ere fortunes were pledged and alliances were forged over champagne and canapés. Seba

hosen was a sliver of dark silk that clung to her body and left her entire back exposed. She had tried

of her neck and the sharp blades of her shoulders. Looking in the mirror,

but his eyes swept over her, a slow, poss

an kept a firm hand on the small of her bare back, steering her through the crowd. His to

lite smile fixed on her face,

he saw

rld. Her ex-boyfriend, Craig Sterling, looking gaunt and desperate in a rented tuxed

athetic alliance of failures, s

ker of annoyance crossed his face. He tightened his grip, pu

w. She'd come too far to

stroom," she murmured

is eyes holding

and found herself on a deserted terrace overlooking the park. T

phone-a cheap, untraceable burner phone

A gruff voice answe

d, her voice low.

lines are frozen solid. They're selling off assets, but it's like

Eleanor. "Good. Keep watching them

her bag. The knowledge that her plan was working was intoxicating

r face back into a perfect, placid

fr

gainst the bright lights of the party. Sebastian Vanderbilt. He was

ws. She had no idea how lo

the stone terrace. N

rivate plans-this man, with his obsessive ne

d? How much

and deliberate. His tall frame blotted out the light

she could feel the heat radiating from his che

you," he said, his

ss, her fingers cold

never leaving hers. "Enjoying the fresh air?"