Chapter 8

Adrian's cell phone vibrated violently in his suit pocket.

He pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, and scowled. He turned to Jordyn, his voice softening slightly. "I have to take this. I'll be right outside."

Adrian walked out of the room. The heavy door clicked shut, sealing the room in silence.

The second the latch caught, Jordyn's tears vanished.

She sat up straight. She grabbed the paper towels and aggressively wiped the sticky gel off her stomach.

Danae stood at the sink, washing her hands. She watched Jordyn's reflection in the mirror.

Jordyn reached over to the bedside table and unzipped her limited-edition Hermes Birkin bag. She dug her hand inside and pulled out a heavy, crystal glass perfume bottle.

Danae's hands stopped moving under the running water. Her pupils dilated.

It was a custom bottle. Three years ago, Adrian had flown a master perfumer from Grasse to New York just to create that exact scent for her.

Jordyn pulled the glass stopper off. She held the bottle up and sprayed it twice into the air.

A thick, overwhelmingly sweet scent of orange blossom and heavy musk flooded the enclosed hospital room.

The smell hit Danae's nose. Her stomach violently lurched.

A memory flashed behind her eyes: Adrian's lips pressing against her neck, inhaling deeply. This scent is only for you, he had whispered.

The memory felt like a physical knife twisting in her gut.

Jordyn laughed. It was a high, cruel sound.

Jordyn threw the blankets off and slid out of bed. Her bare feet padded silently across the linoleum until she was standing directly behind Danae.

Before Danae could turn, Jordyn raised the bottle and sprayed it three times directly onto the back of Danae's white doctor's coat.

"What the hell are you doing?" Danae snapped, spinning around and swatting Jordyn's hand away.

The heavy crystal bottle slipped, almost crashing to the floor before Jordyn caught it against her chest.

Jordyn stepped into Danae's space, her eyes gleaming with malice. "You couldn't even keep your own signature scent. You're nothing but a ghost."

Danae stepped back, her nose wrinkling at the suffocating smell radiating from her own clothes.

"That cheap synthetic garbage is only good for covering up the stench of your desperation," Danae fired back.

Jordyn's eyes darkened. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

Suddenly, Jordyn turned the bottle upside down. She squeezed the atomizer, dumping the remaining liquid all over the front of her own hospital gown and the white bedsheets.

Danae frowned. The sheer volume of the perfume was sickening. This wasn't just a petty insult; it was a setup.

The sound of Adrian's heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.

Jordyn moved with terrifying speed. She shoved the empty crystal bottle deep into the bottom of her Hermes bag. She sprinted back to the bed, diving under the covers and pulling them up to her chin.

The door handle turned. Adrian walked in, sliding his phone into his pocket.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he stopped dead in his tracks.

The overwhelming scent of orange blossom hit him. His nostrils flared. He looked at Jordyn, then slowly turned his head to stare at Danae.

Danae stood frozen by the sink, her white coat reeking of the perfume, completely unable to explain what had just happened.