UNEDITED: Wattpad needs to stop deleting my chapters and forcing me to rewrite 4000 words again. So sorry for any mistakes please point them out if you can.

"The car is ready." Jason says when I finally step out of my room.

I raise an eyebrow. Technically Amelia had given me permission to do whatever the hell I want as long as I stayed in line but I'd thought that had just been another passive aggressive move from her side. I didn't think she'd actually meant it.

Well whatever. As long as I can get out of this house I will take whatever I can get. Staying inside with nothing to do, I'll probably overthink myself to an early death.

After going over the memory again I had so many questions that I thought I would burst. I made sure to write everything down and go over it but by the end of it I realised that all it did was raise more questions which I didn't have answers too.

It's clear though that Will and I were a lot closer than most people knew considering the entire rendezvous in the park. It was the clearest memory I had so far and yet it was highly cryptic since I didn't really understand the context of it.

It was like I'd finally found a piece of the puzzle but I didn't know where the piece fit or for that matter what the picture even was.

It was becoming clear to me that Will held the answers to a lot of the questions I had which was why I did contemplate texting him but after my attempt last time I decided to put a rain check on that.

After all he does need time to recover from exposure to my awesomeness.

Yup, that was it, That's why I hadn't texted him because he was the one who needed to gather his thoughts so that he wouldn't make a complete idiot out of himself.

Will's face pops up in my mind again, his head tilted towards me, his deep blue eyes twinkling as he smiled showing off his dimples.

Oof. That smile was honestly dangerous.

I shake my head, no more thinking about Will, masked men named Romeo or evil step mothers right now. What I needed was a pick me up and there was nothing that picked me up better than shopping.

And the icing on the cake was that I had an unlimited credit card to spare. Correction: several unlimited credit cards to spare.

Well if nothing at least my materialistic ass can appreciate being Juliana Windsor. Rebecca Reynolds had far far far lesser in her bank account but Juliana Windsor was insanely rich.

Well technically her father was insanely rich but eh technicalities.

I go down the stairs in a significantly better mood and I find Tyler hovering there. He stops when he sees me looking at me up and down.

"You're going out?" He asks.

I nod, "Yes."

"Good." Tyler's eyes flick towards Jason, "Don't let her get into trouble."

And before I can make a comment as to how he actually seems surprisingly concerned Tyler storms away without glancing back.

It's not fair. I'm supposed to be the drama queen here.

Jason clears his throat and I turn back to look at him as he says, "He was worried about you so he convinced his mother to let you leave the house. You can go wherever you want as long as I accompany you."

I raise an eyebrow,"Tyler did that?"

"Yes."

"He was worried?"

"Yes."

"You know-" I start but I shake my head, perhaps not yet.

I should just leave it be actually. If Tyler had actually gone and talked to his mother about me and convinced her to go easier on me that meant that he didn't hate me as much as I thought he did. Poking my nose into something like this would just serve to piss him off and ruin any sort of progress that I'd made so far.

Maybe I've been going about this all wrong by constantly pushing Tyler. He was starting to come around on his own when I wasn't poking or prodding him to give me some sort of response. Perhaps simply ignoring him for now would be best.

I smile brightly,"Okay then let's go!"

_____________

I first make a stop at a pharmacy, Jason tells me that the meds had already been ordered so he goes and picks them up while I wait in the car.

And then I tell him to take me to the biggest mall in the city.

And my...is it big.
Lol that's what she said.

I repeat the joke to Jason and he once again gives me another blank look. Okay this time it was clearly my fault.

I start with shoes and end up buying five pairs of them, all for my mother. I splurge like I never have buying things for everyone back home.

And all the while I keep talking. I don't know how much of it Jason listens to and I don't really care because it's more for myself really. I talk about my mother and how she barely does anything for herself because she's a total workaholic. She loves her job because she's a totally kickass ER nurse who'd raised me on her own for most of my life despite my father offering to help. I go on about how she had an awesome sense of fashion that was inherited by yours truly but rarely bought anything for herself which was why I was going to make sure to give her the new wardrobe she deserved.

Then I talk about my step father and how he met my mother when he got sent to the ER because he'd hammered his hand while working. It was love at first sight he'd claimed and then I go on about how I'd help him woo my mother and plan the perfect proposal. I talk about his penchant for watches and also the fact that he's prone to breaking them all the time. How he's a huge baseball fan and despite being from San Francisco he'd always supported the Dodgers over the Giants as a way to rebel against his family.

Then I go on about Clara and Samantha. Clara who was clumsy, stupidly smart and utterly endearing in how naïve she could be. Samantha who was arrogant, and absolutely bitchy on the outside but was a mush of insecurities and lame jokes on the inside. I recount how they would grumble every time I dragged them to the mall or made them watch some utterly cheesy and cliché movie.

And when I nearly squeal seeing a bright yellow sponge-bob squarepants t-shirt that not even a middle schooler would be found wearing I explain how this would be the perfect gift for Clara because this what she'd been wearing the day she'd met her boyfriend. Maybe if he never got the guts to ask her to marry him, she could do it wearing this t-shirt. How romantic would that be?

