The first harsh ray of morning sunlight sliced through the gap in the heavy curtains, stabbing directly into Dorene's eyes. She jolted awake, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes instantly darted to the bedroom door.
The mahogany chair was still wedged perfectly under the brass knob.
Dorene let out a long, shaky exhale. She ran her trembling fingers through her tangled hair and pushed herself off the mattress. Her muscles ached from sleeping completely tense. She walked into the bathroom and splashed freezing water onto her face.
She changed into a modest, silk loungewear set. She stood in front of the bedroom door, taking three deep breaths to brace herself before she finally pulled the chair away and twisted the lock.
She pushed the door open and stepped into the living room.
It was completely empty.
The wool blanket was folded in a perfect, sharp square on the armchair. The bloodstains on the glass coffee table had been hastily wiped away, but a faint, rusty smear still lingered on the edge of the brass frame. The first aid kit was left open on the counter, with used, blood-soaked gauze and the empty rubbing alcohol bottle tossed carelessly into the wastebasket. He was gone, but the undeniable, violent traces of his presence proved the terrifying, bleeding man from last night had not been a hallucination.
Dorene stood frozen in the center of the room. A strange mix of profound relief and an unexplainable emptiness washed over her. She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring down at the busy Manhattan streets, her brow furrowed in confusion.
A sharp, sudden ring from the suite's doorbell made her jump.
Her heart kicked into overdrive. She walked slowly to the heavy front door and pressed her eye against the peephole.
A young man in a crisp hotel uniform stood in the hallway, holding a silver tray. On the tray rested a single, sleek black envelope.
Dorene exhaled sharply and pulled the door open. The staff member offered a polite, professional smile. "Good morning, Ms. Hale. The front desk received this for you. It was marked for immediate delivery."
Dorene signed the receipt with a quick scribble. She picked up the heavy black envelope. The moment her fingertips brushed against the raised, gold-foil pattern on the paper, a sickening feeling twisted in her gut.
She closed the door and walked over to the marble kitchen island. She grabbed a silver letter opener and sliced through the wax seal without hesitation. She pulled out the thick card stock. It smelled faintly of expensive rose water.
Her eyes dropped to the center of the card. Two names were printed in elegant, gold cursive.
Kadyn Paul & Dolly Lowery
Dorene's fingers locked up. The card nearly slipped from her grasp.
She stared at the words Engagement Gala printed right below their names. Her pupils dilated rapidly. The air in the room vanished. Her lungs refused to expand.
The world tilted violently on its axis. Dorene's knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the tall barstool next to the island. Her hands began to shake violently. She gripped the edges of the invitation so hard the thick paper groaned and crumpled under her fingers.
Memories flashed behind her eyes like a strobe light. Kadyn's soft promises whispered in the dark. Dolly's innocent, sweet smiles every time she poured them coffee. The two people she trusted most in the world had driven a knife straight through her spine.
A tidal wave of absolute betrayal and suffocating humiliation crashed over her. Dorene didn't scream. She didn't wail. She just buried her face deep into the crook of her elbow, her shoulders shaking violently as silent, agonizing sobs ripped through her chest.
At that exact moment, a shadow shifted in the far corner of the living room. Augustus Lambert stepped out from the dark alcove near the front foyer. He was still wearing his torn, blood-stained shirt and dark trousers, though he had managed to clean the worst of the grime from his face and hands. He had intended to quietly slip out the front door and erase the last of his tracks before leaving, but he stopped dead in his tracks.
His dark eyes immediately locked onto the woman curled into a tight ball of misery at the bar.
He narrowed his eyes. His gaze drifted down to the floor, landing on the crumpled black and gold invitation lying on the carpet. He read the words Engagement Gala. He understood instantly.
Augustus didn't say a word. He slid his hands into his trouser pockets and leaned back against the wall, hiding in the shadows. He watched her spine tremble with suppressed agony. A complex, unreadable emotion flickered in his cold eyes.
Dorene's silent breakdown lasted for five agonizing minutes. Then, she suddenly stopped.
She snapped her head up. She wiped the wet tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand in a harsh, frantic motion. Her eyes, previously filled with pain, were now completely hollow and dead.
She bent down, picked up the crumpled invitation, and began smoothing out the creases with her thumbs. The motion was stiff, mechanical, and deeply disturbing. It looked like she was torturing herself.
Augustus watched this brutal display of self-control. A tiny crease formed between his brows. He purposefully stepped out of the shadows, letting his heavy leather shoes click loudly against the hardwood floor.
Dorene gasped and spun around. When she saw the man from last night-still looking incredibly dangerous despite his attempt to clean up-standing in her suite, raw panic flashed in her eyes.
She instinctively shoved the invitation behind her back, trying to hide her red, swollen eyes. "Why are you still in my room?" she demanded, her voice cracking slightly.
Augustus ignored her question. He walked straight toward the kitchen island. His massive frame cast a dark shadow over her. He picked up a glass, poured warm water from the pitcher, and slammed it down on the marble counter right in front of her.
He looked down at her. His voice was rough, completely devoid of pity, and incredibly piercing. "Crying isn't going to fix a damn thing," he stated bluntly. "If a piece of paper is enough to break you, your enemies are probably praying you stay locked in this room forever."
The words hit Dorene right in an open wound.
She shot up from the barstool. Her chest he heave with sudden, violent fury. She glared at him, her eyes burning like a cornered animal.
"This is none of your damn business," she hissed through gritted teeth. She yanked the invitation from behind her back and slammed it onto the counter. Her eyes turned to absolute ice. "I am going to that party. And I am going to make sure they see exactly what they lost."
Augustus stared at the fierce, burning defiance returning to her eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a microscopic smirk of approval.
He picked up his suit jacket from the back of the sofa. "Good luck," he threw the words over his shoulder casually as he walked toward the front door.
The heavy door clicked shut behind him. The suite fell dead silent again. Dorene stared at the empty space where he had just stood, her fingers crushing the invitation, a fire of pure vengeance igniting in her chest.
