he Education

-

e that felt like another world entirely. Now, standing in the cramped kitchen of a studio apartment that could fit inside his old walk

l, the chicken had somehow managed to be both raw in the center and blackened on the out

red, scraping the m

hower that ran either freezing or scalding, and a bed that groaned in protest every time he so much as looked at it. The windows overlooked an alley wher

s per

s, according to his fake documents, an orphan from a small town who had come to Atheria looking for work. No famil

exactly six months if he budgeted perfectly. After that, he'd be truly on his own-forced to find work, to scrape

house, delivered packages through rain and heat. He'd learned to haggle at grocery stores and to make a dollar stretch until it screamed. He'd discovered that b

nd what he was lo

ts" on the second date. Then there was Rachel, a receptionist who laughed at his jokes but stopped returning his calls after she saw his apa

, love was a luxury that few could afford. The city's women, trained from birth to seek security, saw poverty as a disease. They mi

nderstood now that finding a genuine heart in this city woul

-

as the kind of place where the coffee was strong enough to strip paint and the menus hadn't been updated since before Ev

reading the classified ads when Ale

le," Alex said b

ndsome in that polished, corporate way-the kind of man who looked like he'd been born in a boardroom. Next

o see y

rward, lowering his voice. "I'm serious, Evan. You've l

"I had a sand

ou know that? You're the heir to a billion-dollar empire, and you're sitting here eating gas station sandwiches an

ead. "Not yet. I hav

nd w

real. Som

ight of six months of arguments. "Evan, I love you like a brother, but you're c

The diner hummed around them-the clatter of plates, the murmur of conversations, the

ooling myself. But I have to try, Alex. I have to know th

end's eyes. "Six months was the deal, Evan. You've got three weeks left. After that, you're done. You

ree

le, of course-into eligible women in Atheria who might meet your... criteria. Women with reputations for kindness, for gene

flicker of

ss the table. "Twelve names. Twelve women who, on paper at least, seem like they might possess the qual

chers, nurses, women who moved in circles far removed from the glittering heights of Atheria's elite. Bu

Reputation: beautiful, ambitious, comes from a family that has always desired wealth but never achieved it. Volunteers at the Atheria Ch

n said slowly. "That's

nothing to worry about. Croft's ambition exceeds his

n Atheria's business circles-arrogant, flashy, known for throwing lavish parties that he could

r worked for him. Tha

know about he

d of beauty that makes men stupid." Alex smiled grimly. "But that's exactly the type

e. The most beautiful woman he'd ever loved had also been the most treacherous. "Beauty

t for two generations. That kind of desperation leaves marks. If she grew up with a mother like Beatrice Bellweather..." He traile

cked it into his pocket. "I'

s small, not the kind of event that would attract real wealth, but it's exactly the sort of place where a struggling young man migh

ss smile touching his lips. "Seems like ex

" Alex stood, reaching for his wallet. "I'll text you the details. And E

nsive fabric of his suit. Then he looked down at the folded paper in his pocket, f

Bellw

t, but that name wou

-

that it attracted the kind of wealth that actually mattered in Atheria. The chandeliers were crystal but dated. The champagne was passabl

its age. He'd spent the afternoon preparing, not just his appearance but his story. He was Evan Vance tonight, a man between jobs, a man wit

story. It was also,

iters circulated with trays of hors d'oeuvres, and a string quartet played something soft and forgettable in the corner. The guests we

tion of drinking, nodding politely at conversations he only half-heard. His eyes scanned the roo

en he

deep blue dress that hugged her figure and brought out the honey tones in her hair. Her smile was radian

the most beautiful woman Ev

breathing in jasmine and rose, listening to a voice that promised love while planning betr

nded himself. Character is. Beaut

elf look at Sophia Bellweather again. Really look, not ju

st attractive person in the room. But there was something else, too-a sharpness in her eyes a

n't know her. You're projecting

ing wouldn't

n a voice spoke at his elbow.

and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She was dressed in expensive-looking clothes

me?" E

figure across the room. "My daughter. Every man in this room

ected: a woman whose face showed the strain of years spent wanting what she couldn't have. Her smile was

sheepish smile. "I didn't mean to

to put it. Sophia has always attracted attention, even as a child. But beaut

ompaniment wo

ess her, because her smile cooled by several degrees. "Wealth, of course. Connections. The things that separate the truly successful from those wh

nd. "I'm new to Atheria's social

of contact, as if afraid of catching something.

pportunities. I'm ex

pped further. "Well, I hope you find what

d champagne. He watched her make her way toward Sophia, saw her lean in to whisper something i

im wanting. The daughter had followed suit. In the space of thi

is what you came here for. To see

l-climbing mother and her beautiful daughter. He'd come here to find something rea

and began making his way a

-

more beauti

tween green and gold depending on the light. It was the way she carried herself, the unconscious grace that m

imself to look past the surface. An

y, as if she'd practiced it in front of a mirror. When she listened to the older woman beside her, her attention seemed genuine,

is whole thing-the smile, the charm

all wearing masks, all pretending to be something they weren't? Maybe Sophia B

tly what made her p

he hadn't caught-moved away, leaving Sophia alone for a moment.

ou from across the room and... well, I had to intr

flash through her eyes: surprise, perhaps, or annoyance at being approached by someone so obviou

r. It's a pleasure

t really began. Up close, he could smell her perfume-something floral

"but I was wondering if you might s

fate would

ired grapes." He gestured vaguely toward the rest of the room. "I don't know many people here, and the ones I d

usement in her eyes. "The champagne is rather terrible, isn't it? I tri

zing committee, isn'

refully neutral, but Evan detected a hint of something beneath it-embarrassment, perhaps, or resentm

'll pass. Your mother and I spoke briefly earlier. I got the

s widened sl