Morett

Grand Ballroom was thi

light onto the silk, velvet, and superfi

nsive champagne; it reeked of des

the head table, bask

gown that draped over her

oked r

ed like

wasn't m

s, ignoring the burn as a phan

lena locked

s dangerous. She was sp

e stairs, I repeated the mantra in

face at the bottom of th

't looke

oked... ho

rred, her fingers

my birthday. Smile fo

my mouth upward, a mus

irthday,

hestra

hed with a massi

heavy side doo

mbled in, looking woefully small amo

y to intercept him, han

te Moretti!" the kid shouted,

ne! From Mr

instantly, vio

usic

en

a frantic rhythm

now? Was it a bo

air scraping loud

hrough," I

arted like

the head table, his h

white box tied with

ive it to you

ched

her nails digging shar

hispered, her eyes wi

thing nasty. Let th

said, my voice cold a

gift, just

k the

urprisin

ked the courier, my

to a black sedan with New York pl

ork p

lc

ice water ran

ne shouted from the bac

what the

through the room,

the bla

s felt nu

ted t

was no

ust a stack

digital vo

up the to

ION AGR

as s

a Fa

o it... my

ect fo

, confusion cl

ad le

forged my consent

nto the box ov

She let out a brea

ift, isn't it? Fi

" I muttered,

the agree

lay a med

logo of the Sta

row

led i