When I'm finally done I turn to Jason handing over one of the last purchases I made. It's a simple gray tie and he eyes me unsure what I want him to do.

"Take it!" I say,"It's for you!"

"Oh come on!" I whine,"It's not even that horrible. I picked extremely sensible colours, see?"

He still looks hesitant and I stand on my tip toes,"Please? Please, please? If you're going to follow someone as fabulous as me around you at least some of my fashion sense should rub off you. And you know I won't stop nagging you until you take it."

Jason murmurs a thank you and finally takes it and I beam up at him.

"Okay now we shall go to post office so that I can send all of this home!" I say excitedly.

"Are you not going to buy anything for yourself?" Jason asks.

I blink at him for a few seconds,"For myself?"

"You didn't get anything for yourself." He states again almost uncomfortable to make the observation.

I smile,"I got what I needed. That's what matters."

Jason gives a curt nod and says,"The car will be arriving at the back entrance."

I nod heading back from where we'd entered, which was a smaller more private entrance for VIPs who preferred to keep some level of anonymity.

This time though the entrance is not empty and there is a girl standing there who is absolutely stunning. Jet black hair, caramel coloured skin and wide bright eyes, she's easily fit to be a model if she's not already one. She is older than me although I can tell but it's probably not by much.

She looks kind of familiar but I shake my head turning my attention back to my phone deciding to text Clara and tell her that I was sending over a surprise.

"Juliana?" A voice calls out and I look up at the pretty girl who is staring at me with an expression that's shocked to say the least. She steps slightly forward scanning me up and down as if to get a better look at me and then says,"You're back."

"Oh!" I exclaim,"Do you know-"

And she slaps me right across my face.

Jason acts immediately, standing in front of me, in between the both of us. It had been so out of the blue that it had clearly taken not only me but even Jason by surprise.

She steps back, intimidated, Jason is nothing short of a wall of muscle so I don't really blame her but my cheek still stings and I rub it glaring at her from behind him.

She meets my glare sharply before smugly smirking and turning to go inside.

"Yeah no I don't think so." I say stepping out from behind Jason and reaching out to grab a hold of the girls long black hair.

I know I've got a warning from my step mother just a few hours ago but there are no cameras here and the only eye witnesses here were Jason and the girl. It would hardly make any headlines.

"What the hell!" She screeches tugging on her hair,"Let go."

"I don't know who the hell you are but one does not simply slap me across my face and leave." I say," You picked the wrong day and the wrong Bitch to mess with."

"Let go of my hair." She says trying to tug it out of my hands.

"Apologise first." I say holding her hair with both my hands pulling,"And I'd do it fast if I were you. No matter how expensive your extensions are, they will come off, perhaps with a portion of your scalp."

She visibly pales at that and I say again,"Apologise."

"Juliana." Jason clears his throat,"I don't think-"

I glare, cutting him off,"Back the hell off James Bond she's the one who slapped me. I'm just teaching her proper etiquette here."

I pull harder so much so that I make her take a step back and she finally relents.

"Okay I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She says clutching her hair.

I grin giving it another tug,"What was that? I didn't hear you."

"I said I'M SORRY!" She yells and I finally let go making her almost fall forward.

"You're psychotic." She says rubbing her head,"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"A number of things." I comment looking nonchalantly at my nails, "But that was self defense. Unlike you, who attacked a weak and helpless girl."

"Weak and helpless?" She snorts,eying Jason, "Really that's what you want to go with?"

"Yes." I say and narrow my eyes,"Got any problems with that?"

"Several you psycho." She says,"I' m not going to keep quiet about this you know!"

"Oh please." I roll my eyes,"Like you can do anything about it. You're the one who slapped me first without even introducing yourself."

"Isabella." She hisses,"My name is Isabella you Bitch."

I pause, something about her rings a bell. Had she been in Daniel Kensington's party? I think so.

But apart from a hazy sense of her being there I can't really remember much else because most of the dream had faded away.

Ugh this is frustrating.

"I'd say it's great to meet you but I would be lying." I say,"You clearly already know who I am but for introductions sake I'll refresh your memory, I'm Juliana Windsor. And I'm not someone who you can simply slap and get away with."

"Well you deserved it."

"What did I do?" I ask simply.

Of course like everyone else she goes silent at my question. I've stopped expecting answers nowadays.

"I hate you." She finally manages to spit out, "Isn't that enough of a reason?"

Oh my god. Just how many people had I managed to piss off in the matter of three months?

"I don't know if you've heard but I've got amnesia." I say,"I don't remember what I've done. So tell me why you hate me and I'll apologise accordingly."

"I don't need your apology." She seethes,"Saying a measly sorry doesn't fix anything. I want hi-"

She shakes her head as if all the fight has gone out of her,"You know what, forget it. What's the point anyway?"

She tilts her head and with a start I realise that she's got tears in her eyes. I unwittingly take a step back because guilt, absolute guilt floods through me and presses against my mind.

"I-I really don't remember what happened." I say shakily unable to understand why I was feeling so terrible,"After my accident I lost all my memories about this place."

"I don't doubt it." She says looking away,"Because you wouldn't have made the mistake of coming back if you remembered."

"Remembered what?" And this time I don't bother trying to hide the frustration in my voice.

