er 05

blet propped on his knee, his expression hard, almost tired. He looked

ide him. "There's news. We've been invited t

thing and we never missed them. But before th

d, rubbing his te

hat do you mean, you can't go? Paul

act I've been chasing. If I don't lock it down now, I'll lose it. And you

ying not to show my disappointment

ing. "I need you to go, Evelyn. Represent us. Look beau

ng to. "But it won't b

dazzle them. You always do. And once I close

gh it didn't f

*

reached the hotel, my body ached. Camille, my secretary, slipped out of the car wi

r bags. "Fittings tomorrow, gala the following night. Intervie

lyn-what began as perfume lines had grown into couture and jewelry. It was my own w

ith gold, chandeliers dangled like frozen fireworks, and

irst time here?

and I always stayed som

dy wonderin

glittered, alive, but it only made me feel hollow. Maybe that was why I slipped int

my phone. Camille's reminders, Clara snaps to me, Paul's short message, a f

and deliberate disrupted

oked

nd in his pocket, the other holding a phone he cle

ep, laced with amusement. "Ni

..." Words tangled.

ly, cutting me off. Lights flickered, the box shud

One at my waist, the other steadying my arm, p

hrough silk and skin. My hair brushed his c

e press of his body, his breath grazing my temple,

o heavy, too charged. My heartbeat thunde

Wouldn't want Paris to st

back, but my body betrayed me, le

what terrified me more- was it being stuck here with Adri