I hadn''t touched my dessert fork, instead rubbing my wrist and ncing at the clock. "ude, you need to take me home. I won''t tell Max about today. You know how Max is; he forgave your past behavior because you helped me while he was away from Crestview Metropolis, plus you''re his nephew, but I can''t say if he''ll forgive you this time."


    "I don''t n on waiting for his forgiveness," ude replied, his voice firm. "If I don''t act now, I''ll lose you forever. Uncle Max is tied up because Garrett, his brother, got badly injured, and he''s rushing over there. You can check your phone."


    He handed me his phone, and I saw the numerous missed calls from Max. Then ude showed me a message from Max, saying he was headed to Serythia. "Uncle told me to take good care of you, so that''s what I''m doing."


    As he stepped closer, I instinctively pped him. "ude, don''t push it."


    He held his cheek where I''d hit him, still wearing that infuriating smile. "With a ring on, your p hurts a bit more."


    Suddenly, he grabbed my hand, yanking off the ring Max had given mest night, clutching it tightly in his fist.


    I didn''t want to confront him any longer. I got up and hurried to check on Kate, who''d just been rescued, quickening my pace.


    Through the ss doors, I caught a glimpse of ude watching me, a smug grin on his face as if he had already won.


    Kate sat on the floor, her eyes filled with regret as I approached. "ire, I''m so sorry. I shouldn''t have taken you there. We wouldn''t have run into that jerk otherwise."


    I hugged her, whispering in her ear, "I''ll pretend to go along with him. You find a way to escape. There''s a small balcony in the back garden you can jump from—I used to do it all the time. Max is tangled up with Serythia''s people. Go find Allen Ramsey; he''lle to rescue us."


    Allen Ramsey might not hate me, but he definitely had it out for ude.


    Just as I finished speaking, ude returned. "ire, I''ve let Kate go, like I promised. So, shall we head to the courthouse and make it official?"


    I clenched my fists gently, knowing leaving might give Kate a chance to escape. "ude, if you think a


    e without love


    possible,


    then let''s go."


    He approached, tossing the ring he''d been holding into the sink. "I''ll get you a new one. This one''s bad luck."


    ude seemed thrilled, like a viin who''d just achieved his misguided dream grinning and pulling


    pink notebook from a dra uka


    in the


    living room.


    "You always loved keeping notes."


    J.ne


    I instantly regretted my old habit and reached to snatch it, but ude pulled back into the drawer. "Proof


    of ire''s love for me-I can''t just let


    that go."  on


    A relic of my misguided past, a lifelong regret.


    "ude, I admit I once loved you, but don''t read too much into it. I don''t care for you anymore."


    "That''s fine. We''ve got plenty of time."


    As I left ude''s mansion, I dared not look back, hoping desperately that Kate had managed to escape.


    "ude, do you think Max would kill you when he returns?"