She looks at me wearily, "I hope you're ready to face the mess you left behind Juliana. Whether you remember it or not, other people haven't forgotten. So I suggest you run back to whatever hole you crawled out of."

"Are you threatening me?" I ask quietly.

She shakes her head,"No, I'm not stupid. But I am warning you, not because I give a shit about what happens to you but because...."

"Well it doesn't matter does it?" She asks smiling slightly,"You won't remember the reason anyway."

And then she turns around and walks away with her heels clapping against the tiled floor.

____________________________

I stand in front of the mirror looking at my reflection. I'm wearing a shimmery gold gown that's fit to be worn by a princess.

In fact by the way I've been dressed up, with my glittery make up, glossy lips and a diamond necklace that frankly looks like it needs a postal code of it's own, I certainly look nothing short of a princess.

Refined and elegant with her platinum blonde curls piled up neatly on her head, Juliana Windsor in all honesty was a princess and all that was missing was a crown.

But Rebecca Reynolds, is a fucking queen. And she didn't need no stinking crown.

I smile at the mirror one last time before turning around and taking a deep breath. It was ridiculous but I was nervous. This was less of a party more of a platform to show me off and Amelia's explicit warnings had made it clear that I could not afford to screw up.

Even my father had given me one of those make me proud looks and that just made me more jittery about the whole thing.

"Ready for the show?" Tyler asks sticking his arm out. Ever since the incident outside Amelia's office he's actually become a lot more mellow choosing not to throw his usual hate filled glares along with his sharp cutting taunts my way.

Tyler has his mask in place. Previously he had a gold mask like mine but he changed it in the last second when he decided to wear a far plainer silver tie instead in the end.

I can't deny that I'd smiled all too widely at him when I realised that he'd actually worn the tie I'd given him considering that he'd been even more reluctant than Jason when he'd accepted my gift.

"Nice tie." I comment lightly and he clears his throat looking away.

"I didn't have another one." He tries to justify rather poorly and I smile. Tyler could be a total softie when he wasn't acting like there was a stick stuck up his ass.

And I appreciated it, really. With him more civil towards me I felt just a little less homesick.

That and the fact that I hadn't been having the best time considering that after I'd stopped taking my pills I didn't really remember anything much after the memory by the pond and all I really did at night was toss and turn in my bed before finally giving up on sleep.

I'd then sneak out to the park before the sun even rose and go sit near the pond (there were no ducks anymore I'd noted) and sometimes I'd expect Will to show up not because I wanted to see him, no way, but just because I was very very bored.

He never did show up though.

Later when I accidently googled searched him, it was definitely an accident, I found an article saying that he was volunteering in Cuba to help with rebuilding efforts.

And that really put perspective on how utterly petty my problems really were in the face of everything. Annoyingly spamming him while he was helping people rebuild their lives was just so....... shallow.

So I'd just sit next to the pond shivering the cold morning air and murmur to myself, Be brave Butterscotch.

I suppose it had unwittingly become a sort of mantra for me as I was desperately holding on to that memory as a reason to stay here.

The few times I did get the guts to call or pick up a call from my parents, Clara or Samantha I instantly regretted it. My homesickness came back in full force hearing their voices and maintaining the happy, bright Rebecca facade tired me out more than anything else.

I'd try my best to bounce back of course, it would be a shame to deprive the world of the boon that was my pure awesomeness. But honestly it was hard to be awesome when you really weren't feeling all that awesome.

"Be brave Butterscotch." I tell myself softly before taking a deep breath and linking my arm with Tyler's,"Yes. I am ready."

And then I put on my mask.
Literally and figuratively.

_________________

It's a blur after that really. I'm introduced to so many people that I can't quite keep track but there is one thing that they all have in common it's the fact that each of them were either enormously rich or were high up in the political strata. It's quite overwhelming to get my head around the sheer power and wealth present in one room but I don't falter and let myself get intimidated.

It stuns me how naturally it all comes to me and I play my part perfectly. I smile politely, laugh when I need to and the few times I do make a mistake I make it pass of as an endearing flaw that makes me all the more charming in their eyes.

It's also the first time I realise the enormity of the power wielded by my father who was beside me the entire time. He handled everybody in a way that was effortless, filling the entire room by simply stepping into it and telling them exactly what they wanted to hear like a true politician.

When I'm finally excused I make my way towards Tyler who'd left my side very early on. He was standing in the quieter part of the hall near the entrance which had been decorated as opulently as the rest of the ballroom.

Despite the odds I had hoped to get a glimpse of a familiar silver and white mask but in truth the masks were more of an accessory to follow the theme and hardly anybody was wearing it. I'd taken mine off too long ago and besides anybody could own a white and silver mask not to mention it had been two years since.

I lean against the wall next to Tyler who doesn't acknowledge my presence, his eyes fixed up ahead as he nursed his drink.

"Why did you bail so soon?" I ask, I'm thankful that we are far away from most people so that I can speak more freely, "Not a fan of these types of parties? It's tiring isn't it? Talking-"

"But as expected you're still a natural at it" Tyler mutters hazily.

"You're drunk." I say trying to take the drink from his hands doing my best to ignore the resentment in his tone, "You shouldn't drink more."

