"If you want to play at being an adult, we can play," he said, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "But I wonder how the audience would react when they hear about your disgraceful past."
The words hung in the air like a poisoned mist, thick and suffocating.
Disgraceful past.
Those two words echoed in Nina's mind, each syllable a hammer blow against the fragile armor she had constructed over the years.
Nina froze. The vibrant magenta of her dress suddenly felt like a heavy, leaden weight pulling her down into the marble floor. Her breath caught painfully in her throat, a jagged shard of air that refused to reach her lungs. The champagne flute in her hand trembled, the liquid inside creating tiny ripples that mirrored the tremors running through her body.
