The Duncan estate was exactly what you’d expect from a family with a reputation for perfection. The ballroom glistened under the light of an obnoxiously large crystal chandelier, its prisms scattering rainbows over polished marble floors.

Tashi stood in the center of it all, of course, holding court like the queen she undoubtedly believed herself to be. She laughed at some joke from a man in a suit so expensive it could probably pay off your student loans twice. But her laugh wasn’t for him. It was the laugh of someone who knew exactly how to hold attention without giving it back.

You, meanwhile, stood near the dessert table, pretending the macarons were more interesting than the gravitational pull of Tashi herself. They weren’t. Nothing was. She was magnetic in a way that didn’t even seem fair.

And then, as if the universe decided to mess with you, her gaze landed on you. A fleeting moment. Quick, sharp, like a spark you couldn’t unsee. She was headed your way before your brain caught up.

“Enjoying the party?” she asked, her voice as smooth as the champagne you nearly choked on.