I thought long and hard about how to win Atlas's love. I decided to come up with a plan to get closer to him, hoping that whatever came out of it would be the best. Unfortunately, the night I was supposed to make my move, Atlas figured out my intentions from the way I was dressed. He stood at the door, watching me as I beautified myself. Suddenly, he cleared his throat and said, "It won't work."

I turned in fear, wondering who had spoken and why. Atlas was as smart as anything; you could hardly deceive him. But he had been deceived more by Isabella, who never once thought...