Serena pushed the door open with a soft click, the hallway light from the suite spilling in behind her like an unwelcome intruder she hadn't invited.
The glow cut through the dim room, casting sharp shadows that made everything look even more twisted.
She'd come looking for Eleanor. And what she walked into instead stopped her heart for one long, frozen second, then shattered it into jagged pieces that felt like they were cutting her from the inside.
The room hit her first with its smell—like sex, thick and unmistakable, heavy with the raw, animal scent of sweat and musk and something sweeter underneath, like overripe fruit left to rot in the sun. It was overpowering, clinging to every breath she took, making her stomach twist.
The air was warm, almost humid, sticking to her skin the moment she crossed the threshold, wrapping around her like a second, unwanted layer she couldn't shake off.
There—on her back, legs still carelessly parted—was Eleanor.
