f smiles, their eyes flickering between her and Caden as though silently cataloging her flaws, measuring her a

exhau

throbbed from too many polite nothings. She'd clung to Caden's side like a lifeline, but eve

and she'd seen a glimpse of the man beneath the heir to an empire. She wasn't foolish enough to think

speaking with his father. She watched them from a distance, noting the sharp, clipped gestures of Graham

y?" a voice mur

night-blue gown that shimmered under the chandeliers. Her hair

know you?" Serena

ld." The woman extende

n the society columns for reasons ranging from scandalous affairs to abrupt takeovers of faili

er hand, wary.

nsettlingly pleasant. "I've h

t was charming," Se

and musical. "Oh, darl

rifted to where Caden and his father stood. "Careful w

rowned.

they don't tolerate surprises. If you've got any skeletons

's spine. "Thanks for t

kindness. We outsiders have

into the crowd, leaving Serena

ment later, his fac

use was tense, neither of them speaking. Serena could sense the storm brewing in him, but she

aden was out before the driver could open the door. Serena

ton for the top floor. The doors slid s

me what that was abou

her. "You don't nee

ad

it's n

ngue. She didn't know him well enough to push, not yet. And desp

se, dimly lit with city lights bleeding through floor-to-ceiling

, half as a peace offering, half becau

hair, tension radiating from

anyway. The act of boiling water, selecting

aden's voice came, quiet now. "My fath

kettle still in

you'll ruin my credibility with th

pulse spiking. "And

r gaze. "I t

ion settled between

e my PR team thinks it's a good look. Because..." He exhaled a humorless laugh. "Because

She hadn't expected honest

ad

dn't sign up for my baggage. But I need y

stand in front of him. "You don't have to a

for a beat before he cleared hi

mething electric lingered

ea. "You should try it. It

ed. "I don'

ht, yo

miled. A real one. Sma

of whispered threats and sharpened smiles, Serena felt li