"Why?" He challenges, "Ashamed that I'll embarrass you? That I'll make a scene and tarnish the great Windsor name you care about so fucking much?"

I narrow my eyes,"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've always fit into this world perfectly." Tyler says bitterly,"Despite everything you're the one who truly belongs here. Ironic huh? That I'm the one treated like the outcast while you're hailed as the golden child who everyone dotes on."

"I remember you quite clearly telling me that I didn't belong here." I point out,"The first day I was here you tried to humiliate me by-"

"Because there was a time that I hoped you could be better." He says softly,"Because I was right. Rebecca Reynolds doesn't fit in this world."

I open my mouth to say something but he just smiles sadly,"But you're not her are you? You're Juliana Windsor. Cold, calculating and absolutely fucking ruthless. A Windsor through and through, our father's daughter before everything else."

I still, his words hitting me harder than it should. They register somewhere deep within and I flinch trying desperately to stop everything from surfacing all over again.

"I-I-" I start but I shut my mouth angrily. How the hell was this fair? Since the first day I was here I was tossed around, insulted, told explicitly that I was a liability, that I don't belong and that I shouldn't even have been born.

Amelia, his mother had threatened my family and compared me to a dog on a leash and he had the audacity to be jealous of me just because he wasn't getting any attention?

How fucking petty and entitled was that?

"Well I suppose not all of us are destined to be failures Tyler." I say coldly, "Not all of us feel sorry for ourselves, painting everybody else as the villain in our story just because we are too afraid to be anything but a victim like you. You don't have the fucking right to say these things to me Tyler, you don't get to be bitter."

Tyler's eyes widen and I know that I've ruined whatever little progress there had been with him but I don't care.

"Fuck you." He spits before stomping off. I don't feel the least bit guilty and I sigh grateful for the peace and quiet. That doesn't last long though when my father walks towards me with another guest in toe.

"Was that Tyler?" My father asks and I nod saying, "He's feeling a bit under the weather which is why he's gone to get some fresh air. He told me to tell you that he'll be back soon."

I may be mad at Tyler but I wasn't going to throw him under the bus.

"Juliana this is Thomas Richards." My father says pointing to the man next to him, "He's an old friend of mine and Parker's father. You'd met him before your accident."

Thomas Richards looks strikingly like Parker with his hazel eyes and tall stature. Although he's far rougher around the edges than his son, he's much more imposing and it's clear by his demeanour that this is someone who was born for business and wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Juliana it's a pleasure to meet you after all this time." Mr Richards says shaking my hand and then leaning forward to kiss my cheek.

"Thank you Mr Richards." I say smiling, "I can see where Parker gets his good looks from now."

He chuckles,"And still quite the charmer I see."

I laugh politely, "That's something I get from my father."

"I was saddened to hear the news of your accident. You're quite a gem which made the entire business truly a pity." He says, "I'm glad you've recovered and are back now. Well I suppose not back for long as your father tells me that you're most likely to attend Harvard in a months time."

I glance at my father confusion flashing on my face. He gives me a clear look that indicates that I have to play along and we'll have this discussion later.

I thought we'd settled this before I came here, I was going to Georgetown and not Harvard.

This was one of the things I'd been most adamant about when I'd come here. Perhaps it was stupid even comparing the two universities but to me one thing had been made very clear to me from the very beginning.

While I could get into Georgetown based entirely on my merit which made me proud, which made me feel like I'd genuinely deserved it, Juliana Windsor had a seat reserved in Harvard only because of her surname.

More than that my mother had gone to Georgetown and while I hadn't really cared about which university I went to when Ii got my acceptance letter it was clear to me that this was where I wanted to be.

I'd gone to the Harvard interview too, out of respect for my father but sitting there I had realised very clearly as to why I was being accepted into the school. Not because I deserved to be there but because I was the daughter of John Windsor.

Which was why I'd told my father that I wanted to go to Georgetown, to the same college that my mother had gone to. Because Rebecca Reynolds had earned it on her own merit, she'd gotten it because she deserved it.

But you're not her are you? You're Juliana Windsor, a Windsor through and through.

"Y-Yes." I manage to choke out remembering my step mothers warning to not create a scene but I can't quite look my father in the eye for completely blindsiding me about this matter.

With a start I realise how carefully the entire thing had been set up by my father. Whenever the topic of my college had been breached he had skilfully navigated the conversation away from the topic.

The only time it had been brought up was now, at a time when even if I did make a scene it would cause the least damage as we were far away from most of the guests. But at the same time I'd effectively been tricked into saying yes because it had been brought up by Mr Richards and rudely saying no would have discredited my father.

I can't help but feel betrayed.

This was not fair. This was not fair at all and if my father thought that I wasn't going to fight him about this, he was wrong.

But I know that this is not the time to make a scene. Take a deep breath and push it aside. This party, just get through this party.

I can do this.

"That's excellent." Mr Richards filters back through and no one seems to have noticed my expression faltering, "It's always an honour to attend your father's alma mater. I'm more of a Dartmouth man myself and that's where Parker is currently. The two universities aren't far apart so the two of you can always visit each other on weekends. I believe you've met him earlier this week, haven't you?"

