Thank you to my girl Emily, Emb210, for her comment on Chapter Twenty-Three! breaking the fourth wall, guys, we're all still in the maze!! 🌲

"Everything is a contract to Penelope," Ella continued. "From her agent to her photographers to her supposed boyfriend."

"What?" I felt like I'd just been dipped in ice. Penelope had been insane to hire someone to stalk her boyfriend, yeah, but literally hiring her boyfriend to begin with? It was one crazy contract after another.

"It started in high school. She wanted a hot boy to pose with for her Instagram pics. Think about it. He's a man of few words, he was a star baseball player, and popular. The perfect paper boyfriend."

"How do you know he's not just saying that?"

She cocked a brow. "Because he showed me proof. The contract."

"Wait, isn't Cole's family rich? Why would he need money from her?"

She shook her head. "The Kensington's aren't really rich. But Poppy and Cole are."

"Poppy's in on it too?"

For a moment, her eyes softened from their hard focus, and the crazy energy she'd had dissolved. "I'm pretty sure Poppy is oblivious."

"So she has you, me, and Cole as her pawns," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

"There's more."

Another thing clicked. I didn't need to question it. He'd been defending Cole's actions from the start. "Felix."

"He was her photographer in high school. And Cole's best friend. She had them both. And then, because she's a crazy bitch who can't find them on her own, she paid Jada to be her friend."

"Jada?"

Ella nodded. "It was literally her perfectly created friendship circle. Jada and Poppy were already friends. Poppy's twin was dating her. Poppy got roped into Penelope's game. And now, seeing as Penelope's manipulation payed off and she's jet-setting the world, her toys are here misbehaving. Hence, us."

"Shit," I said slowly. It made sense. It would make Penelope paranoid enough for us to watch over Cole. If they were never even dating, then of course he'd want to date someone else in secret. I suddenly felt sorry for Jada and Cole. They weren't betraying Penelope by being together. They were being together in spite of Penelope. "And Cole just told you all of this?"

"He's been trying to get out of it all year," Ella said. "Apparently Penelope's money supply is enough to extend to lawyers and corrupt cops."

"But what can she do, like, physically? They're not going to arrest someone for failing to pretend to be a good boyfriend."

Ella shrugged. "That may be so, but it's scared them into submission for all this time."

"Shit," I said again. This was so much worse than I thought.

"You should have let me just play that video last night," Ella said. "Maybe the world would have known how fake she really was if they saw her boyfriend and best friend getting it on."

I shook my head. "It'd only make it worse. Do Cole and Jada really deserve that?"

"To be free? Sure," Ella said. "The thing is, I still think they could be. All Penelope has to do is dump him. Then she wouldn't need to keep him under control. Not any of us."

"Penelope is too dangerous," I said. "I don't think you realize the damage she could do. She knows things about us we probably haven't even thought of."

"Look, I know she messed you up last night, but what about Felix? What about Cole and Jada? Don't you want revenge?"

Revenge was tempting. Of course it was. But what were we going to do? Penelope probably had a handful of countermoves ready to go. She'd proven that last night.

"You've already lost everything, right?"

The money. Felix. None of that could matter anymore. Ella was right.

My bed was cold when I returned. My mind was spinning with the news—it felt like I'd lived in some weird social experiment the last six weeks. Maybe that's what this really was, some black mirror episode where everyone is controlled.

Penelope's greatest fear was losing control over the people in her life. I figured she had to be pretty scared to keep all these people around who didn't care about her. I knew from the start she was in a toxic place, but I thought that was from a rocky relationship, not this level of insecurity.

She was an only child born into a ridiculously rich family, but she must have struggled to make friends. It must be lonely. To have everything between her and those she was supposed to care about be a lie.

But, I guess, I was the same. I'd lied to Felix this whole time, and he might just be the only person I'd ever felt this way about. I'd really blown it.

It was starting to rain outside, and I straightened so I could watch the fat droplets run down my window. Maybe I'd get out of here and find somewhere better to live. Work harder to find a job that was actually legitimate. Or even just stay here and accept the fact I didn't deserve any better.

I wondered if Felix and Paisley had made up. After all, she'd broken his heart. He must have loved her. And if she didn't really cheat on him, what reason did he have to even hear me out?

As if my thoughts were enough to conjure him, my phone began vibrating and his name appeared on the screen. I jumped to my feet, staring at it for a few long moments before it rang out. Crap, why hadn't I picked it up?

The answer to that was easy. I was a coward.

Bullshit you're a coward, the other half of my mind argued.

I shook off my desire to give in and called him back.

"Josie." He said my name as a sigh rather than a greeting.

"Hi," I replied. My voice was small.

The line was silent for a little while. "Can we talk?"

