Selena Carter smiled at her reflection in the giant mirror. Tonight was her engagement party, and everything had to be perfect. Her long dark hair fell in waves down her back, and her red dress sparkled under the lights. At twenty-five, she had it all – beauty, brains, and the biggest bank account in the city.
"Miss Carter, the guests are arriving." Rosa, the housekeeper, peeked into the bedroom.
"Thanks, Rosa. I'll be right down."
Selena took one last look at herself. The diamond ring on her finger caught the light and sent tiny rainbows dancing across the wall. Noah had proposed three months ago, and sometimes she still couldn't believe it. Noah Bennett was handsome, charming, and crazy about her – or so she thought.
Her phone buzzed with a text from her best friend Mia: "Can't wait to see you shine tonight! On my way!"
Selena smiled. With Mia there, the night would be even better. She grabbed her clutch and headed downstairs.
The grand ballroom of Carter Mansion was transformed into a fairytale scene. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and white roses covered every table. Music played softly as waiters in black ties offered champagne to arriving guests.
"There's my beautiful fiancée!" Noah appeared at her side, wrapping an arm around her waist. His blue eyes sparkled as he kissed her cheek. "You look stunning."
"Thank you." Selena blushed. "I can't believe we'll be married in just three months."
"Neither can I." Something flashed across Noah's face – was it doubt? But before Selena could think about it, he was smiling again.
"Selena, darling!" Vivian Carter, her stepmother, glided toward them in a tight black dress. Even at forty-five, she looked younger, thanks to many visits to the plastic surgeon. "The party is magnificent!"
"Thanks, Vivian." Selena tried to sound warm. She'd never been close to her stepmother, but she was trying for her father's sake, even though he had passed away two years ago.
Jade, her stepsister, appeared next to Vivian. At twenty-three, Jade was pretty with blonde hair and green eyes that always seemed to be watching, calculating.
"Great party, sis." Jade sipped her champagne, her eyes moving over to Noah. Something passed between them – a look Selena couldn't understand.
The ballroom filled with guests – business partners, family friends, and the city's elite. Everyone wanted to celebrate with the Carter heiress. Since her grandmother died six months ago, leaving Selena her entire fortune, she had become the richest woman under thirty in the country.
"Speech time!" Noah clinked his glass with a fork, and the room quieted.
"Thank you all for coming tonight." Noah's voice carried through the room. "I'm the luckiest man alive to be marrying Selena. She's beautiful, kind, and the most amazing woman I've ever known."
The crowd awwed and clapped. Selena felt tears in her eyes. Perfect. Everything was perfect.
The party continued with dinner, dancing, and endless congratulations. By eleven o'clock, Selena's feet hurt from her high heels, and she needed a moment alone.
"I'll be right back," she whispered to Noah, who was deep in conversation with some business partners.
Selena slipped away, heading to the quiet library at the end of the hall. She kicked off her shoes and sank into the soft leather couch. Where was her phone? She wanted to check if Mia had arrived. She must have left it in her clutch, which she'd put down somewhere during dinner.
Maybe it was in her father's office. She had stopped there earlier to fix her makeup. Selena padded barefoot down the hall to the office. The door was slightly open, and voices drifted out. She was about to push it open when she heard her name.
"Selena has no idea. The poor trusting fool." That was Jade's voice, dripping with scorn.
Selena froze, her hand still on the doorknob.
"Keep your voice down." That was Vivian, sounding sharp. "Everything is going according to plan. Once she marries Noah, we'll have access to everything."
"I still don't understand why she has to marry him first. Why not just get rid of her now?"
Selena's heart pounded so loud she was sure they could hear it.
"Be patient, Jade. The will states she must be married before she gains full control of the company. Once she and Noah are married, he'll have legal rights to help manage everything. And then..."
"And then we make her disappear." Noah's voice joined the conversation.
Selena covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping. Noah? Her Noah was part of this?
