more than just a party; it was the si

splay of power, wealth

display, my spine rigid, wearing a silk dr

owd, shaking hands, playing the part o

she walke

r

ve crimson that clashed violently with

as like looking into

ipping with false sweetness. "It's so

been introduced," I s

loser, invading my personal space with a cloud of

es

ght, tinkling sound that grated against my nerves.

than I look,"

He's amazing, isn't he? So protective. He cleared my brother's g

med to tilt b

thou

was tight this quarter b

eeded to cut back o

ty thousand fo

ees," I managed to say, though my g

," she said, dropping the pr

stomach, then back at my

shame you couldn't give him one. But don't

e rise in

t just a

as hi

s his

aceholder until t

thing alr

ut through the te

between me and Aria with a flas

ett," Aria said, beaming at

rd. "Aria, go find your s

trailing a hand across his arm

to me, reachi

you?" he demanded, hi

about Rico's

ett

er brother is a runner for

it," I

him, really

tched into the l

the ar

ht I was

ed by love that I would s

he warned, his grip tightenin

cene," I said calmly.

y hand awa

g to the

ng his cuffs nervously. "My fa

lked

go to the

o the co

t my

he hotel, past the security guar

he city noise washing over

buzzed in

text from

? Father is a

n't r

d off m

led a

my life, I didn't care

about the fami

ld emptiness spreadi

sn't

he death

was strangel