Chapter 23: Collecting Armies
"I just found out," she said, barely above a whisper. "He swore he was clean. That I was his only one. I was stupid enough to believe him." Her breath hitched. "He won’t even pick up now. He knows I’m here."
Anita’s face didn’t shift, but inside her stomach tightened. Different names. Same betrayal. Same gut-deep rot.
Tessa let out a bitter laugh. "God, and the worst part? My mother warned me. She said any man who hides his phone like it’s the nuclear codes is hiding something."
Anita glanced at her. "Your mother’s a smart woman."
"Too smart. Which is why I didn’t listen." Tessa dropped into the seat beside Anita now, as if the small acknowledgment had unlocked permission. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t dump this on you. I just... I’ve been spiraling for an hour. And then you walked in like some war general in heels, and it felt like the universe was telling me to get a grip."
Anita’s mouth twitched—half amusement, half sympathy. She didn’t want to feel for this girl. But it was hard not to. Tessa reminded her too much of herself, years ago. Before the glamor, before the titles. Before David turned the warmth in her chest into steel.
"I won’t tell you it gets easier," Anita said. "But it gets... sharper. You learn how to aim it. Where to cut."
She nodded fervently. Getting a free lesson from the woman even her own mother admired was like getting a one way ticket to heaven.
Then, a buzz rang in the air. Tessa stiffened, thinking it was hers, but when Anita reached for her bag and fished for her phone, she sighed with relief.