"I need to go," Lily mumbled, her voice barely audible. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and fled the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom.
Her heart raced as she navigated the opulent hallway, her heels clicking against the marble floor. The walls seemed to close in around her, memories of past humiliations threatening to overwhelm her carefully constructed facade.
How could she have been so naive? Of course, Avery would be here. The elite social circles were small, and Avery had always been at their center.
Flashes of her teenage years assaulted Lily's mind. Avery's mocking laughter as she called Lily "Ugly-Stick Girl." The way she'd knock Lily's glasses off her face, leaving her squinting and fumbling. The cruel pranks that left Lily in tears, questioning her self-worth.
Lily's breath came in short gasps as she tried to outrun her past. She'd thought she'd left that scared, insecure girl behind. But one look from Avery, and she was right back in high school, feeling small and insignificant.
Lost in her spiraling thoughts, Lily almost collided with two broad-chested men in dark suits. They stepped into her path, effectively blocking her escape route.
"Miss, you'll need to come with us," one of them said, his voice low and firm.
Lily's anxiety spiked. "No, I don't think so," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "Excuse me, please."
The men exchanged glances. "We insist, miss," the second one said. "We're security for the Grand Stockholm Hotel. You're perfectly safe with us."
Before Lily could protest further, they were guiding her down a side hallway.
Something was very, very wrong.
She wanted to scream, to run, but fear paralyzed her. What if causing a scene only made things worse?
They stopped in front of an ornate door, which one of the men opened. Lily hesitated to get in—but she was pushed into a spacious, empty room.
Panic clawed at her throat.
"Why did you bring me here?!" she demanded, her voice shrill with fear.
"Now, now, Lily. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
Lily's blood turned to ice. She whirled around to see Avery Sterling gliding into the room, a predatory smile on her perfect face.
"A-Avery," Lily stammered, unconsciously backing away. Her mind raced, searching for an escape route, but the bodyguards blocked the only exit.
Avery's blue eyes gleamed with malicious amusement. "My, my. How you've... changed." Her gaze raked over Lily's transformed appearance, lingering on her face. "Quite the makeover, isn't it? Though I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures."
Lily's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She wanted to defend herself, to stand up to her tormentor, but years of conditioning had her shrinking back, making herself as small as possible.
"What do you want, Avery?" Lily managed to ask, hating how weak her voice sounded.
Avery's smile widened, reminding Lily of a shark circling its prey. "Oh, just a little chat between old friends. We have so much catching up to do, don't we? Like how you've suddenly appeared on the arm of one of New York's most eligible bachelors."
Lily's eyes widened in shock. How did Avery know about Chris? What else did she know?
As Avery stalked closer, Lily felt her carefully constructed new life beginning to crumble. She was trapped, cornered by her past and an uncertain future, with no idea how to escape.
"Tell me," Avery hissed, her voice dripping with venom, "how did you manipulate Chris Eaton out of all people?!"
Lily stumbled backward, her heart pounding in her chest. Avery advanced, her predatory gaze never leaving Lily's face. The room seemed to shrink, leaving Lily with nowhere to run.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Lily stammered, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue. She had no idea how much Avery knew about her contract marriage with Chris, but admitting anything felt dangerous.
Avery's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Oh, come now, Lily. We both know you did something to convince Chris Eaton. What's your secret? Blackmail? A love potion?"
With each step Avery took forward, Lily retreated until her back hit the wall. Trapped, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. It wasn't the physical intimidation that broke her - it was the weight of years of torment crashing down on her all at once.
This was the girl who had made her teenage years a living hell. The one who had pushed her to such desperation that she'd risked her life for plastic surgery. And even now, with a new face, beautiful body, and a new life, Avery was still here, still bullying her as if nothing had changed.
Avery leaned in close, her breath hot on Lily's cheek. "Tell me the truth," she snarled, "or I'll make sure everyone knows what a fraud you are." Her teeth clicked together menacingly, like a beautiful, chilling ice queen ready to devour her prey.
Lily pressed herself against the wall, wishing she could disappear. The old familiar feeling of helplessness washed over her, threatening to drown her in despair.
Avery's eyes glinted with malice as looked over the bodyguards. "Take it out. Give it to me," she demanded, her voice low and threatening.
Lily's breath caught in her throat as one of the men handed Avery a small pistol. Her brown eyes widened in horror as Avery pressed the cold metal against her forehead.
Lily felt her world tilting on its axis.
"How nice it would be to shoot this fake new face of yours?!" Avery sneered, her perfectly manicured finger caressing the trigger. "Just by getting a nose job and lip filler, you think you can fool everyone that you're really pretty, huh?!"
The words cut deeper than any bullet could. Tears spilled down Lily's cheeks, born not from fear of the weapon, but from the crushing weight of her own inferiority complex. She cursed herself inwardly, hating how easily she crumbled under Avery's assault. Why was it so simple for others to break her like this?!
As Lily wiped her tears, feeling pathetic, a thunderous crash echoed through the room. The door of the room flew off its hinges, crashing to the floor with a deafening bang.
There, framed in the doorway like an avenging angel, stood Chris Eaton.
Lily had never seen such raw fury on his face before. His eyes, usually cool and calculated, now blazed with a primal rage. Every muscle in his body was taut, ready to spring into action. He looked like a lion rudely awakened from its slumber, dangerous and utterly unpredictable.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Lily's gaze locked with Chris's, and in that instant, she saw something she'd never expected to see in those steely eyes: concern. Genuine, heart-stopping concern... for her.