#Chapter 50: Cutting Words

Ava My lips were still tingling from the searing intensity of Chris’s kiss when the harsh sound of the door creaking open shattered the blissful haze surrounding us. We broke apart with wide eyes, our heads swiveling in unison toward the figure now standing frozen in the open doorway. Olivia. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide and unblinking as they flickered between the two of us. For a long, suspended moment, nobody moved or said a word. Nobody even seemed to breathe. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, Olivia surged forward with a feral snarl—her delicate features twisted into a mask of fury. “You scheming little bitch!” she screeched, raising one pale, perfectly-manicured hand as she closed the distance separating us. It happened so fast, I scarcely had time to react. One moment I was held safely in Chris’s arms, and the next... scorching agony blossomed across my scalp as Olivia’s vice-like fingers tangled in my hair and wrenched my head back with brutal force.