Zoey woke up to the sound of a notification buzzing on her phone. Groaning, she yawned and fished the phone out from under her pillow. Squinting to adjust her vision, she read the messageâit was from Ellie. Rolling her eyes, she tossed the phone aside as she got out of bed.
"Why does she need to send me updates about her wedding preparations?" Zoey muttered bitterly, her gaze drifting to the faint scars on her wrist. She chuckled darkly. "You had one job back then, and yet, here I am, still stuck with you," she whispered, running her fingers lightly over the scars. With a heavy sigh, she stood up, stretching her arms as she walked out of the room.
"Ugh, life's always screwing me over!" Zoey groaned, stretching her arms as she got out of her room.
"Who's fucking you hard, Zoey?" came a raspy voice, startling her so much she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"What the hell, Riley!" Zoey hissed, clutching her chest in shock. She turned to see Harriet's younger sister standing there, wrapped in a white blanket, eyes still swollen from the previous night's tears. Riley had shown up unannounced, asking to crash at Zoey's place, clearly overwhelmed by something.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Zoey continued, trying to calm her racing heart. "And stop wandering around like a ghost with that blanket! I swear, I almost had a heart attack."
Riley just clicked her tongue, dragging herself back to the couch and curling up with her knees hugged to her chest. Her face was etched with exhaustion and hurt.
"So, what's your plan, Riley? Are you just going to sit here and cry all day?" Zoey asked, arms crossed, watching her closely.
Riley sighed, her voice barely a whisper. "I booked a flight to New York. I leave this evening."
Zoey's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, hold onâyou're going to where?" She planted her hands on her hips, staring down at Riley. "New York? As in, New York, USA? Seriously?" Is this really how rich people move on? By flying to another country?!
Riley nodded, still wrapped tightly in the blanket like a shield. "Yeah. Just... don't tell anyone where I went, okay? Not Harriet, not anyone. I'll deal with them when I'm ready."
Zoey rubbed her forehead, exasperated. "Riley, you're an adult, and I hope you know what you're doing. But seriouslyâdon't do anything stupid. Don't hurt yourself, okay?" Her voice softened as she looked at Riley with concern.
Riley frowned, her voice edged with bitterness. "You mean like Harriet did?" She shook her head, eyes clouding over. "I'm not going to hurt myself. I just need... to get away. I need space to cope with everything, to figure out how I'm supposed to face her againâhow to face Sienna again."
Zoey sighed as she entered the Pierce Mansion. It wasn't her first time here, but she still felt a sense of awe whenever she visited the Pierce family home. One of the household staff guided her toward the dining area. She gulped as she met Harriet's gaze; it had been a while since she last lost her cool in front of her.
"Good morning, Madame," she greeted Maggie with an enthusiastic smile. Harriet scoffed, sipping her coffee, and raised an eyebrow at Zoey, as if silently telling her to quit pretending.
"Hi there, Zoey! Good morning!" Maggie, Harriet's mother and her boss, greeted her back, full of energy. "Come and have breakfast with us." She instructed one of the staff to get an additional plate for their guest.
"Come, sit here," Maggie said, tapping the seat directly across from Harriet. Zoey was about to decline, but Maggie insisted, leaving her no choice.
She gulped as she felt the intensity of Harriet's gaze. Meeting it bravely, she thought, You think I'll bow down to you? Ha! In your face!
After a while, Nyx, the eldest Pierce sibling, entered the dining area. "Oh, look who we have here! Hi, Zoey! Did Mom call you early this morning?" Nyx said, brimming with energy. Zoey smiled at Nyx and nodded but hastily rolled her eyes in irritation when her gaze returned to Harriet.
Nyx noticed and laughed, nudging Harriet. "What did you do this time?" she asked, sitting beside Harriet. Harriet shrugged, still fixated on Zoey with an intense look.
They were in the middle of their staring contest when another staff member entered the dining room, ushering in a woman. Zoey tilted her head, trying to place where she recognized the woman from. She looked so familiar.
"Sienna, dear! Good thing you visiâwait, what happened?" Maggie stood up, walking toward the newcomer. Sienna? Zoey's eyes widened. Waitâdon't tell me this is Riley's ex?! Sienna Reed?! The LunaVera heiress?
Zoey lowered her gaze, pretending to be uninterested but straining to listen to the conversation. "Mom, is Riley here? I've been trying to contact her for the last two days, and I haven't been able to get through. I... I thought maybe she was here. She's not in her unit," Sienna said, her voice cracking.
"Eh? I thought you two were supposed to meet a couple of days ago?" Zoey glanced at Nyx, who wore a confused expression as she spoke with Sienna.
Zoey gulped and grabbed a glass of water, noticing Harriet's piercing gaze on her. She raised an eyebrow, silently asking Harriet, What?
Harriet gestured for her to walk away as she stood up. Turning to Sienna, she asked, "Have you tried reaching her on social media?" It was as if Harriet was trying to piece together the situation.
Zoey excused herself, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the brewing tension. She sighed as she stepped onto the porch area of the mansion, hitching her breath.
"You know you can't lie to me, right?" Harriet's voice came from behind. Zoey turned around but didn't realize she was near the stair step, almost losing her balance. Just then, Harriet rushed forward to catch her, her hands gripping Zoey's waist. Their faces were inches apart, both staring at each other in surprise.
"What the hell?" Zoey exclaimed, pushing Harriet away to regain her composure. She averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.
Harriet scoffed. "You're terrible at acting, you know?"
Zoey raised her brow, attempting to feign innocence. "And what do you mean by that?"
Harriet took a step forward, effectively cornering Zoey. "Come on, Ms. Foster, I'm not born yesterday. I know you're not this innocent," she whispered, just loud enough for Zoey to hear. Zoey glanced past Harriet, checking for anyone else nearby.
"I'm not sure I understand what you're implying, Doc," she replied, trying to maintain a straight face.
Harriet sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets. "You're really committed to this act, huh? Where's Riley?"
Zoey gulped at the mention of Riley's name. God, why am I being tormented by having to hide a Pierce?
"I don't know. Why would you ask me about your sister? Do I look likeâ"
"Do you want to lose your job?" Harriet's gaze darkened as she leaned in closer. "Just tell me if that's what you want."
"Whatâ"
"Tell me where Riley is, and you'll be safe. Your job will be safe." Harriet smirked, the challenge clear in her eyes.