Parker's name makes my stomach turn and the entire idea of visiting him on a weekend while I was acting like perfect little Juliana Windsor in Harvard was actually revolting.

"Yes I met him when he came with Rose." I say,"It-"

"I'm sorry for interrupting." Parker cuts in and I fight the urge to want to run away. I'd been avoiding Parker ever since the day he'd come with Rose because something about him just didn't sit right with me.

Of course there was also the entire the love of my life issue along with the fact that I'd been the one who'd come up with the plan for Rose to use him as a stepping stone to break her engagement with Tyler.

"Parker I'm glad you could join us too." Thomas Richards says putting a hand on his son's shoulder,"Juliana here was telling me that she'd met you and that Marley girl earlier. Still dating her I see."

The distaste in his voice is clear as he does nothing to hide the fact that he doesn't approve of Rose.

"Perhaps it's time for you to pick someone more on par with your status." His eyes clearly flickers to me and I'm shocked by what he's trying to imply.

Dude least try to be subtle.

"I intend to be with Rosalie until the foreseeable future." Parker says lightly and I wonder if he might genuinely like her, "She's my date tonight too but is currently accompanying her parents."

Oh my god what if he did like her? Why else would he so outwardly defy his father?

But then if he liked her so much why the hell was he kissing me when she was right outside the door?

Why the fuck was everybody so damn complicated. Couldn't anyone in this entire goddamn place just be what they appear to be?

And here I used to take pride in figuring out people.

"What about you Juliana?" Mr Richards asks me breaking me out of thoughts, " I'm sure you must have many suitors."

Suitors? Seriously? It's not like we lived in the 1920s.

"I'm sure Parker and you would make quite the couple." He adds.

My eyes nearly pop out and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to say OH HELL NAW politely.

"Now, now Thomas." My father comes to the rescue,"I think it's hardly fair for us old men to poke our noses into the love lives of our children."

Mr Richards chuckles,"But it's vital to give them a push, after all they are children. But I suppose you're right. Let's leave them alone, they probably want to catch up."

I blink as they excuse themselves trying to get over the unreal experience of being set up with Parker by his father.

"You look stunning today." Parker says once they are out of earshot.

"Thank you." I say as he hands me the drink he'd been holding,"That's nice of you to say."

"I wanted to say sorry for kissing you the other day." He says,"I didn't think it would be that much of a surprise but I suppose you'd truly forgotten."

"Well you're dating Rose now, so whatever we had in the past is quite over now." I say swirling the drink inside my glass and taking a sip.

It tastes funny, I note and my eyes widen, he wouldn't have.

He shakes his head chuckling, "I really don't think so because from the very beginning Juliana, we were meant to be."

"And if we were really so meant to be do you honestly think I'd have kicked you in the balls for kissing me?" I say icily shoving the drink back in his hands.

For a second he looks taken aback staring at the drink which I've handed back to him but it's quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Why must you ruin the fun Jules?" He pouts dramatically, "I was actually enjoying us playing nice for once."

My eyes narrow. I can't publicly shame him, not here, not now and it damn well takes all of my self-control not to throw the drink on his face. By now Rebecca Reynolds would have thrown the drink in his face, punched him in the guts, kicked him in the balls and got him thrown in jail.

But Juliana Windsor can't do the same. Not when it's Parker Richards, not when it's here. Not when she's being threatened by her step mother.

I really, really hate this place.

The sheer amount of shit that's been thrown at me in the past few days has been fucking unreal to be honest.

And what's really frustrating that I can't deal with any of it head on. I can't shout, I can't scream, I can't throw things in anger, instead I have to be patient, I have to be smart and bide my time, thinking a bajillion times before doing anything drastic.

"I've got to give it to you." I hiss at Parker my eyes narrowing,"Roofieing my drink here of all places takes guts."

"And aren't you as sharp as ever?" Parker says,"Good. I would have been disappointed if you had made it that easy."

I can barely contain my anger but I force myself to be as cordial as possible so I don't make a scene. Amelia's warning rings clearly in my head and I know that I can't do something rash like setting Parker on fire. But it's hard considering Parker is far worse than Rose had portrayed him to be.

I'd also made the mistake of underestimating him as just some horny playboy whose entitlement knew no bounds. He was still all of those things but the lengths he would go to were much much further than I thought he was capable of.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I continue, "Do you understand the consequences of what you were trying to pull or are you just fucking stupid?"

He chuckles,"Oh come on Jules you know this all in good fun. It's kind of like a first meeting tradition for us, I just thought that I'd uphold it."

First meeting tradition?
He'd tried this before?

And I'd still been in some twisted sort of relationship with him while he was publicly dating Rose?

What the fuck was wrong with sixteen year old Juliana Windsor? This stupid Bitch had so many issues, I swear. And like an idiot I'd come to this place to get myself entangled in all of these stupid problems. This was so not worth it. There was nothing that I could find that would-

No there had to be a reason. A reason I'd done all of those things. There had to be a reaso-

Will smiles at me and it's not like the one I'd seen in the park, nowhere even close to it. His face is inches from mine, my back against the wall as he towers over me. His blue eyes are darker than the sea at dusk and yet in their depths there is a terrifying sort of fire that burns so hot that I can't breathe.

