The Ashley Project Read online

  The private elevator that opened directly into the apartment dinged.

  “Hey, Ash, right on time as usual,” A. A. called, looking up with a grin that soon disappeared from her pretty face.

  Because when the elevator doors opened, and Ashley—cool, blond, and stylishly dressed, as usual—strolled in, she wasn’t alone. Holding her hand in the most lame and embarrassing way, and gazing up at her with adoring puppy-dog eyes, as though they were actually, yuckily, in love, was Tri Fitzpatrick.

  MELISSA DE LA CRUZ is the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of many books, including the Beach Lane series; the Blue Bloods series, which has 3 million copies in print; and the Witches of East End series, which is now an hour-long drama on the Lifetime network. Frozen, the frst book in her new fantasy series, Heart of Dread, is cowritten with her husband. She is a former journalist and has written for Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Marie Claire, and Allure. Melissa attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco, which served as an inspiration for the school in the Ashley Project series. She currently lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her family.

  ALADDIN

  Simon & Schuster, New York

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  Don’t miss the next Ashley Project book:

  Social Order

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ALADDIN

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  This Aladdin hardcover edition June 2014

  Text copyright © 2008 by Melissa de la Cruz

  Previously titled The Ashleys

  Jacket illustration copyright © 2014 by Jason Brooks

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Also available in an Aladdin paperback edition.

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  Jacket design by Jessica Handelman

  Interior design by Mike Rosamilia

  Jacket illustration copyright © 2014 by Jason Brooks

  The text of this book was set in Adobe Caslon Pro.

  Library of Congress Control Number 2014935261

  ISBN 978-1-4424-9033-8 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-0666-6 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4424-9034-5 (eBook)