Maya didn’t go to her parents’ house that night.

The moment she stepped out of the Carter estate, she couldn’t even think straight. Her feet felt heavy, her mind blank. The humiliating words still rang in her ears, each one sharper than the last.

Instead of calling Colton or telling the driver to take her to the Denovan estate, she flagged down a cab herself. She didn’t even care that she was still in the elegant dress her mother had insisted she wear, her hair and makeup still perfect on the outside. Inside, she was shattered.

“Where to, ma’am?” the cab driver asked politely.

She hesitated for a moment, then...