Chapter 237

I smiled and typed back: [No rush on the money. If you pay me now, you'll be broke again, won't you?] Priya replied right away: [Come on, Mira. You're paying me a proper salary now, plus that fat year-end bonus. I've got plenty left, even after this.] I hit 'accept'. The money landed in my account a second later. I typed: [Your parents haven't been bothering you, have they?] Priya: [Nope. Not a word. I think they've wiped me off the family tree. Suits me fine. I'm staying here, where they can't marry me off to some rich old guy just to cash out.] She kept going, message after message. I read every word. She'd clawed her way out of that backwater town. Now she had a flat, a job, a clean slate. I was happy for her. She sent me pictures of a stray cat she'd adopted off the street. I stayed propped against the headboard, flicking through them with a grin. Then I opened Yvaine's chat. I started typing, pausing to check Ashton beside me. He hadn't stirred. His mouth hung slightly open, one a