He's smiling though but it's triumphant in a way that's chilling, a complete contrast to the fire in his eyes. Almost like a predator who'd just caught his prey he smirks,"Am I not enough of a reason, Butterscotch?"

I blink, the brief flashback disappearing as quickly as it came. Parker's face comes back into focus but I can't help but shiver slightly at the memory leaning against the wall as my heart pounds loudly in my ears.

"Rose is just a stepping stone, for both you and me." Parker continues saying as if he hadn't noticed anything, "I only did it because you asked me to play your little game and it's entertaining seeing my old man squirm."

My head hurts and I really can't deal with so many things at once. Parker, Tyler, my father's deception it's all too much.

I couldn't breathe.

Just walk away.
Just walk away and cool down before you go crazy.

I turn around but Parker grabs my wrist forcing me to turn around as he pulls me so towards him so that I'm just inches away from him.

I quickly pull back but Parker doesn't let go of my wrist. I quickly eye our surroundings and luckily enough nobody is really paying attention to us yet but I still can't risk making a scene.

"I didn't think you'd run away." He says in my ear,"Juliana Windsor doesn't back-"

I step on his foot, making sure that the heel digs in deep into his leg. He yelps and a few curious onlookers turn our way and it takes everything in me to quickly apologize so that I can maintain my holier than thou Juliana Windsor act.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" I say out loud and then I lower my tone making sure to keep my face perfectly neutral, "Don't you dare tell me what Juliana Windsor does or doesn't do. And I suggest before I make a big deal out of all of this you leave."

Parker's eyes narrow and his grip on my hand tightens further making me wince.

"Let me go Parker." I repeat.

"How long are you going to play hard to get Jules?" Parker smirks,"I'm sure you've also figured out by now that in the end no matter how much you fight you're going to end up with me. After all there is no one else who can match up to you or love you like I do. We are meant to be."

I stare at him for a few moments remembering the not so subtle conversation with his father before.

It's clear that my surname makes me some sort of trophy for him. For everyone here in fact. Which was frankly ridiculous because in the end when it came to the inheritance I wouldn't get anything pertaining to the company, that would all be Tyler's. All I would get is the trust fund that was in my name and being illegitimate I highly doubt Amelia would let it be a lot.

"We aren't anything Parker." I say through gritted teeth," And we will never be anything."

"Is that what you're trying to tell yourself?" Parker says, "In the end you will have to accept that there is no one who will love you more."

I look at him disgusted, I'm not even trying to hide it,"You're fucking delusional."

"Let's stop this Juliana." He says quietly,"Stop fighting the inevitable. You tried doing it by setting me up with Rose and I'd played your game to keep you amused but frankly speaking I'm starting to reach the end of my patience. Let's drop the act."

"It's not an act." I hiss.

"That's not what it seemed like when you were shoving your tongue down throat before." Parker states,"Or was that only because you wanted to make sure that nobody knew about your dirty little secret?"

My eyes widen in panic.
What secret? Did he know? Shit, shit, shit did he know that I was illegitimate?

No way, no way, there was no way he could right? Of course not he wouldn't act like-

But what if?
Tyler had said that he suspected right?

I look down desperately shutting my eyes to curb my panic. Parker inches closer and I can feel his breath against my ear, "We belong together and I'm going to remind you all over again as to why."

I'm have trouble breathing and the short breaths that I can take is filled with a heavy dose of Parker's cologne which somehow re-enforces this sense of fear that's got me frozen in place.

Just-I-I can't-

"I think that's enough isn't it?"

I look up to see Will standing in front of the two of us. He looks so handsome that it hurts to see, the dim light making his hair look like strands of liquid gold and the sharp angles of his cheekbones casting shadows across his face making him look like a royal prince who had just stepped out of a fairytale.

But there is something inexplicably dark in his inky eyes which are trained on Parker. It vanishes without a trace the very next instant though, hidden behind a wall of cold indifference.

Parker steps away and his grip on my hand loosens. I quickly pull out of his grasp stepping back unsteadily.

For a moment I think the entire thing is yet another memory but Will's hand reaches out to steady me and although it's a brief and fleeting touch that goes unnoticed by everybody else in the room, the way my skin burns from where his fingers brushed against my arm, is enough to make me realise that he's very, very real.

The panic instntly floods out of me and my mind clears and for the first time in days I feel grounded.

"I apologize for interrupting." Will tells Parker nonchalantly,"But honestly I was so impressed by your sheer persistence that I had to ask if it's an acquired talent or something you were born with. It honestly baffles me Parker that how even the hulk manages to keep his pants on but somehow you just can't seem to."

Did he just-
Oh my god he did didn't he?

What's probably even funnier is that Will looks at Parker with an utterly serious expression as if he genuinely wants to know why Parker can't keep it in his pants and yet the condescension in his eyes is clear, daring Parker to make the mistake of actually answering the question.

