if
Zoe's complexion turned a sickly shade of pale. She immediately put on a wounded expression. "That's not what I meant at all."
"Claire, relationships with a massive disparity in social class never end happily, even you force it."
"Look around our circle. Everyone chooses a partner based on family background."
"You're stunning, of course, but....."
"If you won't listen to reason, then I wish you luck," Zoe sighed, playing the part of the misunderstood, well-meaning friend to perfection. Anyone who didn't know she was foaming at the mouth for Dane would have actually believed her act.
"Oh? So you can swear on your life that you'll die single before you ever entertain a single thought about Dane?" Claire asked, her tone light and devastatingly blunt.
Zoe choked on her response. How could she possibly swear to that? She had been obsessed with the man for ages.
"You're taking this too far, Claire," one of Zoe's friends piped up, rushing to her defense as Zoe looked appropriately distressed.
Claire glanced over at Zara. She didn't know these women and found arguing with them mind-numbingly boring.
Zara immediately turned her guns on the friend. "Tessa Knight, whose leash are you on right now? Why are you barking at my guest?"
Tessa turned purple with rage. Zara had practically just called her a bitch to her face!
"Just because you're a Zeller doesn't give you the right to act like trash, Zara! Do your parents know you speak to people like this?" Tessa hissed.
Zara scoffed. "So what if they do? You think they're going to scold their own daughter over some random outsider? Did Zoe suck the last few brain cells out of your head?"
Both Tessa and Zoe were stunned into silence by Zara's sheer viciousness.
"You're so loyal to Zoe, Tessa," Zara mocked. "Tell me, do you also know that the guy you're so deeply in love with is actually in love with her?"
"What?" Tessa froze, the color
draining from her face. She truly had no idea. She was completely head over heels for Logan Charles Logans was Zoe's old high school
ve
classmate, and Zoe was the one who had set them up.
The thought of Logan harboring feelings for Zoe had never even crossed Tessa's mind. Her gaze instinctively snapped across the room to where Logan was standing.
Logan came from old money, but he was nothing more than a glorified lapdog for Zoe. He was hopelessly devoted to her, yet somehow, he had ended up as Tessa's boyfriend.
He had only agreed to date Tessa because Zoe had subtly pushed him into it. In reality, Logan was miserable.
It killed him that he couldn't orbit his goddess constantly, forced instead to expend energy humoring Tessa. Whenever Tessa threw one of her needy tantrums, Logan felt absolutely suffocated.
He had wanted to break things off and confess his lack of feelings for months, but
he kept putting it off out of fear that it would disappoint Zoe.
Now that Zara had dragged his secret into the light, Logan felt a spike of irritation, but he didn't utter a word of denial. He hoped Tessa would finally get the hint and back off. That way, Zoe wouldn't have to suffer any guilt. In his twisted mind, Zoe was a tragic samt who had selflessly sacrificed him to her friend just to make everyone happy.
Logan avoided Tessa's desperate gaze entirely. Instead, his eyes locked onto Zoe.
"Logan, do you really have feelings for Zoe?" Tessa demanded, dropping the polite act.
She couldn't wrap her head around it. The man she had been dating for two years was pining after another woman the entire time! How was this fair?
"Stop acting hysterical," Logan snapped, his patience with Tessa finally evaporating. Seeing her humiliate Zoe in front of the entire ballroom made his expression turn glacial.
"Zoe is supposed to be your best friend. Are you really that petty and insecure?" Claire and Zara both burst out laughing. What kind of delusional garbage was this guy spewing?
He was emotionally cheating on her, and she wasn't even allowed to be upset? What did he mean by 'insecure'? Did Logan think he was some ancient king entitled to a harem of devoted women?