I looked out into the darkness again. I'd only just come back from talking with Ella, and I was supposed to be at class tomorrow. But showing up and seeing him tomorrow before we had the chance to talk was even more daunting.

"Alright."

"Well, I'm already in your parking lot, so..."

As I descended the stairs the knot in my stomach told me this might truly be the end.

I sat in Felix's car staring at the bare-branched trees outside for a long time. We were both playing chicken with who should speak first.

"I—"

"Maybe—"

And of course, we both chose the wrong time.

"You go," he said, before I had the chance to say the same.

I sighed, the motion bringing a lump to my throat. "I need to tell you the full story."

Felix nodded. I watched as he brushed a thick lock of hair back behind is ear as his brows scrunched in concentration.

"I've been lying to you this entire time," I said, the words feeling like blades in my chest.

"I figured as much when I met your husband."

Was that the smallest hint of sarcasm in his tone? I brushed it off. It was likely just me clinging to any possible glimmer of hope he could offer.

"There's more I've been hiding than that," I muttered. I took another breath. Then another. "I didn't take your seat in class because I had a crush in you. I did it because I was spying on Cole."

"For Penelope," Felix finished, when I didn't.

"I didn't know what I was getting myself into, I just needed the money and she offered so much cash for something that seemed so simple. I didn't realize who she was or what she was capable of, or that I'd get in so deep, not only with her and Cole, but with you—"

His hand fell to my knee and I caught myself from rambling, my heart wilting.

"I thought it might be something like that," he said sadly. He looked away, taking his hand with him as he broke our touch. "Now I'm going to sound like the asshole."

I waited for him to gather his thoughts, biting my lip.

"I knew there was something weird. Not because of anything you did—but I know the ways Penelope controls us. She's almost... protective. Even though she has all this fame she still needs us together. Her parents were never there for her, so I think in some ways we've always been her only family."

He took a rattled breath. I wanted to reach out and take his hand, looping my fingers into them. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"I had my guard up, and when you started seeming interested in us, I became interested in you. I tried to distract you, keeping you close. I took you to my house on a date to keep you away from Cole and Jada. I tried to make it so there was nothing to report—I kept Cole on his best behavior and tried to prove we were okay. And then I actually started to get to know you. It's one big cliché, but I tried so hard not to let this happen."

I held my breath.

"Anyway. It doesn't matter now."

Because of Nicholas Clemonte, or Paisley? I couldn't tell at this point.

"We both played each other," I said finally. It should have made me angry, and relieved some of my heartbreak. But it only made me feel worse. This was all fake.

"Are you really married to that guy?" he said, suddenly looking to me. There was a quietness to his voice I couldn't decipher.

"No," I said finally. "It's all my parents. They stole my identity to try and access his family's secrets. We were together once... a long time ago. But I don't feel the same way about him, I'm not sure I ever really did..."

Even after seeing Nic again at the party, the French golden boy of our high school and the heir to a fortune that piqued my parents greed, I had known that in my heart. I had loved the companionship, the approval of my parents, the firsts we'd shared. But I never loved Nic. Those feelings couldn't compare to the butterflies that swarmed at every thought of Felix.

He gave a soft laugh, oblivious to the depth of my thoughts. "Wow, I didn't realize how bad it was for you and your parents. Penelope really knows how to mess things up."

I gave a sad smile in return. "She thought I was getting too close to you."

Outside, it began to pour again, and fog began creeping up the edge of the windows.

"Which is why she admitted to Paisley what she did so we could work things out. We're all like... her dolls. Puppets, or something."

I closed my eyes, a fresh shred of flesh ripping from my heart at his mention of Paisley.

"And now she has what she wants," I whispered. "She knows about Jada and Cole. She's outcasted me, and Ella will probably be next..."

"Ella?"

Oh shit.

Felix had already put the pieces together, pulling at his hair with frustration. "Ella is in on this too?"

I hesitated before nodding. Somehow, he had managed to stay calm until now. Now he was pissed.

"She even has Poppy under control," he said, anger hardening his tone. "Poppy was the one person who genuinely liked Penelope without having a freaking contract and she's playing games with her now too?"

I couldn't answer him. Maybe, like me actually caring for Felix, Ella genuinely liked Poppy. I mean, she seemed completely into her. But Ella was a wildcard. I couldn't tell.

"We need to do something," I whispered. As defeated as I felt, Ella's reminder that I didn't have much to lose anymore was still true. But, with a pang of sadness, I realized the people I cared about did. Because I cared about them. All of them.

Suddenly, Felix was starting up his car. I couldn't read his expression. He'd been pretty good at keeping himself collected and not showing how pissed he was, but I knew he was. I'd betrayed him hard.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the one person who just might be able to get under Penelope's skin."