Chapter Two

Elise's POV

At breakfast, I set down my coffee cup and told Grayson, "I'm coming with you to Chelsea's party today."

His knife stopped halfway through his toast.

A second later, he was back to normal. "Sure. We'll drop off the gift and head out."

I knew exactly what he meant. He was worried that if I stayed too long, I'd ruin Chelsea's night.

But I couldn't have cared less about her party. After tomorrow, I'd be gone. I just wanted to see my dad one more time before I left, even from across the room.

The lawn at the Mercer estate was packed with cars.

Chelsea stood in the middle of the main hall in a long champagne-colored dress, one hand resting on a stomach that barely showed yet, with guests crowded around her.

Behind her stood a glass display case under bright lights.

"Is this the set that made the finals? It's gorgeous."

"I heard the judges are saying off the record that she's basically got it locked up."

"She's in her first trimester and she still pulled this off? That's real talent."

I followed everyone's eyes to the case, and I couldn't move.

Inside was a full jewelry set. A necklace, earrings, a bracelet, and right in the center, a pair of rings with a thin vine pattern wrapped around the inside of each band.

I could've drawn that set with my eyes closed.

Every curve and the spot for every stone came out of two years of late nights in my home studio, redrawing it sketch after sketch.

Those rings were supposed to be my gift for our fifth anniversary.

But the plaque on the base of the case said Chelsea Shaw.

Chelsea spotted me too. Her smile slipped for a split second, then came back sickly sweet as she walked over.

"Elise, you made it." She leaned in close to my ear. "Look familiar? Too bad my name's on it now."

I tightened my grip on my clutch and opened my mouth to say something.

Out of nowhere, she threw herself backward, knocked over a server's tray, and landed on the floor next to a pile of broken glass.

"My stomach..." She curled up, her voice shaking.

The whole room erupted.

"Oh my God, she's pregnant!"

"I saw it! Elise pushed her!"

One person pushed through the crowd faster than everybody else.

"Chelsea!"

It was Grayson.

I knew his voice better than anyone's, but I'd never heard him say someone's name like that. He sounded terrified, like his whole world was falling apart.

He crouched down and helped Chelsea up. Only after he was sure she was okay did he look over at me.

The panic in his eyes was gone. All that was left was a cold look with a hint of blame.

"I don't care what happened. She's pregnant. You shouldn't have put your hands on her."

I looked at the man I'd shared a bed with for five years.

So that was what he looked like when he was actually scared for someone. Next to this, all the care he'd shown me for five years was just polite, the way you'd treat a houseguest.

Then someone held up a phone and shouted, "The results are in! Chelsea won!"

The room broke into applause. The host announced on the spot that the winner would sign with a major luxury brand as its head designer.

Grayson smiled.

He was so happy he couldn't hide it. In five years of marriage, I'd never once seen him like that.

I walked up beside him and kept my voice low. "Why is her design exactly the same as mine?"

His back went stiff. Then he frowned like he had no idea what I meant. "You two just have similar styles, I guess."

I didn't push it. I just gave a tight little smile.

Only three people had ever seen those sketches. There was me, there was my mentor Martin, who'd gone over my earliest drafts, and there was him.

The sketches had always been locked in a cabinet in my home studio, and only he and I had a key.

I didn't have to guess who'd taken them.

When I was drawing those rings, he was all I could think about. I pictured putting one on his finger myself on our anniversary. I kept telling myself I needed to make the band a little smaller so it would fit him.

Now it just seemed ridiculous.

I was never going to finish those rings for him.