Staring at her, Ruby drew her finely arched eyebrows together. “You don’t look well.”
Ariana jerked her hand back. “I’m fine. Just stressed over…everything,” she said, finishing with a wave of her hand.
Ruby stared at her, which elevated Ariana’s heart rate even more. “You don’t have to do this,” Ruby said evenly.
“No? Then what else could I possibly do? This is my life.” Ariana pushed back from the table and lurched toward the pool. Feeling light-headed, she stumbled on a step. Flailing, she felt herself falling. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ruby racing toward her.
When Ariana came to, Stefano was kneeling beside her. His fingers were pressed on her wrist, monitoring her pulse, while Ruby was adjusting a cushion from a chair beneath her head.
“You fainted, and you nearly had a
