Chapter 1
One
GIA
“Gia?”
The sound of a stranger calling her name yanked Gia back to the present. Mortification flared. She was standing outside the airport, and an older man was watching her with concern. How long had she been rooted there, lost in thought?
The past few days blurred together in an overwhelming mix of indecision, tears, hyperventilating, and more tears.
She’d holed up in her apartment, ordering food daily and giving the housekeeper the week off so she could hide.
She needed time to figure out the next steps.
And to let her bruises—which were now an attractive mixture of green and yellow—and swelling fade.
Eventually, she gave in to the voice in her head urging her to book a flight back to Willowbrook.
She’d ignored the more alluring voice—the one whispering to call Alex for something to help her take the edge off. Anything to help her weather this downward spiral. Mental, professional, and personal—entirely of her own making. There was no way she could ever bounce back from this. Not this time.
She had burned the bridge, and there was no turning back for her.
“You’re going to regret this, you dumb bitch.”
“Gia?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. That’s me.” She was grateful the man snapped her out of the memory. She met the kind, brown eyes of a dark-skinned man, his salt-and-pepper brows furrowed.
“I’m here to take you to your destination.”
“Oh. Right. Thank you.” Her cheeks heated. He probably thought she was a scatterbrain. An airhead celebrity.
She nearly forgot about the car service her assistant, Kim, had booked.
When Gia called in the middle of the night, Kim hadn’t even sounded surprised to hear her crying.
After all, Kim had been her assistant for years, longer than anyone else before her.
Kim was also trained to recognize when “vacation” meant rehab.
Months at a luxurious rehab had almost stitched Gia back together. But that was a while ago. Now, it felt like all her hard work had been for nothing. She was unraveling. The fragile seams were fraying. The broken girl beneath them was starting to show again.
When she called Kim, Gia half expected to be ordered back to rehab. Instead, Kim booked her flight and car to Willowbrook—with the condition that she check in regularly.
Kim knew little about Gia’s life back home. She never talked about it, but Gia told herself reconnecting with her roots would help her center herself.
A lie that tasted like ash.
Going home might shatter her completely. Still, she couldn’t ignore the pull anymore. Minh’s voice had been soft but insistent.
“Come home, Gia Huy.”
It sounded like the answer to all of her problems. But Gia knew better. It was a double-edged sword.
The darkness had lived inside her since she’d left Willowbrook, starting as a shadow and growing each day into a chasm. Therapy, medication, mindfulness—none of it kept it at bay for long. If it grew any further, it would consume everything.
Just let go.
Her eyes snapped open. She hadn’t even realized she’d dozed off in the back seat of the SUV. Carson, the driver, had introduced himself and loaded her bags, and now the radio hummed softly as exhaustion claimed her.
The journey to Willowbrook had been long, with several connections.
Her body ached. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep for a few days.
Traveling incognito was familiar by now, but covering the healing bruises on her face and neck had required extra effort.
Strategic hair placement, heavy makeup, and oversized sunglasses had done the job.
Fortunately, there were no paparazzi waiting outside her apartment. At least, none she’d seen.
The story hadn’t broken yet.
But it would. It was only a matter of time before her name was splashed across the tabloids. Again.
Yay.
She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, internally mocking the joke her life had become. This was the life she’d wanted when she left her hometown. She’d dreamed about the fame, the glitz, the runway lights, and the red carpets.
Ever since Gia could remember, she’d dreamed of being a supermodel—strutting the runway and becoming a household name. Breaking through the glass ceiling for Asian women and working with the top designers in the industry. Giving little girls who looked like her hope that they could do it too.
Gia went from modeling gig to gig. Went to any available casting in the area and waited tables in skimpy outfits between jobs to keep herself fed.
She’d climbed the career ladder from modeling to acting, starting with cameos until a breakout role in a romantic drama blasted her into the spotlight in the film industry. While she’d starred in a few films, the biggest break in her career had presented itself a few months ago.
After many rounds of auditions, Jerry guaranteed she was set to land a blockbuster role with an all-star cast. The dream job. All she had to do was meet the executive producer to finalize the contract.
