via

igner gowns, a glittering shark tank where teeth we

table, a ghost d

n the room. The photographers' flashes were relentless, a strobe

and lifeless. The caviar on the cracker before

cooed, leaning

gh to carry to the neighboring

iron? You really should take better care of y

in the air between us

lo

s until my knuckles turned white. "I'm

," Marcus

mber liquid coat the glass. "You're wasting your time with that art h

, my voice steady despite the tremor in my

straight to the zoning committee," Marcus

sessive hand on

instinct for the

drain from my fac

ought the Louvre was a

y voice barely a w

to say my mind was the sexiest thing about me. Now, I was not

hed under the tablecloth and squee

lass of wat

es fixed straight ahead. "Do

ing my system. It helped settle the na

out of here. Every second felt like I was losing oxygen,

utside. A summer storm wa

night in SoHo. We were caught in a downpour. Marcus had str

than let a drop touch

the street to spit on

ight cut through the di

and, lacing their fingers togethe

ugh the speakers, commanding the room. "Thank you

I braced myself agains

Isabella and I will be marrie

was deafening, a ph

dn't

ce was a mask of porcelain calm. Inside, however, the

Whispers behind hands. *Poor Olivia.

r the cover of the heavy tabl

tacts. I scroll

k Cal

tagram. *Unf

ly group chat. *L

to sever three years

tiflingly warm, but I was freezing. My teeth

ld myself. *I am not

ie down. The band struc

too

er asked, concern

aving,"

at Izzy. I turned my back on the head table

vy double doors and step

sheets. It was a deluge, a

have an

nstantly, turning the silk heavy and dark. It plast

dn't

he rain wash over my face. It f

y hall, my father l

is?" David asked, his

shed. For a split second, his mask slippe

ing to the surface. "It's the best choic

he pouring rain. I was shiver

allowed to fall. It blurred the streetl

see the pa

rcus ahead. The

or the first time in a l