Chapter 52

Megan's POV

The penthouse felt stifling, the plush couches and artfully arranged decor suffocating rather than welcoming after Jane's bombshell decree.

My heart still pounded an erratic staccato against my ribcage when Lilly inevitably burst through the front door an hour later.

She zeroed in on me immediately where I sat motionless on the turquoise chaise.

"Well?" Her eyes sparked with fevered curiosity at my shell-shocked expression. "What fresh gender-drama travesty has that prickly succubus embroiled you in this time?"

The bitter vitriol lacing those last few words revealed she'd already divined the gist behind Jane's appearance based on my state alone.

Drawing an unsteady breath, I met Lilly's probing stare head-on - finding its mischievous glint offered a strange sense of needed normalcy amidst the current madness.

"She wants me to publicly date Chris as a 'designated romantic partner,'" I admitted in a wavering tone.