Jerry had reassured her it was a simple meeting to seal the deal and sign her name on the line.
But it hadn’t been so simple.
At the memory, panic surged in her chest—the all-too-familiar pressure was sharp-edged and suffocating. Her thoughts threatened to spiral until her phone buzzed in her hand.
Perfect timing.
Inhaling deeply to calm her nerves, Gia answered, keeping her voice low and artificially bright. “Hi, Kim.” She cringed at how forced it sounded, even to her own ears.
“Gia, did Carson find you okay?” Kim’s tone was cool, but concern threaded beneath it.
“Yep, I’m with him now. Thanks for setting everything up.”
“Sure thing. So, uh…” Kim hesitated. “I couldn’t get you a hotel in Willowbrook…”
Gia groaned. Of course. She’d forgotten how small her hometown was.
“What happened to the Willowbrook Inn?”
“They’re undergoing renovations. Off-season maintenance or something,” Kim explained, sounding frustrated. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just stay with my family,” Gia blurted, not thinking it through. The regret in Kim’s voice made her want to appease her.
Although Gia hadn’t visited home in years, it should be okay. Probably a little awkward, but manageable.
“Are you sure? The next closest hotel is over an hour away.”
Gia chewed her thumbnail. She wanted to go home, but not like this. No neutral zone to retreat to when it all became too much. The lack of control gnawed at her. A sheen of sweat collected along her hairline. Her breathing grew erratic.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Listen, I’ll call you later. I-I have to go.” Her arm felt like lead as she ended the call with shaky fingers.
The panic attacks had grown more frequent in the past week. She knew the routine by now, which gave her a false sense of control. Unfortunately, managing the attacks was a different story.
She closed her eyes and focused on gentle-paced breathing, whispering her mantra.
Breathe in, then out for three, two, one. Breathe in, then out for four, five, six.
Gia focused on her feet on the floorboard, grounding herself in the moment. Slowly, the darkness receded. The sound in her ears dulled. Her heart rate steadied.
When she opened her eyes again, the sun broke through the clouds. Thank God for sunglasses—though the sweat beading her forehead betrayed her anxiety. She rummaged in her designer bag for a tissue with trembling hands. The soft cloth mopped up the evidence, but not the deep exhaustion in her bones.
I am so over this day.
She sniffed as despair rolled over her like a wave. The kind that never left. She let the tears fall, fat and hot, splashing onto her lap. She didn’t bother wiping them away.
Eventually, the tears would stop, and she would feel hollow again. A mere husk of a human being.
Getting clean had been the hardest part. When she’d felt like this before, she’d gotten high. It lifted her, made her feel powerful. As if she were on top of the world instead of being dragged under by it. She’d felt happy. Until she didn’t. The crash always followed. Harder, deeper.
Multi-day benders helped avoid the crash, but only temporarily. Eventually, she’d run out of drugs, or she’d need to sober up for a job. She drew a line there. No drugs during work. The strict boundary kept her career alive. Until it didn’t.
“Miss? Are you okay?”
Carson’s voice broke through her thoughts. She turned from the window to see him offering her a box of tissues. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. She hadn’t realized he’d noticed.
Sniffing, she took the tissues and murmured her thanks. He nodded silently, saying no more.
Gia sank back into the seat.
Hey, at least I’m still here.
Here, as in still alive. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Her phone buzzed on the seat next to her. Grabbing it, she saw a text from Minh.
Minh
Kim just called. I’ll get your room ready for you. The kids are excited to see their auntie. See you soon.
A small smile touched her lips. She was thankful, once again, for Kim’s foresight.
Minh and her family lived with their parents in the house Gia had grown up in.
Her nieces had taken over her old bedroom.
It would be cramped, but Minh was clearing space for her.
Knowing it was temporary and she would have a private space eased some of her earlier anxiety.
Thank you. See you soon, Gia typed, then tucked her phone away.
She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes.
Maybe with some sleep, things wouldn’t seem so bleak. Maybe.
That was the dangerous thing about getting your hopes up… the higher the climb, the farther the fall.