It had all gone wrong.

  Adeena Nesrin bit the nail of her thumb nervously as she heard the loud conversations coming from down the hall of her parents' home.

  She had thought the plan simple, easy to follow but the man she had hired had gone rogue.

  She was never meant to get harmed, not really. Her broken arm twinged in pain as she remembered the frightening play that commenced at her command.

  She had miscalculated though, in the past the prince was there to rescue her. With no one there to stop the man she was tossed to the side far too roughly and it was only her screams of help that stopped the ruffian from further harming her. She had sent an angry letter back to the noble she’d charmed to hire the ruffian, but she received no reply.

  Instead, the noble young man came to visit ignoring her yell that she told him not to visit until the end of Vienna Thorne’s trial.

  And his words “I received a letter from you to come.” But she’d never sent such a letter.

  “Milady…” A knock came to her door and Adeena remained silent, only to narrow her eyes as the door opened and her maid slipped through. “An urgent letter came for you.”

  Quickly her fingers shaking opened the letter, only one sentence could be read on the placard.

  ‘Did you think you could do it again?’

  Adeena ripped the letter to shreds throwing them across the bed only for them to float down to the edges of her bed.

  Her mother came through the door, her blue eyes only briefly alighting upon the torn letter before looking at her daughter with a strict gaze. “The investigation was completed. Young lord Agler confessed foolish boy thought he was helping you. He’ll disgrace his family. We can’t let this taint our reputation.”

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  When her mother left, a tear fell down Adeena’s cheek before she roughly brushed it aside. What was one pawn gone as long as it didn’t come back to her?

  Nothing was ruined.

  Her father was the next to come, “Get dressed, you’ve been called to appear before the court.”

  Adeena entered the noble court with her head high ignoring how some looked disapproving.

  “At last the Nesrins have arrived.”

  The king stood, “We have found evidence that the attack on Lady Adeena Nesrin was staged.”

  “How could you say that? My daughter was injured!”

  Lady Nesrin was shushed by her husband who held her hand tightly shaking his head.

  Adeena looked from her father’s eyes to the king’s, “Who would do such a thing?”

  “Indeed. Who and why would someone do such a thing?” The king stared down at Adeena as she fought to keep her head raised, her uninjured hand shook in her lap. “So be it, I gave you a chance, Lady Adeena Nesrin. After investigation, we have found that young lord Agler was instigated to stage an attack on you, by yourself. We have the paper trail of letters between you and Agler has confessed.” His brows furrowed, “For lying to the court and trying to entrap one of our fellow nobles you will be placed under house arrest and issued a shadow knight to watch your every correspondence. You may leave, wait in the courtyard for your parents to return Adeena Nesrin.”

  Her nails bit into her palm, and she ran to the courtyard tears falling down her cheeks.

  Then a voice she wished didn’t exist spoke behind her, “Lady Nesrin?”

  Vienna Thorne. The bane of her existence.

  “Why won’t you just disappear?”

  “We don’t have to be enemies, Lady Nesrin. I’ve never done anything to hinder you, I’ve kept my distance. You have everything you could want….” Vienna’s voice faded as she saw the glare Adeena sent her before she whispered. “If I didn’t exist would anything have truly changed?”

  “He would be mine! They all would.” Adeena advanced and felt a sliver of pleasure as she saw Vienna flinch at her yell.

  “They are not yours in the first place. Each person belongs only to themselves.” Vienna sighed, “Please let us not fight. Why ruin a second chance with fighting?”

  Adeena’s tears fell and a choked sob escaped her as she stared at the hand Vienna held out to her. For a moment, her hand hovered above Vienna’s but then another voice called out.

  “Vienna, where are you?”

  Adeena slapped away the hand, the hand of the one who took everything from her. Who turned the crown prince against her.

  The crown prince’s eyes narrowed as soon as they saw Adeena, when once so long ago they once gazed softly upon her.

  “Did you hurt her?”

  “Ravven, it’s alright. She didn’t do anything to me.”

  “She framed you and yet you defend her.” He glared at Adeena who looked at him imploringly hoping he’d look just once at her as fondly as he did toward Vienna or his love, that silly Elem.

  Adeena watched as Vienna tugged Ravven away and then Adeena was alone again.

  “Am I…” She whispered, “Am I the monster this time?”

  A chuckle came from behind her and Adeena whipped around to see a gaze she hadn’t seen in a lifetime.

  “Killian,” she whispered.

  He stepped into the light.

  He strode to her side and bent down to her ear, “Want to be monsters together?”