Beneath the Velvet Lie

E

ssian Wolfhart flash a disarming smile for the press-suited,

camera was a lie

en-figure empire was the man res

ent's chipped walls. Outside, the city moaned through traffic and neon. But inside, a

ee... it was planned. They r

old tea I hadn't touched in hours. On-screen,

arency, innovation, and human-first technology.

ega

roken and suicidal. Legacies didn't scrub thei

arade-but then he turned. Just a glance towar

rrogance and midnight charm-but because I swore he knew. Knew someone,

taring into the ho

for you,"

d. Not the star-struck social

that smiled while it pulled the rug out from under you. I was going to ruin him, from the

Ma

idn't make it throug

picked it up-an encrypted message blinkin

is live. You've got an invite. Th

a-Reyna Lancaster, tech heiress and investor-had been accepted

l the shift

ee

il I met the w

a scar above my dresser. My reflection met me-green eyes sharp,

ned. Da

now," I told myself, barely ab

Wolfhart would b

the truth bene