Chapter 24

After Ricardo’s full-blown fairy godmother makeover, I didn’t just walk into Lily’s birthday party—I arrived. The moment I stepped through the grand entrance of the Hartwell estate, conversations stilled. Heads turned. Champagne glasses paused mid-air. Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind stirring silk. “She looks incredible—who is that?” “Isn't she beautiful?" "She looks like a model." “No way. She looks like a Vogue cover.” It should have made me uncomfortable. A month ago, I would’ve shrunk into the wallpaper. But not tonight. Because tonight, I looked like a goddamn phoenix. And I’d burned the ashes of my past behind me. Logan Hartwell’s hand slid into mine, steady and warm. I glanced up at him, and his lips curved—not with smugness, but with quiet pride. Like he knew what it took for me to be here like this. “They’re staring,” I muttered, unable to keep the nervous flutter from my voice. “You are stealing the spotlight.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Is that a problem