Chapter 1 1

I woke up to the sound of Daphnie's loud knock against the thin wooden door of our apartment.

"Liana! Wake up! It's our birthday!" she shouted from the hallway.

I groaned, rolling over in bed. My blanket clung to me like it knew I wasn't ready to face the day. Not because I didn't love birthdays but because turning eighteen meant stepping closer to... life. The real kind. The one that wasn't always tucked away behind the DeLewunco estate's pristine gates.

I heard my mom humming in the kitchen probably making her special birthday pancakes even though she had to be at work by seven. She was the senior housekeeper for the DeLewunco family, had been for almost twenty years. And me? Well, I'd always just been her daughter. The girl who wasn't allowed to clean, or really do much of anything except stay out of the way and go to school. Mrs. DeLewunco insisted I focus on my education, and they'd paid for it all uniforms, books, everything.

I wasn't staff. But I wasn't exactly family either.

Still, growing up in the staff quarters on their estate meant I'd spent almost every day with Daphnie. We were born on the same day, raised under the same roof just opposite ends of it. Her in the mansion, me behind it. And despite everything, she'd never made me feel less.

"I swear to God, if you're still in bed, I'm breaking in!" Daphnie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Coming!" I called back, scrambling to get up.

When I opened the door, she was already halfway inside. Blonde curls bouncing, her pajamas way too fancy for sleep. She grinned, holding two paper crowns.

"Your Majesty," she said dramatically, placing one on my head. "Eighteen. Officially grown women. The world isn't ready."

"Speak for yourself. I haven't even combed my hair."

"Details." She waved her hand. "You can fix it after breakfast. First pancakes. Then planning."

I narrowed my eyes. "Planning what?"

She grinned. "Our confessions."

My stomach did a flip. "Daph"

"No backing out, Liana. Tonight, after the party, you're telling Reuben how you feel. And I'm telling Jayson. No excuses, no delays, no what-ifs."

I felt my cheeks burn. "He's barely looked at me, Daphnie. He probably still thinks I'm the weird kid who used to chase frogs in the garden."

"First of all, that was adorable. Second, you've grown up. Trust me, he's noticed."

I doubted that. Reuben was the firstborn, already neck-deep in family business. He was rarely home, and when he was, he wasn't exactly... approachable. Sharp jawline, darker eyes, always dressed like he'd walked out of some luxury ad. But to me, he was just Reuben the boy I'd quietly loved for years, even though he never had a reason to love me back.

Then there was Kendrick. The second son. If Reuben was ice, Kendrick was fire warm, golden, and impossible to ignore. He treated me and Daphnie like equals. Like we mattered. He laughed at our dumb jokes, sat with us during breakfast, and never made me feel like I didn't belong.

He was around more too. Even this morning, when the party prep had the house in chaos, Kendrick still managed to pop his head into the staff wing with a muffin in hand and a crooked smile.

"Birthday girls," he'd said, offering it to Daphnie. "You've got frosting on your nose."

"It's a glow-up," she replied proudly, licking it off.

He chuckled, then turned to me. "You okay?"

I nodded, feeling that strange flutter I always got when he looked at me like that. Like he actually saw me.

"Don't forget," he added, "you've got two hours before the house turns into a circus."

"I won't," I'd promised.

And now, a few hours later, the mansion was already buzzing. Staff moving like clockwork, silver platters gleaming, florists running in and out. The DeLewunco family didn't do simple. Their kind of wealth wasn't just money it was power. Influence. Legacy. The kind of wealth that made politicians whisper and CEOs beg for dinner invites.

And somehow, in this big, gilded world... they'd made space for me.

The party was in full swing by late afternoon. Daphnie looked like a dream in her sapphire gown.

Daphne was effortlessly beautiful, the kind of girl who didn't need to try to shine she just did. Her long, golden hair shimmered like sunlight,Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief and warmth, always full of energy and unspoken plans. She was bold, outspoken, and unafraid to chase what she wanted, especially when it came to love. Daphne had a natural confidence, the kind that drew people in without effort. She could light up any room with her laughter and charm, and even though we weren't related by blood, she was more than just my best friend she was my family, my anchor, my sister in every way that mattered.

I wore something she'd picked out for me cream silk, subtle but beautiful. I felt like a guest, not a ghost in someone else's house.

There were laughs, toasts, speeches. Kendrick danced with us, made us laugh so hard we cried. He even pulled my mom in for a dance, and she nearly fainted.

But Reuben never showed.

Daphnie tried to pretend it didn't bother her, but I knew it did. He was her big brother too. And she wanted him there. For her, for me.

"You okay?" Kendrick asked as he handed me a glass of punch.

I smiled, a little too tightly. "Yeah. Just tired."

He didn't push. Just stood beside me, quiet for a moment. "He'll come around, you know."

I didn't ask who. I didn't need to.

"I'm not waiting for him," I lied.

He gave me a small smile. "You don't have to."

The sun began to set, casting golden light across the backyard where strings of fairy lights blinked like stars. Music played low in the background, and the last of the guests lingered by the dessert table.

Daphnie pulled me aside, her eyes dancing. "Tonight. After everything winds down. You and me. Operation Confession."

I laughed. "You're serious?"

"As a heart attack. This is our year, Liana. Eighteen changes everything."

I looked around at the life I'd always known, the people I'd always loved, and the boy I couldn't stop thinking about... even when he wasn't there.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe it really would.