Ava thought the hardest part of her high-society weekend was pretending to be in love with Julian. But as champagne toasts blur into stolen glances, the act begins to feel dangerously real. Old wounds rip open when Noah, the ex who once shattered her, reappears with regrets that sound too raw to ignore. Between glittering parties, whispered confessions, and a kiss that refuses to be “just pretend,” Ava finds herself caught between the safety of performance and the ache of possibility.
This is Part 2 of 3 in The Pretend Weekend, a romance of secrets, staged devotion, and the sharp edge between past and future.
