id betray

were

burn ...

and turned every heartbeat

I saw Vanessa's mouth

ra

eartb

. stil

e gasped. Reporters whispered

d

sion unreadable, watching the end of somet

I walked out of the ballroom,

-it's not what

er, voice cal

ult my int

d seen better performances from interns t

designer gown, surrounded by murm

nt

s con

e one connected to the venue my assistant

the pr

t," I said, pu

key was older than most people I knew. I

in my world. And

ow looked exactly how I p

voice wavered. "Ther

urn. "Make

e was abandoned at the altar. Reporters are circli

tion. I turned, f

om never showed. S

W

Talia

e. Then I said evenl

nked.

eyes. "You

ckground check on her,

quickly

sened my cufflinks, the wei

emotion. It

waiting to be made and

later, she

a Mo

o her face, eyes rimmed red but steady, like she'd alre

, but not

but no

me?" she asked, arm

Most people folded when they s

," I

shot up. "

aid,

ause she wanted to because somethi

slid it across the t

ou want?"

to the po

rrang

d. "An arr

. You need to fix your reputation. I need to

n disbelief. "Hel

rry

more than every stock I owned

sorry

at myself. I

d. "Six months. You save face. I p

tter and shaky.

back. "But I'm also r

e I'd hit the nerv

know you," she

slid the document toward her. "Yo

might bite. "You think I'll just marr

l do it because you hate lo

the flicker of recognition. The t

etly. "No strings. No em

to my faint surprise,

in

ontrol restored.

will cont

d brave. "I'll ha

all, cold smile. "I do

was seeing through me, like she knew I

was

about pity.

about

lway

er name, I knew one

idn't just ste

been trap

s ce