Ruby’s POV

The jeers came fast and sharp.

“She thinks she could deceive us!”

“Go back to your monster boyfriend!”

Someone spat near my shoes, and laughter rippled through the crowd. I stood frozen, the tomato still dripping from my shirt, my fingers trembling slightly as I tried to wipe it off.

The laughter stopped abruptly as Austin stepped forward. His presence swallowed the noise in an instant. His eyes swept over the crowd, cold, dangerous, and calculating. People began backing ...