eld at the most luxuri

overhead, silk gowns brus

, the evening was alr

dn't show

corner, a glass of

drifted t

Griffin? Why di

intern lately. Takes her everywhere. Doesn't ev

If I were her, I'd

rried into the Griffin family by p

tongues were always

. I would have felt small, slipped in

e nothing mor

agne and let my gaze sweep

they fell silent

e near the

iffin's

oked

d finally

a white suit, poli

er than Jasmine-the so-

own, its hem studded with crystals

zed it in

ustein last month. He had told

t had found a

a proud peacock, a triumph

sily. When his eyes landed o

ine's hand and h

ked up two glasses of red w

ad something urgent come up. He insisted I bring his cousin alon

us a

eeded a convenient stand-in, Ma

respond, Jasm

smiled sweetly and held out a glass of wine. "Mrs. Griffin, le

nd

onvenien

e glass. I simpl

igh fee for personal gui

n froze, her eyes r

I think you've

oser, as if to

s brushed mine, her h

ard me as if l

ively step

h-

entirely, she crashed straigh

final auction it

antique porc

g in a sharp, ringing explosion t

nce

ds, her palm sliced open, blood

tears streaming down

sh me? I know you don't like

d over to lift Jasmine up,

or tonight's auction! The starting bid is fifty million dollars! You're making

thered, m

. The Griffins are goi

her in public. How

ass at

rian's eyes pierc

Didn't check the cameras. He

nothing more than

now unrecognizable, and felt the final

slowly and smoothed

n dollars, is

ont of Adrian a

d secure the Skycrown Spire landmark p

red at me,

ughed in d

Skycrown Palace, I'll agree to the

It's

the crowd and t

nst the windows, lightnin

that had lain dorm

sor, I'