:00 a.m. sharp. Her expression suggest

y by 8:00 a.m. for etiquette

ined with mirrors. A severe woman introduced

uler. "Shoulders back. Chin parallel to the floor. Imagine

hed. The r

avering. You adore Mr. Thorne. You

ation for a man whose touch still burned like frost

bled in four-inch stilettos. "Fluid.

hought, catching her reflection-pale,

fork. Salad fork. Dessert fork. Memorize them. Mistake the seafood fork for the snail fork at the g

iny, cold fork. The threat was a n

dow. Lily, under Madame Dubois's hawkish gaze, navigated a mock dinner setting,

unced, her tone implying

" A lie. She'd avoided the haunting

Knowledgeably." He tossed a heavy book onto the table. "The Lives of the Great Composers. Read Cha

lead. "Do I need to be Chopin, or just soun

shing. "Project competence. Not comedy. Fail, and the Vega Protocol for Clara

weight of expectation crushing. Project competenc

raped back her hair into a severe, gleaming chignon. They painted her face-sharp contour, smoky eyes, lips stained blood-red. T

utiful in a brittle, artificial way. The girl from the diner, the one with paint u

t like a second skin, emphasizing his powerful shoulders and lean waist. His ic

ad I meet the minimum standard,"

ering his arm. It wasn't a request. "Remember: You are besott

nfusing mix of revulsion and unwanted awareness. He radiated power and contr

g perfume. Paparazzi flashbulbs exploded like miniature supernovas as they stepped from the limo.

ere! Who's the

! How did

you're secre

Damien, playing the besotted fiancée. "The library fundraiser," she murmured to a reporter, her voice breathy. "

. Women glittered in gowns worth more than Lily's life. Men exuded power like cologne. Damien moved through the c

ght tuxedo clapped Damien on the shoulder. Harrison Vance CEO of Vance Biotech, Thorne Industries' biggest ri

n Sin

on gown screamed dominance. Her eyes, a glacial blue, raked over Lily with

evastating as always." She air-kissed his cheek, lingering too close. "

rrison. May I introduce Lily Chen." His hand

n. "Mercury silk? Bold choice. Though perhaps a touch... derivative? I wore something similar to Cannes last year." She gave a tinkling laugh devoid of

I confess, Damien's passion for restoring old libraries is far more fascinating than dusty paintings." She turned her "ado

ty. Damien prefers... livelier pursuits." She placed a hand possessively on Dami

ire travel, Evelyn. Lily understands the demands of my world." He

t Evelyn's venomous star

to find a man with a disarmingly charming smile and warm brown eyes

ed, accepting it. She ne

n't crumble while Damien charms the masses. You must be the mysterious Lily Chen." He leaned

smile. "I don't th

ck into Damien's life since he ended their engagement." He lowered his voice. "Between us? She leaked stories to th

of the rumors Damien had mentioned? Before she

He gestured at the glittering crowd. "It's

a physical blow. How did he know? Damien must have told him.

s perfect porcelain doll, and you'll get what you need." His eyes held a strange mixture of kindness and something else... pity? Calcu

ence radiating sudden, palpable cold. "Liam. The Singapore investors

, boss." He gave Lily a reassuring wink. "Hang in th

on unreadable. "You seem... engaged." His

ing kind," Lily

urtesy for friendship. This world eats naiveté alive." He took her untouched champagne flute an

necklace shaped like a spider. Her head pounded. The lights, the noise, Evelyn's venom, Liam's

d, her voice strained. "I

ed, assessing her pa

ugh the heavy door into the relative quiet of the opulent restroom. Leaning against the cool marble coun

lked in, alone. Her icy composure was g

too much for you?" She stalked closer. "Did you really think you could fool anyone? That

erself to meet Evelyn's gaze

n to a PR problem. He's using you to spite me, to show the world he's 'stable' enough to pick a... nobody." She leaned in, her

nexpected, surged thr

oor little Lily, selling herself to save mommy. Does she kno

he fear-it erupted. Her hand flew out, not to strike

't fall hard, but the gasp she let out was Oscar-worthy. Her hand

in the scene: Evelyn Sinclair, the picture of violated innocence, and L

ou alright?" one matron

yn whimpered, tears welling in her ey

frozen, trapped in the spotlight of scanda

is gaze swept the scene-Evelyn being comforted, the matrons glaring,

nced acidly. "Your... companion seems t

tepped towards Evelyn, his voice

mentioned how concerned we all are about you... ta

mien's jaw clenched. He finally turned h

tantly. The contract, her mother's life-it hung by a thread. Panic c

p. He took Lily's arm, his grip vise-li

Apologize? To Evelyn? For defending herself? For defendi

cut through the tension-a sharp, high-pitc

pted from t

ing under the restroom door. The fir

past Damien. Evelyn's theatrical tears turned

s he pushed through the chaos erupting in the hallway. Guests stampeded towards the e

h lethal purpose, carving a path through the panic, shoving aside anyone who blocked them. L

ns wailed in the distance. The limo screeched to the curb. Damien

!" he

mbling violently, her perfect gown smudged with soot. Damien leaned forward,

MYSTERY DATE CAUSES GAL

n Sinclair followed by catastrophic

ed, hair escaping its chignon, standing accused in the restro

ugh to choke on. His eyes, when they finally met Lily's in the dim lig

lain how my carefully constructed plan just burned to

ust caught fire, and she had no idea who lit the match. All she saw