Chapter 10 For the next forty - eight hours , I became one with my bed . [ ] No calls . No outside world . Just me , a pile of blankets , and the crushing weight of humiliation . [ ] That slap from Rhys wasn't just a blow to the face . In so many ways , it was a slap across my entire life - one steeped in desperation , delusion , and pathetic longing . It forced me awake . It forced me to look back on everything I'd ever done to make him notice me , everything I did for a fantasy called " us " that had never truly existed . [ ] God , where do I even begin ? Like the time he casually mentioned he liked girls with smooth , silky hair . That night , I ordered three bottles of the shampoo he'd once praised . My scalp broke out in hives . I smiled through the pain and said , " It's fine - some allergic reactions are worth it . " Or when he told me he was too busy with work to grab dinner , so I stayed up learning how to bake and brought him a box of pastries in the rain . He didn't even open the door - just had the receptionist tell me . Don't bother next time . I don't like sweets . " ] Then there was that night at his friend's dinner party . I forced down oysters - my most hated food - just to seem " graceful and agreeable . " I spent the entire night crouched over a toilet , writhing in pain until 3 a.m. He didn't ask if I was okay . He laughed and said , " Can't even handle seafood ? That's just dramatic . But the worst ? That time he quoted a line from The Godfather he liked . I stayed up all night reading film essays just to casually drop the quote at a party . I got it wrong . He corrected me in front of everyone , sneering , Don't pretend to like things you clearly don't understand And I laughed . I laughed and said , " You've got such a good memory . " What a joke . I never realized I was never the person he wanted mally saw me . He never really stand - in . ] To him , I was nothing more than a low rent version of the perfect and untouchable Katherine . A cheap I wasn't her , but I could offer him the faint illusion of having her again . That was all I was good for . I buried my face in the pillow and laughed until I shook . Not because it was funny - but because the pain had gone too deep for tears . Thankfully , after my parents delivered their final ultimatum two days ago , they hadn't contacted me again A small Il part of me wondered - did Rhys intervene ? Did he finally realize what he'd done ? Suddenly , the doorbell rang And it didn't stop ringing . For a full five minutes I groaned into my pillow . Oh god , Social interaction . ] Dragging my exhausted body to the door , I opened it Ivan Carlisle - my best friend and the only person who had the legal right to yell at me - stood on the other side , hands on hips . Then beres landed on my face . Her expression froze . The light in her eyes dimmed . " What the hell happened to you ? I'm fine , " I said , trying to sound casual . She wasn't buying it . She reached out , gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear . Her jaw clenched . ] ] Then - silence . Not the awkward kind . The dangerous kind . The kind that comes right before something explodes . ] " Who hit you ? " " Come inside . " I muttered quickly , trying not to draw the neighbors ' attention . That would be mortifying . Ivan didn't move . She gripped my arm and spoke through gritted teeth . " Mira , Who , Hit You ? " As soon as the door clicked shut , I collapsed into her arms My face buried in her sweater , and within seconds , the fabric was soaked . || She didn't flinch . She just held me , her hand moving in calm , soothing circles across my back . I didn't know how long I cried . Long enough for my throat to burn and my nose to turn bright red like Rudolph . Eventually , I managed to force out a single word . Rhys . Ivan didn't move . Everyone - in Sky City knew that name . Rhys Granger wasn't the kind of man who needed to throw punches to destroy someone . One phone call to the right person , and your life would be over . Reputation , money , status - he had it all Every move he made was deliberate , timed to perfection - like the ticking of a Rolex . When he chose to go to war , he was a nobleman wielding cruelty like fine art , probably with a glass of aged Scotch in hand . [ ] People called him arrogant . No one ever called him violent . That's why , when Ivan processed what I'd just said , I could practically hear the gears in her brain screaming in protest . " No way , " she muttered under her breath , as if denying it out loud might somehow make it untrue , " Rhys ? Your Rhys ? He couldn't have I got it . I really did . Rhys was supposed to be the gentleman . The golden boy . The flawless , elegant , untouchable good guy . " It was him , " I said quiety . She exhaled sharply , then started rubbing my back again , this time slower . " Tell me what happened . " I swallowed was at his place . I , uh accidentally broke a mug . " ] Her entire body tensed . " Just a mug ? ] I