Nina The night sky was a tapestry of stars, seeping through the curtains and casting an ethereal glow in the bedroom of my father’s mansion. Enzo was sprawled on the bed, lost in a book, while I sat at the vanity, running a brush through my hair. “My dad’s really going all out with this ball, hu
I leaned in, capturing his lips with mine. He returned in kind, and gently lifted me, carrying me to the bed. … We collapsed on each other in a sweaty, satisfied heap. With my head resting on Enzo’s chest, his arms around me, I felt completely and utterly safe. But still, I couldn’t fight the he
Nina The morning sunlight had barely started creeping through the curtains when the soft knock on my door pulled me from my slumber. Enzo still laid fast asleep beside me. Groggily, I sat up and blinked at the clock on my bedside table. 6:30 a.m. “Nina, darling, are you awake?” My mother’s voice
She looked at me, her eyes softening. “Oh, Nina, you don’t have to—” “I want to, mom.” She smiled, a beautiful, genuine smile that I had only seen a handful of times in my life—and it seemed to be more so lately. “Thank you, darling.” As we left the salon, I felt a little lighter. The world ou
Nina The morning sun had finally risen high into the sky by the time my mom and I arrived back at the mansion. The morning felt jam-packed with activities, revelations, and emotions, but I was happy. As we made our way back to the mansion with our bags, the noise and hustle of my father’s servants
We stood there for a while longer, watching as Enzo and Tyler continued to play. Tyler never seemed to run out of energy, and was proving to be a good match against Enzo. I grinned so much as I watched them that my face eventually grew sore, and it wasn’t until my mom spoke that I realized that I
Nina My heart pounded as I finally stepped out of my bedroom, dressed and ready for the ball. I looked down at the gown, its midnight black fabric shimmering under the soft glow of the hallway lights. For the first time in forever, I felt like I almost belonged in this extravagant setting. But e
“Good,” my father said, draping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer as we began to walk to the hors d'oeuvres table. “He’s a good man, Nina. I’m proud to call him my son-in-law.” Just as I was about to respond, I caught a snippet of Enzo’s conversation drifting across the room: “Yes,