Jasmine's POV
The note burned in my clutch. Smooth paper, sharp words, and my name written like a taunt. "The truth is uglier than you think… FD."
My pulse refused to calm.
I scanned the terrace again. Lamps cast long shadows across the stone, stretching until they looked alive. The laughter from the ballroom spilled faintly through the glass doors, muffled and hollow, like echoes from another world. Out here, silence pressed against my skin.
I took a step toward the door. My heels clicked.
Then…
A footstep. Behind me. Too close.
I froze.
"Who's there?" My voice sounded steady, but my chest wasn't. It pounded like I had just sprinted across Crestfall's courtyard.
No answer. Just the night.
The laughter inside swelled suddenly, swallowing the sound, covering everything. Whoever it was… if it was someone… melted back into the shadows.
