My Cousin's Final, Perfect Trap

My cousin, Blair Thorne, loved to test my boyfriends.

No matter how many times I refused, she would insist.

Once she successfully seduced one, she’d dump him immediately.

Then, she would post on Instagram, implying that the man wasn't good enough for a Thorne.

When Blair tried her old tricks again, she didn't realize she was walking straight into a trap I had meticulously set.

It was a trap she couldn't escape, one sealed by her own greed and jealousy.

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1

My cousin, Blair Thorne, had been divorced for three years.

However, thanks to a joint investment fund from her ex-husband, Marcus Sterling, she still funded her lavish lifestyle as an Upper East Side socialite.

I heard she spent nights with cover models in the Hamptons and used her no-limit black card to bankroll any pretty boy she fancied.

To the outside world, she was living the perfect, enviable life.

Recently, she found her next prey—my boyfriend of six months, Preston Vaughn.

I wasn't surprised Blair caught wind of him so quickly.

After all, my social-climbing mother, Judith Hayes, had happened to run into him at a charity luncheon at the Long Island country club and couldn't wait to parade him around.

If my mom had a fatal flaw, it was her obsessive envy and constant need for one-upmanship.

Blair had married well—so well that even after her divorce, she had more money than she could ever spend.

My aunt, Meredith Thorne, loved to flaunt Blair's success and her collection of Hermès Birkin bags in front of my mother.

So, my mom made it her mission to find me a husband who would outshine Marcus in every way.

Consequently, my romantic life—or lack thereof—became one of her greatest anxieties.

I first met Preston at an industry cocktail party in Manhattan.

He exuded the quiet confidence of old money. It took me over half a year, wading through a sea of debutantes, just to catch his eye.

He was younger and far more handsome than Marcus.

And if that wasn't enough, Preston was also richer.

As a potential son-in-law, he checked all of my mother's materialistic boxes.

She couldn't wait to show him off in the family group chat.

In fact, she even declared that I would be getting engaged soon.

When I saw the compliments flooding my screen, I rubbed my temples in exasperation.

I immediately sent a smiling emoji to the group, then typed, "It's not that serious yet. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

My mom instantly replied with a candid photo she'd taken of Preston dropping me home in his Lamborghini, retorting, "Not serious? A man this handsome and rich, and you're telling me it's not serious? Camila, are you out of your mind?"

Blair immediately chimed in, "Wow, Camila. Where did you find such a handsome guy? Want me to… test him out for you?"

I didn't bother replying. I knew she would do whatever she wanted, whether I agreed or not.

Little did she know, this time, I had something special in store for her.

On the very first day we started dating, I pretended to casually warn Preston about Blair.

I told him she was beautiful, cunning, and the undisputed queen of the New York social scene—a dangerous woman who lived for the thrill of the chase.

I also told him she had a habit of contacting my boyfriends behind my back.

Preston teased me, "Are you afraid I'll fall for her?"

I just smiled faintly, leaned my head obediently on his shoulder, and replied, "No, I'm just worried she'll eat you alive. After all, she’s left a trail of my heartbroken exes in her wake."

He pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head as he comforted me. "I promise you, that won't happen this time. I only want you, Camila."

He seemed to take my warning to heart.

When Blair first sent him a direct message on Instagram, he ignored her.

He even complained to me about her repeatedly. "Your cousin Blair is like gum on my shoe. She won't stop hitting me up from burner accounts, sending invites to all these random parties."

I kissed his cheek and praised him in an adoring tone, "Well, you'd better stay strong. Don't you dare reply to her. She's a master at this game."

Without a second thought, he ignored another one of Blair's DMs, then looked into my eyes and said, "My parents want to meet you at Thanksgiving next month. I've been singing your praises to them, so they're really eager to finally meet you."

"They keep saying we've been dating for six months, and they don't even know what you look like."

My body tensed slightly. I ruffled his hair. "Just give me a little more time, okay? I'm swamped with a project. I promise I’ll meet your parents properly as soon as it’s done."

"You don't have to be nervous. Believe me, my parents will be thrilled just to have you show up. We can just have a meal at one of my family's new hotels."

Perhaps seeing that Preston was consistently ignoring her, Blair grew impatient. She suddenly announced she was coming to New York for a fashion show and wanted to stay with me for a few days.

I flatly refused.

Unfortunately, my mother was desperate to show off the new apartment Preston had rented for me in Tribeca.

She eagerly gave Blair my spare key.

As a result, when I dragged myself home after working overtime, I was greeted by the sight of Blair and Preston sitting side-by-side on the custom sofa in my living room.

They were both quietly scrolling on their phones.

The moment Preston saw me, he shot up from the sofa and pulled me into the bedroom.

"I swear I didn't even look at her," he complained, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "How the hell did she get a key? I thought the security here was airtight! This is unbelievable."