they just glanced at me like I wasn't worth their time and returned to their dinner.
And at the head of the table sat Curtis. His hazel eyes locked on mine, disbelief etched across his stupid, perfect features, while beside him, Jennifer leaned in close, her manicured hand looping possessively around his arm.
The silence was suffocating, and the weight of their stares pressed on me, but I forced myself to step inside.
"Curtis… please. I need to talk to you." My voice trembled to the point that I barely recognized it myself.
He stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "How in God's name did you find out where I live?"
Before I could even muster up the courage to speak again, Jennifer's laugh cut through me. "She looks like she wandered in from the gutter. In that dress? How desperate can you be?"
Heat rushed up my neck, but I pressed on. "It's about Liam. He's in danger. I just need—"
"Liam?" Michael's voice boomed from down the table. "I'm sorry but why should Curtis involve himself in Leighton affairs anymore?"
Laura didn't even bother to mask her disdain. "You brought shame into this family the moment you married him. Did you think anyone here would lift a finger for you?"
Grace's lips curled in distaste. "To put it simply, you never belonged at this table, Thea. And you never will."
Jacob snorted and swirled the wine in his glass. "I always wondered what Curtis saw in you. Guess I have my answer now—absolutely nothing."
Laughter rippled around the table while Jennifer beamed like a queen crowned at my execution.
The room spun, and for the first time, I saw it clearly… they had never once seen me as one of them. I was just a convenient pawn that Curtis dragged into their empire.
My voice shook, but I forced it out, directing my gaze at my ex-husband. "Curtis, please. I'm not asking for me. It's my brother's life on the line here."
He strode toward me, grabbed my arm, and yanked me back toward the doors. "You shouldn't have come here, Thea."
Tears blurred my vision. "Curtis, please—"
Jennifer's voice rang out, dripping venom. "Pathetic. Even after he tossed you aside, you still come crawling. Do you have no shame?"
Something inside me snapped. "At least I wasn't sleeping my way to the top when I met him."
Jennifer's face twisted, her eyes blazing in fury, and before I could blink, she lunged at me. Her hand arced through the air, and I braced myself for the sting of the incoming slap—
But it never landed.
A strong hand shot out, gripping her wrist mid-swing.
"That's enough."