To Parker's credit he only gulps once before he returns Will's glare but in front of the blonde Kensington he looks like a child who's about to throw a tantrum,"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to greet the host." Will says gesturing towards me,"Fortunately since I can count on you being stuck to her like chewed gum on a boot all I really had to do was follow the distinct stench of desperation in the air and what do you know? It led me right to you. I suppose I should thank you for being so utterly predictable considering that it spared me the extra effort of trying to hunt her out."

The sharp edge in his voice is clear and if words could cut, Parker would probably be dead.

Parker notices it too which makes him steps back unsurely. He manages to shake it off quickly enough clenching his fists. For a second I think that he might just punch Will in the face.

Will looks the least bit perturbed though. In fact he simply raises his eyebrows as if challenging Parker to try.

But I suppose even Parker Richards isn't stupid enough to abandon his basic sense of self preservation so instead he simply grits his teeth,"You're not supposed to be here."

Will's eyes narrow,"And who exactly are you to tell me that?"

Something akin to actual fear flashes across Parker's face and I can't blame him because even though the slip in Will's polite indifferent demeanour is barely noticeable, it's enough to be downright terrifying.

I suddenly recall the brief memory of Will towering over me his eyes burning with a sort of fire that was undoubtedly frightening but that's quickly replaced  by the genuine dimpled smile he'd given me in the park and something inside me twists as I wonder which of them was the real Will.

He had so many layers, each hidden one after the other, surfacing only for a short moment from behind the mask of utter indifference that he put on. It was enough to make anyone wonder how much of it was real and how much of it was carefully crafted by him to deceive everyone around him.

And yet....despite all my doubts, all my questions and all the warnings I'd been given there was something about him that I was inherently drawn to.

Am I not enough of a reason, Butterscotch?

With a start I realise that he'd called me Butterscotch. In my memory he'd called me Butterscotch. That meant maybe.....

Just maybe Will was the reason I'd come back here.

And even if I can't be sure about that I was certain that he had inexplicably started to become the reason for me to stay.

Parker shakes his head and then once again grabs my arm,"Let's go Jules."

I snatch my hand from his grasp trying to make it seem as natural as possible because with Will's arrival all eyes have turned towards us. We are still a good distance away for anybody to hear our conversation but I can't afford to slip up.

Will sighs dramatically, "For Crissakes how many times does she have to reject you? Juliana here clearly doesn't seem to be in the mood to have your tongue shoved down her throat right now. Perhaps she'll take pity on you another day when your girlfriend isn't in the same room."

Parker looks positively red with anger and to be honest the very thought of him getting anywhere close to me again is revolting to say the least.

An impatient snort makes me turn and I realise that Isabella is also present, standing behind Will. Despite the fact that she looks jaw droppingly stunning in her gorgeous deep red gown, albeit a little uncomfortable, Will's presence is so overpowering that it washes out everybody near him to the point of anonymity.

Isabella's gaze meets mine and she doesn't falter, glaring at me for a few moments before turning away with her nose angled upwards as if I wasn't worth her time. I wonder briefly if she was dating Will but the way they stood apart showed no indication if they were together.

That makes me feel better for some reason.

"Leave Juliana out of this." Parker hisses at Will and I think that in some twisted way he thinks that he's actually protecting me from Will.

"Parker." I say keeping my tone neutral knowing that now everybody was watching us and a few people had even inched closer to hear what was going on, "We'll continue our conversation later on."

I mean it too because I have to find out what exactly Parker had over me and by the sinking feeling in my gut I'm almost a hundred percent sure that if it was not about me being illegitimate it would be something equally bad.

I turn to Will, smiling brightly and for the first time in days it's a genuine smile unlike the ones I'd been forcibly wearing. Something flashes in the depths of his eyes but it's gone before I can pinpoint the emotion. I open my mouth to speak but before I can say anything my father is beside me.

"William what a pleasant surprise."

I freeze.

And it's not only me, everybody in the room is absolutely still, their eyes solely focused on the interaction between the two men who stand a few feet apart with nothing but pleasant smiles on their faces.

And yet, despite the fact that outwardly nothing seems amiss the tension in the air is cutting, almost painfully so and for the first time since I've come here all the warnings that I've heard register and hit me so hard all at once, that it nearly knocks the air out of me.

You underestimate the rivalry between the Kensingtons and the Windsors.

All this while I'd been treating the whole thing as some sort of joke, thinking that the entire concept of family rivalry belonged in a Shakespeare play but now standing here I'm hit with the realisation it's very very real.

My father is imposing in a way that's larger than life. His presence is overwhelming in a way that demanded attention from the people around him and like a true politician he was charismatic, ruthlessly intelligent and knew exactly what to say and when to say it. His stature and demeanour spoke lengths about his knowledge and experience so much so that he made even the most powerful men in the room look like children in front of him.

And yet Will who is perhaps half his age held his ground against him effortlessly.

Will with his perfect skin, arresting blue eyes and a presence that was absolutely magnetic, it was like everything about Will was designed to trap you and leave you spellbound. Assertive as well as enigmatic, Will Kensington was the kind of person one could blindly follow anywhere. His presence itself electrified the entire room and he commanded attention in a way that one could simply not look away from him, not even for one second.

And its only then do I understand why he was considered dangerous. Because at that moment I realise that it's far easier to fall in love with Will Kensington than it is to hate him.

