Chase Sterling always felt like furniture. The kind you don't notice, the kind that's easy to shove in a corner and forget. He was used to it: people looked right through him, brushed him off like lint. But it only takes one phone call to erase a lifetime of being overlooked. When his estranged family meets a tragic end, Chase suddenly finds himself in charge of the sprawling Sterling fortune. Turns out, riches aren't the only thing the family left him. There's a curse running through his blood, warping love into something hungry and dangerous, impossible to escape.

Vivian Ashford never set out to blow Chase's life to smithereens. Just one decision (a sharp, ruthless move at graduation) was all it took to set their worlds spinning out of control. While Vivian soaks up the Hollywood limelight and collects red-carpet headlines, Chase slips into his new role as Manhattan's most intimidating heir. But no matter how far they run, something keeps yanking them back together, like a stitch in an old wound that refuses to heal.

The premiere party for a film I'm not in but was invited to anyway happens three days after discovering Chase bought my set. It's one of those industry events where attendance is mandatory if you want to maintain relevance, where everyone pretends to care about art while really networking for their next project.


I arrive alone, Jackson having declined because "watching you pretend to be fine around Chase Sterling sounds like my personal hell." Sienna is my plus-one in spirit, texting me encouragement and reminders to breathe from her apartment where she's avoiding crowds since losing her visions.


The venue is predictably elegant: rooftop space with Manhattan skyline views, open bar, waiters carrying tiny expensive appetizers, everyone dressed like they're attending the Oscars instead of a mid-tier drama premiere.


Chapter 108 - Ethan's New Love