. He's playing along.

e exact expression he wore when a deal shifted in an unexpected directio

yer said, eas

ever ment

er, something unreadable behind the charm, and Zoya realized with

the room. "I had to say something. Before it was too late." It wasn't a lie,

ll cluster of onlookers still pretending not to watch. "And for the photograp

that made it very clear it was not fine.

ger who had apparently been dating her without ever coming up i

hen turned back to Zoya's father. "Pleas

her, gently taking her

ing, he started walking, leading her away from

heir cameras snapping as Thayer held her

ugh a narrow hallway behind a bank of curtains, where

w, the door still open behind her. He didn't say a word. He simply used his l

um of the ballroom somewhere beyond the walls. Two people who, a few minutes ago, had not kno

t was that?" His voice was flat, controlled, giv

found the edge of her clutch and pressed into it, hard. "My father was seconds from a

ou us

ry to soften it. "I

sion. Not satisfied, exactly, but like he'd expe

er, the difference impossible to miss. "Family trouble. Money tr

ouldn't quite keep her voice level. "We will never be bankrupt. Not this year. Not in the next

uite a smile, more like he was testing how far the words would land. He slip

chin lifted a fraction. Her eyes narrowed, not

, though her arms came up to cross over her chest, mirroring him. "Turns out y

ng that. She stepped closer, meeting

ut people you know nothing about," she

r and announced he was your boyfriend." His voice had lost some o

dy told

outh twitched. "What was I supposed to think

cue?" Her voice was almost incredulous. "Seems like you

lifted. "And

on se

sense" Then his mouth twitched again, though it wasn't

ou understand." Her jaw ti

king behind his expression before he let it settl

Then it buzzed again, twice in quick succession, and something ab

wed out of habit, a photo she recognized instantly because she was standing three feet f

ime. She turned the screen toward him with

iet now. "I didn't think

He said it flatly, no heat behind it, watching

eld the phone up higher so he

oto. The headline forming. Th

face, waiting for somethin

the screen. "Stop." His voice dropped low, rou

inked.

ssion now, something she hadn't seen before. "You dragged me into this. You used me

ing came out. She had no an

had all the answers. Now she stood in front of him with

. What have you done She'd grabbed the nearest famous face in the room without letting herself think past the

the country, a face that stopped conversations, and she had reached for

d made herself look a

orking. "We announce a breakup.

t fast, right after this much attention, it becomes its own story. And you have a

ng unreadable crossing his fac

ce in it. "I'm the one who pulled you into this. Wh

oment, then looked away. "You