Midsummers arrives like clockwork, painting Figure Eight with opulence and calculated smiles. The Country Club hosts the Kooks’ annual spectacle, a competition disguised as tradition, where families battle for social supremacy beneath crystal chandeliers.

Women glide across manicured lawns in designer dresses, diamonds glittering like captured stars. Teenage girls, adorned with flower crowns, embody youth and privilege. The men patrol in summer suits, Rolexes flashing in the golden light as they discuss business and yachts.

At the pinnacle stands the Y/LN family, Figure Eight royalty. Y/N Y/LN knows the weight of her name. Her father, Y/FN, commands respect with a glance. As Ward Cameron’s real estate partner, his word makes or breaks million-dollar deals. His tailored suit hides the ruthlessness that built his empire.

Her mother, Y/MN, appears delicate in a floral sundress, but her sharp eyes miss nothing. From their waterfront mansion, she runs a thriving fashion business, dressing celebrities and socialites. Her smile never quite reaches her eyes.

Y/N, seventeen and on the cusp of adulthood, pretends to worry about college. The truth? They’ll all accept her, legacy admissions and donations ensure that.

Tonight, she wears a sapphire silk dress that flows like ocean waves. Diamond studs, her sixteenth birthday gift, adorn her ears, her grandmother’s pearls rest cool against her collarbone.

Needing air, she escapes to the wide wrap-around porch overlooking the sound. The wooden railing feels solid beneath her fingers as she watches distant boats drift like fireflies. The scent of salt and jasmine rides the breeze, a brief relief from the heavy perfumes inside.

“Escaping the circus too?” A familiar voice, deep and amused, breaks her thoughts. Rafe Cameron approaches with two champagne flutes, offering one with a crooked smile that doesn’t quite mask the restlessness in his eyes. “I saw you make your exit. Thought you might appreciate some contraband.”