pte

Cost

at her. Behind her, bridesmaids fluttered like doves caught in a storm-zipping, pinning, fixing smiles with trembling hands. The brid

think vows wi

ts painting her skin gold. The Luna Hart Not Camille Whitmore. Not Ethan's beloved. merely a desperate persona whose exi

it's time to go," mistaking the tension fo

she could be more than her past. She wanted to tell him the truth loud and clear of all lies so t

s sank into the soft carpet. Outside, the limousine idled.

forums. He did not require a scandal or a gun. Just timing. He knew C

see what kind of b

Luna's heartbeat was heard by all. Luna. Luna. White knuckles, she squeezed her bouquet like a lifelin

e. Not unless you're re

reath

ut walking down

ized grace. She was the ideal bride with tailored Dior gowns, ivory silk gloves, and a smile that warmed the icy circles of Manhattan's elite. Her upcoming wedding to Edward Blackstone III, heir to a prestigi

chanteuse who lit up Delancey Street's Club Reverie, a jazz club hidden behind a dry cleaner. Velvet was raw, seductive, and untamed there, under crimson lights and whis

forget it. He'd murmur, like a warning and a kiss, "You owe me, Luna." "I'll come to collect one day." Now, weeks before her wedding, the lines between Luna and Velvet began to blur. Each time she practi

and her new identity for years. However, the carefully planned elegance, the gold cage, and the

una, with love, written in looping cursive on the outside. Inside was a photograph-blurry, grainy, unmistakable.

e unmistakable ink of Nico Fe

ed against her ribcage, adrenaline flooding like acid. Her mind

think it's funny?" He was dragged into the alley behind

always going to run. The only thing I did was make sure you r

n't come back-unless I n

Blackstone ports. Weapons. My rivals are using your fiancé's company to

stunned. "You want m

like a silk noose. If what Nico said was true, then Edward wasn't just the golden boy of shipping. He was either a pawn, a front, or, even worse, a partner in

una got back to her house, she found Edward waiting in the study with his tie untied, sipping

trembling. "Just

ng her. "Strange. I thought

e f

erve her? D

etended not to notice the security Edward added to their home. At night, she crept back into Club Reverie, gatheri

than just the ports. He was orc

ry morning as if she were his salv

er into her dress. No handwriting. merely a written line: You are b

w. She was caught between two deadly worl

ould let her g