Choosing New Love Over Old

Synopsis

The whispers started before I even saw them. I was at Bridget's birthday gala, sipping champagne and laughing at her latest gossip about the Treasury Secretary's son when the room suddenly hushed. The crystal flute froze halfway to my lips as I felt dozens of eyes shift toward the entrance. "Aria," Bridget whispered, her face draining of color. "Don't look now, but—" But I already had. Elliot stood in the doorway, his golden hair catching the chandelier light as it always did. But he wasn't alone. A woman with cascading dark curls and a flowing dress that couldn't quite hide her swollen belly stood beside him, her hand possessively wrapped around his arm. "Is that—?" Someone's voice cut through the silence. "Reyna," Elliot announced, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent ballroom. "My spiritual guide from Louisiana." The champagne turned bitter in my mouth. Eighteen years. Eighteen years of promises, of plans, of growing up together with the understanding that one day we'd stand where we were now and announce our engagement instead. "My spiritual guide?" I repeated, the words feeling foreign on my tongue as I finally set down my glass and moved toward them. Reyna's eyes met mine, dark and knowing. Her lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "The spirits guided Elliot to me," she said, her accent thick and syrupy. "He needed my wisdom." I barely heard her. My focus was on Elliot, searching for any sign of the boy who'd promised me forever under the cherry blossoms last spring. But the man before me was a stranger, his eyes distant and cold as they swept over me. "I've petitioned President Morrison," Elliot continued,