Chapter 1

Chapter One

Genevieve felt her stomach twist into knots the moment Mallory slammed her cards down on the table, a triumphant smirk lighting up her face. She wanted to blame the alcohol—or maybe it was Mallory’s piercing, relentless voice that had dragged her into this game in the first place. Usually, Gen was a solid poker player, but Mallory? She played like a pro, the kind you’d see on a high-stakes TV competition, sunglasses and all.

“What does that mean?” Jada asked, nervously adjusting the white sash that marked her as the bride-to-be.

Mallory leaned back in her chair, eyes sparkling with mischief. “It means,” she said slowly, “your sister owes me a ring.”

A collective gasp rippled through the group of women gathered around. Gen’s gaze dropped to her mother’s ring, which she habitually twirled around her right ring finger—her constant companion for the last fourteen years.

“Mallory, you can’t do that. I’m the bride, and you don’t upset the bride, right?” Jada whispered, her eyes darting between the two women locked in a silent battle of wills. “That ring… it was…”

Gen quickly raised her hand, cutting her sister off before she said too much. “Double or nothing,” she challenged, already passing the deck to Lucy, Jada’s college friend, who began shuffling the cards.