Chapter 55

Rhys disappeared from my life. I didn’t care if he was in jail or in a hospital, as long as he wasn’t six feet under. It was a fine Friday, I was at the Nyx Collective studio admiring the necklace I’d just designed. I’d used my employee perks to get it custom-made—my design, my materials, my signature, my everything. There was literally only one of these in the world. And in two days, it was going to be Yvaine’s birthday present. I’d barely had time to breathe in its perfection when my phone lit up with Yvaine’s name. Shit. Had she somehow found out? Surprise ruined. I picked up, bracing myself. Instead, I got: ‘That dickstain! Next time I see him, I’m stapling his lying mouth shut. The balls on him, spewing bullshit like he’s got a diploma in defamation. Did he eat shame for breakfast or was he just born this scummy?’ ‘Whoa, slow down, what happened?’ I asked. ‘Check your phone. I just sent you some screenshots. That sewer rat’s mouthing off again.’ I opened the images. ‘Are you kiddi