Chapter 5 No.5

The staff bathroom in the Guest Lodge smelled of bleach and lemon cleaner. It was the only sanctuary Edris could find.

She locked the door and collapsed against the sink, staring at her reflection in the spotted mirror. She looked like a wreck. Her lips were swollen and bitten, her neck mottled with red marks, her hair a bird's nest.

"Pull it together, Edris," she hissed at herself.

She turned on the tap, splashing freezing water onto her face until her skin was numb. She dug into her clutch-miraculously still with her-and pulled out her emergency makeup kit. Concealer went on thick over the marks on her neck. She blended it until her skin looked flawless again. She brushed her hair, pulling it into a severe, sleek bun that hid the tangles.

She adjusted the safety pin on her dress, draping her cashmere scarf over her shoulders to hide the tear.

Ten minutes later, the woman in the mirror was Edris Mcclure again. Cold. Perfect. Untouchable. Only her eyes betrayed her-they were older, harder than they had been yesterday.

She slipped out, blending in with the early morning shift of maids, and made it back to her suite.

"Miss Edris!" Molly, her assistant, nearly dropped a steaming steamer. "Where have you been? The Senator has been calling every ten minutes!"

"I fell asleep in the library," Edris lied smoothly. "The snow blocked the doors."

She didn't wait for Molly to question the logic. "Get my ski gear. The white set."

Twenty minutes later, dressed in pristine white thermal gear that cost more than most people's cars, Edris walked into the central Courtyard.

The resort was waking up. Guests were milling about with coffees, prepping for the slopes.

Edris scanned the crowd. Her eyes landed on a couple near the fire pit.

Prince Clement. And Bailee.

They stood close. Too close. Bailee was wearing a pink puffer jacket that was a size too big-Clement's jacket. She was holding a cup of hot cocoa with both hands, looking up at him with wide, adoring eyes. Clement was smiling, a soft, genuine smile Edris hadn't seen directed at her in months. He reached out and tapped Bailee's nose, laughing at something she said.

In her past life, Edris had seen scenes like this and told herself it was just sibling affection. They grew up together, she used to say. They are close.

Now, looking through the lens of betrayal, it was nauseating.

Edris pulled out her phone. She didn't open the camera app immediately. She pretended to check her messages, angling the phone just right.

Click.

She took three photos in rapid succession. The hand on the waist. The nose tap. The way Bailee leaned into him.

Clement turned his head, his smile vanishing instantly as he spotted her.

Bailee jumped back as if burned, spilling cocoa on the snow. "Edris! Oh my god, you scared me!"

Edris pocketed her phone and walked over, her boots crunching softly on the snow.

"Good morning, Your Highness. Bailee." Her voice was level, devoid of warmth.

Clement cleared his throat, adjusting his scarf. "Edris. We were worried. You vanished last night."

"Did you?" Edris asked, her gaze flicking to Bailee and then back to him. "It looks like you found plenty of comfort."

Bailee's eyes welled up instantly. "Sister, don't be like that. Clement was just keeping me company while we waited for news of you."

"Is that why you're wearing his jacket?" Edris asked.

Bailee looked down, clutching the lapels. "I was cold..."

"Of course you were." Edris smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You're always cold, aren't you, Bailee? Especially when someone else's fiancé is around to warm you up."

Clement stepped forward, his face darkening. "That's enough, Edris. You're tired. You're imagining things."

"Am I?" Edris tilted her head. "I suppose I imagined the way your hand was on her waist, too?"

Clement froze.

"Go get changed, Clement," she said, dismissing him like a servant. "We have the Vogue shoot in an hour. Unless you want the world to see you wearing guilt instead of Armani."