Maven and Adrianna were born on opposite sides of a century-old feud-two scions of rival dynasties steeped in pride, power, and revenge. He's fire. She's ice. Their worlds were never meant to merge, yet fate orchestrates their collision with unrelen...
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
The scent of polished wood and aged paper hung in the air. I sat curled into a velvet chair, trying to focus on my codal provisions. But I wasn't highlighting; I was staring at a sentence for the third time without absorbing it.
Izobel was pacing again. Her manicured fingers danced over her phone screen as she whispered fiercely into her AirPods.
"And I swear, Kuya," she said, her voice hushed but electric, "if you saw them together—like, really saw them—you'd know. It's so obvious. They think they're being subtle, but she's not as unreadable as she thinks."
My spine stiffened.
"You'd never guess," she continued, giggling now. "It's... Maven. Yeah, that Maven. I mean, come on. Imagine the drama if anyone else finds out."
I sat bolt upright. "Izobel."
She turned, surprised by my tone. "What?"
"Who were you talking to?"
"Kuya Jacob. He's bored out of his mind in that finance meeting in Salamanca, so I thought I'd—wait, why do you look like someone just died?"
"You told Jacob?" I hissed, crossing the room in three steps.
She blinked. "Not told told. I was just teasing. You know, joking about how obvious it is that you're crushing on someone off-limits—"
"Off-limits?" My throat tightened. "You think this is funny?"
"I thought you wanted someone to understand."
"Not Jacob." I ran my hand down my face. "Jesus, Izzy. Of all people. Jacob is a Madrigal heir, the most conservative of us all. He's not going to get it—he's going to bury me in protocol and shame."
Her mouth dropped open. "But he's my brother, your cousin."
"Exactly. My cousin. With a direct line to Tío Carlos. And Tía Monica. And Abuelita Aurora, for God's sake."
I turned away before she could see how my hands were shaking.
Me (to Maven): Jacob might know. Izzy slipped. I'll try to fix it, but please—be careful.
I swallowed the rising panic in my chest. Our world—this fragile, secret thing between Maven and me—had just been grazed. One wrong word, one wrong glance, and everything could crack wide open.
Izobel bit her lip. "I'll call him back. I'll say I was just trolling. You know Jacob never takes me seriously anyway."
"You better hope he doesn't start today."
—————
The name flashing on my screen made my stomach drop.
I slipped out onto the balcony of our suite in Salamanca, the cold winter air biting into my skin. My fingers were already numb when I hit accept.
