ter

untdow

gowns lined up in the private suite of an upsca

. Lace that looked like

her, pinning, adjusting, offeri

hirped. "It has the silhou

of heels with enough sp

n didn

's life. Someone who had grown up in penthouses, not apa

ice low but firm. "Can I

ead stylist blinked, th

pering behind t

t on the velvet bench, wedding dress tr

we

r Th

mera crews. Luxury vehicles came and went. Fabric samples littered the halls. Staff whi

le layouts, cake tastings, press briefings. Ever

air had a

gs she didn't understand-because ever

was n

e's

y's Midtown tower, phone pressed to his ear, voice cl

ore his father

sion about Allison had to be cleared through five people before he c

the timeline for

time, he wondered if he

he saw it, in her eyes last night on the terra

tended was to make her feel l

again. This time,

n't what you imagined. If y

a reply. But se

than he car

Eve

d away from the mayhem to FaceTime her moth

like you've bee

, curling up in a chair with a

like the

now anymore. Th

n pick the one that make

e I remember

hung for

aking a mistake?" A

rying someone who doesn't respect you. And f

inked. "Yo

u. And I see the way you look when you talk about

ip. "What if it's

lways do," Rose said. "But

ight

ner at the Wi

s, and an orchestra soft enough to sound expensive but not d

ite dress. Her makeup was flawless, hair swept back. She looked li

ded family, old business partners, jou

one murmured behind

re if it was admi

ght on cue. He looked sharp

he asked und

tomatically.

He gestured vaguely toward

dry laugh. "I've m

ke he was fighting a smile. "Th

on't kn

aid, tone shifting. "They

p at him. "A

angled toward her, subtly shielding her from ano

s mother, elegant and

e that didn't reach her eyes. "

ell for each other,"

ws lifted slight

away, already moving

led slowly.

a test," Kyle mut

by wine glasses and polite applaus

e said. "And the po

llison caught the way h

Not busi

e. Something

d her to the elevator, hands i

ght before everythin

omorrow we bec

adline," he sa

aught her

d respond, the

her. Didn't e

between them, they held