"Exactly," Vivian said. "The poison is already here. I've been adding small amounts to her tea for weeks to build up in her system. Tonight, we'll give her the final dose. By morning, it will look like she had a heart attack. Tragic, but not suspicious for someone with her family's heart history."
"And I get the company, Jade gets the cash, and Noah gets both a grieving widow's sympathy and access to the Carter fortune." Vivian's laugh was cold. "My stepdaughter never suspected a thing."
"She always thought she was so much better than us," Jade hissed. "Always daddy's perfect little princess. Well, not anymore."
"I'm tired of pretending to love her," Noah said. "Do you know how hard it is to kiss her when all I want is you, Jade?"
Selena felt sick. The room spun around her. Noah and Jade? They were having an affair?
"Tonight, we finish this," Vivian said firmly. "I've waited too long for the Carter fortune. That old witch of a grandmother should have left everything to me, not Selena."
"The champagne is ready," Noah said. "I'll make sure she drinks it all during our final toast. Within hours, she'll be gone, and we'll have everything."
"To us, the new owners of Carter Enterprises," Vivian said, and Selena heard the clink of glasses.
Selena backed away from the door, her bare feet silent on the carpet. Tears blurred her vision. Her perfect life was a lie. Her family – or at least the people who were supposed to be her family – had been plotting to kill her all along. And Noah, the man she loved, the man she trusted, was helping them.
She had to get away. She had to run. But where? Who could she trust?
Selena hurried back to the library, her mind racing. She needed her phone. She needed to call someone – the police, a friend, anyone who could help. But her clutch was gone from where she'd left it.
"Looking for this?"
Selena spun around. Noah stood in the doorway, her clutch dangling from his fingers. His handsome face, the face she had loved for two years, now looked sinister in the dim light.
"Noah." Her voice trembled. "I was just—"
"Coming back to the party? Good idea." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Everyone's waiting for our final toast."
"I heard you," Selena whispered, backing away. "I heard everything in the office. You, Vivian, Jade – you're planning to kill me."
Noah's smile disappeared. He closed the library door behind him with a soft click.
"You shouldn't have been eavesdropping, Selena. That's not polite." He moved toward her, still holding her clutch. "But it doesn't matter now. You can't escape. The guards are all paid off, the exits are watched, and no one would believe the crazy things you're saying."
"Stay away from me!" Selena grabbed a heavy crystal paperweight from the desk.
Noah laughed. "Always the fighter. That's what I used to like about you before I realized how much better Jade is in every way."
Selena's hand tightened around the paperweight. "I trusted you. I loved you."
"Your mistake." Noah shrugged. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Come back to the party, drink your special champagne, and go peacefully. Or make a scene, and we'll have to get... creative."
Selena glanced at the window. Could she break it? Jump? They were on the second floor, but maybe—
"Don't even think about it," Noah warned, following her gaze. "The game is over, Selena. You lost."
The library door opened again, and Vivian walked in, followed by Jade. Both women looked at Selena with cold eyes.
"Is there a problem?" Vivian asked smoothly.
"Our bride-to-be overheard our little chat," Noah explained.
Vivian's face hardened. "How unfortunate. Well, we'll have to move up our timeline."
Jade pulled something from her pocket – a small bottle with clear liquid.
"No!" Selena cried, raising the paperweight. "Stay back or I'll—"
"You'll what?" Vivian stepped forward. "Hit us? Scream? No one will hear you over the music. No one will help you."
Selena looked from Vivian to Jade to Noah – three people she had trusted, three people who wanted her dead. She was trapped, alone, surrounded by enemies in her own home.
"The champagne is easier," Noah said, almost gently. "Come back to the party. One last toast. One last smile. And then peace."
Selena's mind raced. There had to be a way out, a way to escape. But as Noah reached for her, as Jade uncapped the bottle, as Vivian smiled her cruel smile, Selena realized with horror that her perfect night had turned into her worst nightmare – and it might be her last.