nodded Silence . Then the clenched her jaw and said , " I swear to God , if you tell me it was some priceless , hand - crafted , one - of - a - kind family heirloom- "It was Katherine's mug Ivan's hand froze mid - pat . Everything shifted . One second , she was my concerned best friend . The next , she was a woman plotting murder . I grabbed her wrist before she could get ahold of something worse . It's over between Rhys and me . " " Really ? " Really . Even if the earth split in two and Sky City sank into the ocean , I wouldn't marry him . " That stopped her from storming out to commit homicide " Katherine . That venomous snake- Ivan spat the name like it physically hurt her . " She's not even here anymore and she's still managing to wreck your life ! And your parents ? They just stand there watching ! I swear , they could watch her light your house on fire and they'd hand her the matches . It's unbelievable ! I felt like a balloon someone had just popped - deflated , exhausted . That all - too - familiar ache settled deep in my chest . I knew some parents would always love their firstborn more . And there was nothing I could do about it . ] I'm sorry . Mira " ] Ivan sat down beside me and gave my head a firm push toward her shoulder . I pulled away and managed a weak smile . " Actually , I think it's a good thing . At least I found out what kind of man he is before we got married . Better now than after the vows , right ? She let out a long sigh , her eyes softening . " Mira , you know no matter what happens , I've got your hack , " Right then , my stomach growled loud enough to interrupt the moment Loudly . Like a magician , Ivan reached behind her and pulled out a takeout bag . giving me a look that practically screamed : I knew you'd be like this . I wanted to hug her , but I was too busy eating like a ravenous little goblin . After dinner , she pushed me into the bedroom and went off to clean up . I lay on the bed , staring at the ceiling , drained and overwhelmed . What now ? Through the half - open door , I heard her on the phone . I didn't catch every word , but the ones I did hear … were iconic " A pile of shit " ] Total fucking psycho . " " Oh , you think that's bad ? Wait till I tell you what this violent bastard actually did- She was probably talking to Zane Hasterton . And unlike Rhys , Zane would never raise a hand to her . The way Ivan so instantly , so fiercely chose me - without hesitation , without question - made my throat tighten . She believed me . No. one else did . But she did . ] This wasn't something she did lightly . Rhys's family sat at the very top of the food chain - untouchable . And I had no doubt her parents wouldn't be thrilled to see her go up against them . 1 curled deeper under the blanket and let out a slow breath Why couldn't my parents love ne like that ? Парк 10 Ever since their favorite daughter Houdini'd her way out of their master plan , I became Plan B. But that didn't mean they forgave my existence . Let's be honest the only reason they'd stopped actively berating me was because I got engaged to Rhys . That little arrangement somehow elevated me from " irreparable family disgrace " to " potential saving grace . -0 Part of the reason I agreed to the engagement - and I know how pathetic this sounds - was because I thought maybe I could finally get something Katherine had : a sliver of parental affection . A crumb of approval . [ ] But now that the engagement was off ? I was disposable again . [ ] Last I heard , they were boxing up my things , ready to ship me off to some remote jungle where I'd spend the rest of my life hefriending anacondas and repenting for my sins . ] ] They were absolutely capable of that I groaned into my pillow , What the hell do I do now ? Unless … I married someone more powerful than Rhys . The idea was so ridiculous I snorted . Right . Because billionaires are just wandering around Sky City hoping to marry a 23 - year - old orphan with no patience for their bullshit . ] And yet- A face flashed in my mind Three days ago . My new neighbor . I remembered , quite inappropriately , thinking I wouldn't mind being alone with him in his apartment where he could do all sorts of rated - R things to me . I shook my head , quickly banishing the thought . I didn't even know his name . Just that he had the kind of aura that could slice a person in half No. Way too dangerous . I groaned again . If I hadn't broken that stupid mug , everything might've been okay . But it wasn't . And it's not . And there's no going back . Fuck ! Why am I the one trying to fix this when I wasn't even the one who messed it up ?! I sat up - and bam , the door burst open . ] Ivan marched in . " Sleep is just going to make you feel worse . We're getting up , and we're going to find a dick worth better than Rhys's . th loving - one that's WHAT ?! While I gaped , she had already changed me into a new outfit . ] Just like that , we Were off to Sky City's most exclusive club - members only . ||