"It was an honour being invited." Will says sounding perfectly polite and respectful, "I sincerely apologize on behalf of the President and the First Lady who wanted to come but couldn't make it. I know Isabella and I make a rather poor substitute for them but I hope you wouldn't mind."

While Will's tone is nothing short of being absolutely and completely gracious his wording is anything but. Referring to them as the President and the First lady is a subtle yet sharp taunt and by the hard glint in my father's eye he's caught on to it.

"I perfectly understand." My father responds, "The current President must be a busy man, he has much to accomplish in such a short time. But Charles has always been an incredibly capable man so I'm sure he'll manage."

The challenge regarding the upcoming election is clear in my father's words but Will doesn't look bothered at all.

"I'm sure he'd be honoured to hear that he has your endorsement. After all a short time is better than no time at all." Will says breezily and I distinctly hear someone's glass slip from their hands and shatter on the floor.

Because this round Will had undoubtedly won. He'd cornered my father into a position which he couldn't get out of without sounding petty or arrogant. Will had used his age to his full advantage because while he could carelessly pass comments like this and would only be labelled as young, my father couldn't do the same without losing face.

"I'm glad to hear that." My father simply says, his tone still gracious and welcoming as ever but the air had become thicker with tension to a point where it was absolutely suffocating.

"I do apologize for barging in without prior notice." Will continues and then turns to look at me, "But my parents wanted me to specifically greet Miss Windsor and officially welcome her back to DC on their behalf."

I feel like a deer caught in headlights as the entire audience's attention turns towards me. I'm still unsure as to how I should interact with Will and considering the metaphorical showdown he just had with my father I don't think anybody would approve of me calling him Goldilocks or throwing a shoe at him.

No those are things that only Rebecca Reynolds could do. All Juliana Windsor could do was stiffly smile and pretend to hate him.

"That's very thoughtful of them." I say digging my nails into my palm.

"We met before, briefly." Will says and I look at him, startled, wondering if he would actually reveal what had happened in the park. His eyes are soft though and a glimmer of amusement passes through them as he says, "Unfortunately our meeting was cut short and I couldn't properly introduce myself."

And suddenly I can breathe again. Even if it's just a word, even if it's not much, even if it's practically nothing, the message behind is clear enough for me. It's the sort of subtle reassurance  that only he can give by reminding me of our first encounter. It's like he knows exactly what to say in order to ground me back.

"Yes." I respond feeling like myself again, "I am pleasantly surprised that you came, I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope."

My response is immediate, "I suppose then you'll just have to keep on hoping."

Isabella's glare my way is poorly disguised but Will doesn't look bothered at all. He simply holds my gaze, amusement now clearly reflecting in his voice,"My apologies but I don't trust sources unless they are properly cited."

And once again Will wins this round almost effortlessly and I realise that I don't mind really.

"I do hope though you give me a chance to change that though." He continues glancing at my father, "In fact my parents were hoping that your entire family could join us for dinner one day."

The timing was brilliant to say the least. With a public invitation the Kensington's looked like they were the ones who were oh so graciously waving the white flag while subsequently making sure that their offer couldn't be refused.

"We'd be delighted." My father answers, "I hope you will be staying for dinner as well today."

"Regretfully we won't be able to stay much longer." Isabella finally speaks up, "We have a flight to catch."

Something in me sinks. He was leaving again? With her?

"That's a pity." My father says,"But I do hope that you can at least stay for the masked dance, after your generous invitation this is the least we can do so I must insist that you stay."

Isabella looks like she wants to argue but Will speaks before she can say anything, "Of course. It would be our honour."

"Well then." My father turns towards the guests, "I would request everyone to put on their masks and head towards the centre of the ballroom with their partners."

The previously still room erupts with shuffling and my father still acting like the perfect host turns towards Will, "I hope you and Miss Valazquez will open."

I quickly busy myself in tying my mask grateful that it would help me hide the sheer irritation over the thought of Isabella and Will dancing together.

And when I look up I suddenly can't breathe because it all becomes very clear to me. 

I like brunette much better.

Because Will has already worn his mask.

"Actually if it's alright..." He says and turns towards me.

Romeo. Obviously.

Will looks at me his deep blue eyes shining behind the distinct white and silver mask that he wears as he puts his hand forward towards me,"May I have this dance?"

Be careful not to fall in love with me Juliet.

Too late.

°•°•● END OF ACT I ●•°•°

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Firstly I wanted to ask if anybody reading this book has never read The Guy Next Door or if they found this book before and then went on to read it. And if so how did you come across this book?

On another note Rebecca thinks a lot. A lot, lot. Which is why this book is incredibly hard to write. 

That being said do you guys like the entire Will-Rebecca pairing? Or it's still just meh? Granted it's just the beginning but still.

Anyway the next chapter will be the prologue for ACT 2 which means you'll get another short cryptic message. Although this one is much more straightforward than the other one really.

Also I know acts are supposed to end prefrably with a change in the location but instead I've chosen to end the act according to the change in pace/tone of the story.

Some acts will be longer than others and the main reason is that it's easier to divide the story into parts if there is a *coughs* change in narrator *coughs* but who knows?