ainst the hotel windows like a secret trying to get in, casting soft gold across the rug where Lu

a man with Th

a manipulation or another thread in Lucien's carefully spun web, but deep d

al shift dress Camilla had laid out with no lipstick. J

dining area, Camilla was already there

gala tonight. It is themed black tie and Cocktail hour. I

ee and didn't look up. "W

e cousin passed from leukemia at age eight. He's made

ned just slightly. Still, she lifted her cup with steady

miss a beat. "And Lucien expects

her cup down with quiet finali

. She just tapped the screen again a

, and curated elegance. Waiters moved like shadows through

rings catching light as cameras flashed wildly. She hated how effortlessly beautiful she looked. And Lucien, however, waited

aid under his breat

if I wanted to

out hesitation, she took it

, composed, and controlled. The press circled but never touched as

d in and murmured, "You should bid on s

ng sculpture, and scrawled a bid just above the start

eches and rehearsed smiles, Elena felt the growing tensio

y during dessert, retreating to the edge of the balcony where the noise faded under city

le

tu

two glasses in his hand. One fo

ir," she sa

he drink. "Y

tead, she asked, "Who w

umb. "The one wi

es

. "I think it was

no one ta

e s

d you're still claim

ink. "I didn

d n

till figur

to leave, only to freeze as a loud gasp echoed from

nd getting there. They pushed through

nt for donor highlights, a grainy surveillance image of her and

silence afterward was deafening. People began whispering as

ch dropped. Her name, her body, and her privacy w

steel, but she barely registered him

the ballroom, Lucien paced while Camilla too

pped. "A planted file triggered

bench, trembl

ached. "I'll

ty. "You can't fix ever

said. "It affects the entire a

cut in. "There's

le

etending thi

her, voice low. "I didn'

she said, standing. "It's

uch fury, and this made her realize tha