As soon as she stepped outside, Esmeralda pulled out her phone and called


    Fleming.


    No answer. Maybe he wasn''t back yet, but with everything that had happened recently—and especially that farce with the wedding dress—her anger was reaching its boiling point.


    It was like her name was being dragged through the mud, and she''d had enough.


    She was done holding back. She needed to confront Fleming, face-to-face.


    He needed to understand: she''d never wanted to marry him, and she certainly hadn''t pulled any underhanded stunts behind his back.


    She tried his number three times in a row. Nothing.


    Annoyed beyond reasoning, she stormed to her car, mmed the door, and pressed down hard on the elerator, heading straight for Fleming''s apartment.


    He''d settled here in Eldermere a couple of years ago, not far from the base. Both the engagement and the rumors hanging over them needed to be set straight before anything else could spiral further out of control.


    Esmeralda never was one for subtlety; she went straight for what needed doing.


    She barely slowed down driving into the building''s parking garage her license te was already registered from past visits. Back when they were closer and he was on leave, she would sometimese keep himpany here.


    Entering the lobby, she dialed again. Still no answer.


    Without hesitation, she took the elevator up to the ninth floor and knocked on his door.


    It didn''t feel awkward-she''d been here countless times before. Resolving things was more important than worrying about what was or wasn''t appropriate.


    No response. He probably wasn''t home after all. She considered waiting downstairs.


    She was still standing there, debating, when she remembered she knew the security code for the door. Fleming used the same code everywhere-the date he''d passed his pilot''s exam, a source of pride for him. Still, even with that knowledge, she wasn''t about to just let herself in. Their rtionship had changed; it would feel wrong now.


    Just as she turned to leave, the door clicked and opened behind her.


    "You''re back?" someone called.


    Esmeralda turned and froze. Lucy stood in the doorway, a towel wrapped around her wet hair, moving around Fleming''s apartment as if she owned the ce.


    Esmeralda''s mind nked for a second. She hadn''t, for one moment, expected— had they started living together already, before the engagement was even officially off?


    Giving up on Fleming had been her decision, but seeing this, so soon and so openly, was a gut punch, pure humiliation. It was like they were rubbing her nose in it-cruel and utterly tasteless.


    Lucy, apparently oblivious to the way Esmeralda''s face had gone ghostly pale, blinked in fake surprise. “Esmeralda? What brings you here?"


    Esmeralda almostughed. What brought her here? She''d helped Fleming pick this apartment out. Yet now Lucy was acting as if she belonged here more than Esmeralda ever did.


    Then Lucy seemed to process what was happening. "Oh, I''m sorry, were you knocking? I just got out of the shower, didn''t hear a thing. If it''s urgent can give you the door code 1127. No reason for you to freeze out here.”


    She shook her head, almost scolding. “Fleming really ought to have given you his code. Honestly."


    The code? Fleming had given Esmeralda his code, yes—but it was never 1127. That number meant something else, something she recognized all too well. It was Lucy''s birthday.


    She remembered exactly why she


    knew:st year, she''d taken time off


    to visit Fleming, only to find him


    ет


    celebrating-November 27th, Lucy''s birthday She''d felt like an intruder then, the memory stung, deep and fresh.


    "Is Fleming home?" Esmeralda''s voice was cold, refusing to go through the motions


    of pretending everything was fine.


    Lucy nced at her phone. “He just called a few minutes ago—he said he''d be leaving work soon. If it''s important, you''re wee toe in and wait."


    Esmeralda remembered how many times she''d called Fleming, and he hadn''t answered. Yet he''d found time to call Lucy with an update. Her fists clenched.


    "No thanks," she said, spinning on her heel to go. But then she stopped, turned back, and locked eyes with Lucy-her expression unreadable.


    Lucy smiled politely.


    Esmeralda spoke slowly and evenly, her words ringing with steel. "Even a actual sister would know better than to y house with her brother like this. But you''re not even rted, which makes this little performance pathetic. If you don''t have any sense of boundaries, you''re either doing it on purpose or you''re just clueless. But, if you don''t care how people see you, feel free to ignore me."