When his foster sister Vanessa Reed schemed to frame me, Connor stood firmly on my side, his trust in me unwavering. Though reputed to be aloof and unapproachable to others, in all my memories, Connor had only ever shown me gentleness and patience.
I realized now that while he was indeed cold to others, he had always reserved his warmth exclusively for me.
A particular memory surfaced vividly: during high school, I attended Connor's birthday celebration at the Rivers family mansion. The party was in full swing when suddenly the blaring dance music cut out, replaced by soft, sentimental melodies.
The crowd parted like the Red Sea, and a girl with carefully styled chestnut curls and a tight black dress strode boldly toward Connor. She was voluptuous, sexy, dazzling—everything I wasn't at
