Chapter 1

"You look like an absolute princess, Miss Owens."

Chloe, the boutique attendant, smoothed her hands down the voluminous tulle skirt.

Kelsi stared at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror of the Vera Wang flagship store. The dress cost six figures. It hugged her waist perfectly before cascading into a cloud of white. She forced the corners of her mouth upward, trying to feel the magic Chloe was selling.

She turned her head slightly to look at the velvet sofa behind her.

Jeb Harrington sat there. He didn't look at her. His head was bowed, his thumbs moving rapidly across his phone screen. His brow was pulled into a tight, irritated line.

"Jeb?" Kelsi called out softly.

He didn't hear her.

"Mr. Harrington?" Chloe tried, her voice a pitch higher. "What do you think?"

Jeb finally looked up. His eyes quickly swept over Kelsi. "It's great. You look beautiful."

He immediately looked back down at his phone.

A cold sensation started at the base of Kelsi's neck. She pressed her hand flat against her stomach, a nervous habit she'd had since childhood. "You didn't even look at the lace detailing."

Before Jeb could answer, his phone vibrated loudly against the glass coffee table.

He snatched it up. The irritation on his face vanished, replaced by a sudden, intense focus. He pressed the phone to his ear.

"Seraphina?" His voice dropped an octave. It was soft. Gentle. "Hey, don't cry. Slow down. Tell me what happened."

Kelsi's breath hitched. Her lungs suddenly felt too small.

Seraphina Vale. Jeb's sister-in-law. The widow of his older brother.

Jeb stood up from the sofa, pacing the length of the private fitting room. He completely turned his back on Kelsi. "Okay. Okay, I hear you. Don't be scared. I'm coming right now. Don't go anywhere, just wait for me."

He lowered the phone and turned around. He was already reaching for his suit jacket.

"Jeb," Kelsi said. Her voice shook. She pointed a trembling finger at the massive white dress swallowing her body. "We are trying on my wedding dress today."

Jeb paused, but his feet were already pointed toward the door. He walked over and pressed a quick, absentminded kiss to her forehead.

"The dress is stunning, Kelsi. You look beautiful in anything," he said, his words rushed. "But Seraphina is having a breakdown. You know how hard it's been for her since my brother died. I have to go."

"Now?" Kelsi whispered. Her throat felt tight, like someone was wrapping a cord around it.

"She needs me. Be good," Jeb said, already stepping backward. He looked at the attendant. "Chloe, help her out of this. Put the balance on my card."

He turned and walked out the door. He didn't look back.

The heavy oak door clicked shut. The silence in the room was deafening.

Kelsi stood frozen in front of the mirror. She looked like a clown wrapped in expensive toilet paper.

Chloe stepped forward hesitantly, holding a glass of water. "Miss Owens? Would you like me to help you take the dress off now?"

Kelsi looked at the pity in the attendant's eyes. Her stomach twisted into a hard, painful knot. She nodded once. Tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

By the time Kelsi unlocked the door to the Hampton penthouse that evening, the silence of the empty rooms hit her like a physical blow.

She dropped her purse on the kitchen island.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain ripped through her lower right abdomen.

Kelsi gasped, doubling over. Her knees hit the hardwood floor hard. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead instantly.

She knew this pain. She had a history of appendix issues. Her doctor had warned her it might flare up into acute appendicitis.

The pain spiked again, sharper this time, like a serrated knife twisting in her gut.

She crawled toward her purse, her vision blurring at the edges. Her fingers fumbled with the clasp. She pulled out her phone and dialed Jeb's number.

It rang four times.

"Kelsi?" Jeb's voice came through, thick with annoyance. "I'm at an important dinner. What is it?"

"Jeb," Kelsi gasped out, her forehead resting against the cold floorboards. "My stomach... it hurts so bad. I think I need to go to the ER."

Before Jeb could respond, a soft, feminine voice drifted through the receiver.

"Jeb? Who is it? Come here, they're about to cut the cake."

Kelsi stopped breathing.

It was Seraphina. In the background, Kelsi could hear the faint thumping of party music and the clinking of glasses.

"Kelsi, stop making a big deal out of nothing," Jeb snapped. "Call your assistant or get an Uber. Seraphina is the guest of honor at this charity gala tonight. I can't just leave."

The line went dead.

Kelsi lay on the floor. The physical agony in her abdomen merged with the crushing weight in her chest.

A choked laugh escaped her lips. A single tear slid down her cheek, pooling on the floor.

Her fingers were numb, but she managed to dial 911.

Fifteen minutes later, the wail of sirens pierced the quiet neighborhood. Paramedics rushed into the penthouse and lifted her onto a stretcher.

"Miss, we need an emergency contact," a paramedic said as they wheeled her toward the elevator.

Kelsi stared blankly at the ceiling. She thought of Jeb, standing next to Seraphina, cutting a cake.

"Gisele," Kelsi whispered, her voice hollow. "Gisele Vazquez."

As the ambulance doors slammed shut, plunging her into the flashing red lights, Kelsi felt a strange sense of clarity cut through the pain.

She was entirely alone. She always had been.